Description:

The Kupu app has played a crucial role in the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa by leveraging the capabilities of AI technology to integrate language learning into everyday moments, both inside and outside the classroom. However, with a noticeable lack of users returning to the app regularly, our task from the team at Spark was to reimagine the app experience for the launch of Kupu 3.0, integrating incentivising features that drive higher engagement among rangatahi and give them the confidence to help make te reo a more commonly shared language.

Our solution was the integration of Tipu, a learning challenge feature that utilises engaging gamification techniques to empower users to “whakatipu i tō reo” (grow your language). Within Tipu, users can set personalised te reo challenges made up of Māori words, phrases, or sentences, which they then actively integrate into everyday conversations with friends and whānau. With each challenge detected, users earn points and grow their very own Pua, a growing symbol of their te reo learning journey. The refreshed branding is deeply rooted in te ao Māori, drawing inspiration from Kupu’s original spiritual symbolism of a bird opening its wings and inviting all who wish to learn. In our story, Kupu takes the form of a bird sent by the Earth Mother, Papatūānuku, to scatter seeds of te reo across Aotearoa, allowing users to grow and support the revitalisation of the Māori language.


Each user’s journey begins with the gift of a seed, planted by completing their first challenge. Tipu’s challenge-setting interface integrates Kupu’s original image-to-word generator, along with level and dialect options that give users complete customisation of their learning experience. The Kupu keyboard, activated across all written communications within the user's device, then allows each challenge to be typed with ease and automatically detected, awarding points that contribute to the growth of their very own Pua.

Formed from the structures of native Pūriri, Mānuka, Whau, and Akakura flowers and interwoven with traditional Māori designs, these 3D, fully interactive translucent Pua are the visual representation of a user's learning journey. Each Pua’s purpose is to help users feel ownership over their experience, as well as accomplishment through each new growth as milestones are reached. To motivate users further, we added a sense of community and friendly competition by placing each Pua on a shared map that everyone can explore. This is then taken further with the addition of Tipu Teams, an upcoming feature where users can compete for extra rewards.

For Tipu, we set out to design an experience that would not only modernise Māori design but conveniently integrate into the busy lives of rangatahi, so that with minimal effort, te reo will naturally become a part of everyday life. The result brings together communities that build confidence around the language and drive the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa.