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Duolingo was founded in 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker. What started as a side project in a Carnegie Mellon University computer science class, quickly turned into a full-fledged mobile app that aimed to make language learning more accessible and engaging for people all around the world.

When Duolingo first launched, it had a small team of developers and only a few thousand users. However, as smartphones became more prevalent and app stores grew in popularity, Duolingo’s user base began to grow rapidly. By the time the app launched on iOS in 2012, it had over 300,000 users.

Duolingo’s success is driven by it’s game-like style and short lessons that make learning a new language fun and easy to fit into a busy schedule, which really helped with its popularity.

In 2018, Duolingo reached over 300 million users worldwide and offers lessons in over 30 languages. The company has also expanded beyond its original mobile app, with the launch of Duolingo for Schools and Duolingo for Business. The company is valued at over $1 billion and has raised over $108 million in funding.

It's hard to believe that Duolingo started as a small side project in a university computer science class. Today it’s one of the most popular language-learning apps and a household name for many people around the world.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974, dir Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

“It will never work out. It’s unnatural”.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is a touching film about an elderly cleaning lady, played by Brigitte Mira, who forms an unlikely romance with a much younger immigrant worker, played by El Hedi ben Salem. Set in Germany, the film explores the themes of loneliness, love across cultural divides, and the effects of societal prejudices on personal relationships.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019, Céline Sciamma)

“Do all lovers feel like they’re inventing something?”

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a breathtaking love story about a female artist, played by Noémie Merlant, who is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman, played by Adèle Haenel, on a remote island in Brittany, France. The film explores themes of forbidden love, societal expectations, and the power of art to capture and preserve emotions and memories.

In the Mood for Love (2000, dir Wong Kar-Wai)

“I sometimes wonder what I’d be if I hadn’t married. Have you ever thought of that?”

In the Mood for Love is a melancholic film about two neighbors, played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung, who form a close bond in 1960s Hong Kong as their respective spouses are frequently away on business trips. The film explores themes of unrequited love, repressed emotions, and the complexities of human relationships.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, dir Jacques Demy)

“Guy, I love you. You smell of gasoline”. ‘It’s just another perfume’”.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a musical film about young lovers, played by Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo, who must face the challenges of war and separation. Set in Cherbourg, France, the film is a timeless love story that explores themes of heartbreak, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit. All dialogues in the film are sung, making it a unique and visually stunning musical experience.

Bluehouse Group’s upcoming design sprint is a must-attend event for UX and UI design enthusiasts! Join us on February 15th, 2023 for a fun-filled evening with your design peers.

The focus of this sprint will be on low-fidelity design techniques, and we’ll be relying solely on traditional tools like pens, markers, paper, and sticky notes. After one hour of designing, teams will present their low-fidelity designs and receive valuable feedback.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to sharpen your design skills and network with fellow designers.

Learn more details about the event.

Your smartphone likely came with a pre-downloaded generic weather app, but have you ever explored other options in the app store? CARROT weather is a great alternative that offers a unique and personalized experience. The app utilizes a fun art style and animations to display the current weather, and even allows users to customize the app’s personality to fit their preferences – this is definitely my favorite feature. You can even earn achievements for withstanding storms or traveling the world which is a nice gamification touch.

Whether you prefer a more serious and informative tone or a silly and playful one, Carrot weather allows you to select the tone of voice that the app talks to you in. Plus, it even has a profanity setting for those who want a more light-hearted approach to checking the weather. The user interface and symbols are well-designed and make the overall user experience of checking the weather more enjoyable. The only downside is the occasional advertisement, but these can be removed if you subscribe to the premium version, but the free version is still worth it.

The app is available for both IOS and Android

The Vermont Brewery Challenge app is ideal for beer enthusiasts looking to explore Vermont and sample the state’s finest brews. The app uses your location to provide a virtual passport feature, allowing you to stamp your progress as you visit breweries that are members of the Vermont Brewers Association. Whether you're a tourist or a local, the app keeps you informed of upcoming events and festivals, and helps you discover fun beer trails in the area.

The app has a user-friendly interface that looks great. The design is visually pleasing, with inviting colors and photos. From a usability standpoint, the layout is well thought-out and easy to navigate. Additionally, the app is available on the Google Play store and on the Apple Store, ensuring that users can access the app no matter what device they are using.

While Bluehouse Group has no affiliation with the Vermont Brewers Association, we do appreciate a well-developed Vermont mobile app when we see one.