Case study – Our own product
Bawo is Mediawind's own app for learning African languages – short audio lessons on the web and on WhatsApp. We had the idea, designed it, built it, and we run it. It's the clearest proof of what we can do, because the client was us.
5
African languages, starting with Yoruba
2
Ways to learn – web app and WhatsApp
3
Ways to practise – lessons, flashcards, quizzes
Beta
Live now at bawoafrica.com
The idea
African languages are hard to learn online. Bawo makes it a five-minute daily habit.
What we built
A full learning app and marketing site – lessons, flashcards, quizzes, streaks – on web and WhatsApp.
Where it is
Live in beta at bawoafrica.com, starting with Yoruba, more languages on the way.
- Product
- Mediawind's first in-house SaaS
- Our role
- Idea, design, and build
- Category
- Education · Language learning
- Platform
- Web app + WhatsApp
- Status
- Live in beta, 2026
Why we built it
Plenty of studios will tell you what they can do. We wanted something we could point at – a real product, with real users, that we own end to end. So we built one.
Bawo solves a problem we cared about. Millions of people want to learn or hold on to an African language, but the apps that teach French and Spanish rarely cover Yoruba, Igbo, or Kiswahili. The few that do are often heavy and hard to stick with.
Our answer was to make it small and daily – five minutes of audio, a few flashcards, a quick quiz – and to meet people where they already are, which in much of Africa means WhatsApp as well as the web.
Why this matters for a client
We put our own time and money into shipping a real SaaS – not a demo.
Everything a startup needs – design, app, payments, content, and the work of keeping it running – we've done for ourselves first. When we do it for you, it's not our first time.
The product
The whole app is built around one small loop that's easy to repeat every day. You learn a little, practise it, and see your progress – then come back tomorrow.
It's designed for a phone and a spare moment, with audio at the centre so you hear the language the way it's actually spoken – not just read it.
01
Short lessons
Each lesson is a few pages – a bit of language, a cultural note, a grammar note – not an hour-long class.
02
Flashcards
New words come with their pronunciation. Tap to flip, and they stick through repetition rather than memorising.
03
Quick quizzes
Two-option questions check you've got it, with the answer shown straight away – right or wrong.
04
Streaks & progress
A daily streak, a weekly calendar, and visible progress through each course keep learners coming back.
Inside the app
Design
Language learning can feel like homework. Bawo is built to feel like the opposite – soft greens, rounded shapes, hand-drawn gesture marks, and little moments of celebration when you finish a lesson.
None of it is off-the-shelf. We built a complete design system – every colour, button, and animation – so the whole app feels like one considered thing, and so new screens are quick to add without drifting off-brand.
It works beautifully on a phone, reads clearly for a complete beginner, and ships in both a light and a dark theme that each got the same care.
Audio-first
You hear a native speaker, not just a transliteration. Pronunciation is part of every word.
Built for beginners
Plain language, one idea per screen, and nothing that assumes you've studied a language before.
Light and dark, done properly
The dark theme isn't an afterthought – every screen was checked and tuned in both.
Small, rewarding wins
Streaks, checkmarks, and celebrations give a reason to come back tomorrow.
Under the hood
A good-looking app is only half the job. Bawo is built on the same foundations we'd use for any serious product – modern, secure, and able to handle growth without being torn up and started again.
The app you see is separated from the services that hold the data, so each can grow on its own. Accounts, progress, payments, and lesson content each have their place, and the lessons themselves come from a content system the team edits directly – publishing a new lesson doesn't need a developer.
It's covered by automated tests and ships continuously, so we can improve it every week with confidence rather than crossing our fingers on each release.
Built to scale from day one
Next.js, TypeScript, and a set of backend services that own the data – so the app can grow without being rebuilt.
A design system, not a theme
Every colour, control, and animation was built from scratch into a reusable kit, in both light and dark mode.
Content that updates itself
Lessons, vocabulary, and audio flow from a content system the team edits – no developer needed to publish a new lesson.
Tested and monitored
Automated tests, error handling, and continuous deployment, so shipping an update doesn't mean breaking the app.
Reach & model
Anyone can start learning for free, with no account – the first module is open so you can feel the value before you sign up. From there, an account saves your progress, and deeper content sits behind a simple paid tier.
Just as important is where it reaches people. Alongside the web app, Bawo teaches through WhatsApp – the everyday app for hundreds of millions across the continent – so learning fits into a conversation people are already having.
It's a beta, so the honest position is that the audience is still being built. What's in place is the thing most startups stall on: a real product people can actually use and pay for.
More than the app
- For Teachers – native speakers can apply to contribute lessons.
- Community – a place to find a language partner.
- Languages map – an interactive map of where each language is spoken.
Built to grow into a platform, not just a single app.
What it proves
We can take an idea all the way
From a blank page to a live product people use – design, build, launch, and run.
We've handled the hard parts
Accounts, payments, content pipelines, and a design system – the pieces most projects underestimate.
We stay with it
Bawo isn't a finished deliverable; it's a product we keep improving. That's how we treat client work too.
We build websites, apps, and SaaS products for startups – and we know what it takes, because we've shipped our own.
Contact
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Tell us what you're building – even if it's still just an idea. We'll read it and get back to you personally.