Mimo Application Review

This was an application that I began using at the start of my degree but did stop using for quite some time due to focusing on my gen eds. Since I have begun my degree-specific courses recently, I have been using it more often. 

Usability
Mimo provides a fun and exciting way to learn programming languages. When I first began using Mimo, I found the app layout very similar to Duolingo, with lives-based gameplay, streaks, leaderboards, and subscriptions based on your desired level and dedication to learning. The free version of the app includes ads, but they aren’t as intrusive or distracting as many other free applications I have used. All tiers provide complete courses for each path within the mobile app.

• The Pro version provides unlimited lives and unlimited projects in the “playground” where users can practice and create their own programs (the basic only provides 10). The Pro version is also ad-free and has an option to gain a cert (though I don’t know how useful it would be in a professional setting). The Max version gives full access to all contents, whether on the app or web platform, in addition to AI tutors and live sessions with the Mimo community.

Design

Mimo has a very straightforward design that is easy to navigate. It has a complementary color scheme (purple and yellow) within the main screens on the app. During the lessons, the application overlays the notification bar, reducing distractions. The bottom of the screen has different options for navigating to practice environments, leaderboard, or their profile. The learning paths and sections are clearly labeled and allow you to easily switch between the different languages or career paths.

 

Functionality
Mimo provides a step-by-step learning approach, building from the basics to more advanced skills. The setup starts with asking the user about their goals, interests, and skill levels. The user can choose to focus on specific languages such as Python, Java, and HTML or choose different career paths, such as Full-Stack, Front-End, Back-End, and Python AI, to develop their skills. Each section has multiple interactive lessons as well as different guided projects (or what I consider side quests) that can be completed as many times as needed. The user is not limited to a specific path or language, giving the possibility of gaining knowledge in all that Mimo has to offer.

 

Improvement Recommendations:

Integrating Web Platform Resources into the App: Mimo’s website provides a useful glossary with tutorials for the programming languages they offer, but the resources are not accessible within the application itself. Integrating these would allow for better functionality within the app, especially when using the playground environments.

A Skip/Test Out Option: When first setting up the app, you can choose your level of knowledge for programming languages, but it does not adjust the level of difficulty for the path/language you chose to work on. As someone who more recently completed a course for Python, I found it a bit redundant walking through the introductory Python lessons.

Expanding Language Option: Although Mimo provides many of the most popular high-level languages, it would be nice to have the availability to learn different levels of languages, such as C++ and assembly, or even have short lessons on machine language.