Cultura Connect: Embracing Your Roots While Adapting to New Horizons
By Julia Tawfik, Sulaiman Shahbain, Alon Bar-Nathan, Mitchell Ly (JSAM Team)
Problem and Solution Overview
The problem we are facing is the profound culture shock and social isolation experienced by immigrants as they adapt to a new and unfamiliar environment. Our proposed solution is to create a dedicated mobile app designed to foster community, facilitate cultural sharing, and provide support to immigrants in the Pacific Northwest. Our app aims to ease the negative impact of culture shock by connecting newly settled immigrants with similar individuals, helping them share their cultural experiences, and help them get environmentally acclimated while fostering community, through outdoor exploration meetups. By addressing the challenges of social isolation and the need for cultural connection in a digital age, we are aiming to improve the well being and integration of immigrants in their adopted communities.
Design Research Goals, Stakeholders, and Participants
For our research, we conducted both surveys and interviews. We interviewed 7 people and surveyed around 10. Our research goals included understanding the unique experiences of immigrants in the PNW, focusing on how they maintain their cultural identity while integrating into a new community. Participants included friends and family for the most part which made it interesting as they felt more comfortable when they opened up to us about any prior experiences they might have had, we also made sure to not interview our own family members to avoid biases. All of the interviews were conducted in either the comfort of their own home or on campus. This was ideal as we could have a conversation with them for an extended period. We had a mix of people that were the age of a college student and the rest were the age of a parent. This was interesting because we were able to see how different generations perceive their experiences of immigrating to the USA. This made us split into the primary and secondary stakeholders as some people would use it now and some would have used it when they immigrated.
The reason we chose both a survey and interview approach was to be able to get two different perspectives on the matter through two different mediums. We chose interviews because it allowed the interviewees to express themselves more freely and be open to follow-up questions. This was significant as we were able to understand much more about the interviewee this way. We chose surveys as it was also important to be able to gather data not face to face. The reason is that some people might not be so open to expressing their feelings face to face and would rather do so over a survey. Also, the surveys are crucial in our future decisions as we were able to gather numerical data. This helped us draw more conclusions about the people we gathered data from.
Design Research Results and Themes
Our comprehensive research, utilizing interviews and surveys, investigated the different cultural backgrounds and experiences of immigrants living in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). A standout theme was the journey of cultural expression through clothing. Participants conveyed a deep attachment to their traditional attire as a symbol of where they came from and who they are. However, many shared experiences where wearing their traditional clothes led to mixed reactions of praise and feeling out of place, highlighting the challenges of adapting to a new environment while keeping in touch with one’s roots.
Another key finding from our research focused on outdoor activities. The PNW’s beautiful landscapes have become a place for immigrants to create new experiences that reflect their own cultures. Many participants shared their interest in exploring the PNW but didn’t know where to start or didn’t have friends/companions to join them. This relationship with their new environment helps them settle in, and trying different outdoor activities in the PNW like hiking gives them a chance to do things they’ve never done before. Many participants are from warm places, so the cooler/rainy PNW weather gives them brand-new adventures.
These stories highlight the need to cultivate welcoming spaces that honor one’s cultural diversity, including how they connect with nature. All in all, being an immigrant can be tough, and over time, one might lose touch with their culture if they’re not proactive and confident in who they are.
Proposed Design
Our proposed design envisions an intuitive platform that caters to the multifaceted needs of immigrants and celebrates diversity. The homepage offers a vibrant interface, extending a warm welcome to users with a diverse cultural showcase. The personalized onboarding process empowers immigrants to showcase their cultural background, fashion preferences, and outdoor interests, ensuring a tailored and inclusive experience. Core features encompass themed discussion forums for robust cultural exchange, an innovative Outfit Generator offering fashion advice for diverse backgrounds (Sketch 1), and a Nature Walks & Hikes section for organizing and participating in outdoor activities (Sketch 2).
The Outfit Generator, a unique addition to our platform, not only suggests fashion ensembles but also links users to specific items, making it easy to curate their look. This feature is designed to bridge the gap between diverse fashion preferences and accessibility, empowering users to confidently express their cultural identity through clothing. We aim to create a comprehensive solution that not only fosters connections among immigrants but also actively celebrates the richness of diverse cultures. By incorporating the Outfit Generator and Nature Walks & Hikes, our platform seeks to go beyond social connections, providing practical tools that aid newcomers in adapting to and embracing their new environment.
All in all, Cultura Connect is designed to let you proudly share your heritage and celebrate it, as well as help you explore your new environment, and flourish as an immigrant!
