Together
Keeping cultures alive
Stages
(UI/UX, Researcher, Motion Designer, and Visual Designer)
User research/interviews, concept direction, brand identity, prototyping, wireframing, concept strategy, visual identity, visual design, motion UI, motion graphics
Overview
In America, and many other countries, immigrants are facing marginalization, which further encourages immigrants to assimilate. Through my research, I’ve discovered that the U.S. Hmong population is an ethnic minority living without a country, and is struggling to preserving their culture.
The Challenge
Can we keep the Hmong culture alive?
The Objective
Create a physical and digital platform that engages the community, supports culture, and builds a network.
My Role
For this 30-week project, I conceptualized and created this platform by designing the visual aesthetics, conducted user research, and created the user experience.
Discovery
User Interviews
I spoke with various Hmong Americans about how they and their immigrant/refugee families feel about living in America.
The Hmong’s main struggles were…
01 Passing down Hmong culture to future generations
02 Racism/hate crimes encourage assimilation
03 Not feeling “Hmong enough”
04 Adapting to new cultures, while embracing their Hmong background
05 Spreading Hmong resources and businesses
Conceptualize
Information Architecture
With the main ideas identified, I then created an information architecture to find ways to build the features together to create a product.
User Journey
With the key features identified, I created a user flow for a 1st generation Hmong immigrant who wants to know their culture better.
The Design
Key Interactions
Cultural Identity
To customize the user’s experience, Together prompts the user to enter their primary languages, basic ancestral background, how they identify culturally, and potential familial/ extended connections.
Cultural Community
The user can build a community in and outside their family, meet new friends, and possible relatives through a post feed.
Users are also able to share thoughts/stories anonymously or directly.
Community Marketplace
Users can discover, support and promote businesses owned by people within their culture.
Cultural Lessons
Users can learn from curated content specific to their culture’s history, clothing, language, and dances from beginning to advanced levels.
Takeaway
As a 1st generation immigrant, I’ve realized how much I dearly cherish my cultural heritage. No one’s culture should be forgotten, as our culture is what gives us a sense of belonging. It’s what makes us unique. Embrace culture, together.