Together
Cultural learning and preservation
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. With the Hmong culture as our main example, how can we preserve a culture and educate others about it?
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.
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
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.
Takeaway
Preserving cultural heritage is urgent and deeply personal for many communities. Through Together, I learned how digital tools can play a vital role in connecting people with language, history, and landmarks — helping to keep traditions alive. The project reinforced the importance of respectful collaboration with cultural custodians and designing with authenticity.
Impact:
Although still conceptual, Together highlights the potential for technology to support cultural preservation in meaningful ways. It opened my eyes to the power of storytelling and education in fostering appreciation and understanding across generations.
If I had more time:
I would further conduct research, ship this concept, develop interactive learning experiences, and explore partnerships with cultural organizations to build trust and expand reach.