Essays
Reclaiming Chinese Characters Without the Shame
For heritage learners with painful memories of Chinese school, reclaiming the language can feel loaded. Here is a gentle, pressure-free way back to writing characters.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
An App to Recognize Oracle Bone Script You Draw?
Reliably recognizing finger-drawn oracle bone script is hard, and a recognizer teaches you little. Here is the honest picture and a better way to learn the script.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Translation App or Writing App? They Do Different Jobs
A translator gives you meaning; a writing tool gives you the ability to produce characters. If you keep searching for a translation app, you may actually need the other kind.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
A Strictly Manual App With No Auto-Complete Cheat Button
Want a writing app with no auto-complete or cheat button, strictly manual? Your instinct is exactly right. The shortcut is what kills the learning. Here is why.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Does Left-Handedness Change Chinese Stroke Order?
Left-handed and finding some Chinese sweeps awkward? Stroke order stays the same, but ergonomics can adapt. Here is what should and should not change.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
An App That Checks Stroke Direction, Not Just Shape
Many apps grade the final shape and miss wrong stroke direction. Here is why direction matters and what a tool needs to check it, not just the outline.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
An App That Highlights the Phonetic Component First
Want an app that highlights a character's phonetic component before you draw it? Decoding the parts first makes dense characters learnable. Here is how it helps.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Can an App Tell You if Your Hanzi Is Ugly?
An app can judge whether your character is correct and well-proportioned, but "ugly" is partly taste. Here is what feedback actually helps your handwriting.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
An App That Punishes You for Checking Pinyin?
Want an app that punishes you for checking the pinyin? You don't need punishment, you need the pinyin hidden. Here is the better, calmer design.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
An App That Tracks Parent and Child Stroke Practice
Want one app that tracks both your child's and your own Chinese stroke practice? Shared progress turns practice into a habit you keep together. Here is how.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Shatter the Character on a Stroke-Order Slip? Feedback Design
A character that shatters when you draw out of order is more fun than a red X, but good error feedback has to inform, not just punish. Here is what makes stroke-order feedback actually work.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
An App to Check Your Chinese Tattoo? Read This First
Before you ink a Chinese tattoo, can an app verify the translation and characters? Not safely on its own. Here is how to actually check it before it is permanent.
Lawrence Arya··5 min