Sacred Roots
UX/UI, End-to-End
16 weeks; August–December 2024
Figma, Bezi, Dovetail, Qualtrics, Photoshop, Mural
Situation
The invaluable knowledge and wisdom possessed by older Indigenous individuals has been fading with time, and because of this, we are in danger of having a less unique United States. There are stories that still need to be told, recipes that still need to be shared, and identities that still need to be shaped - we aimed to create an experience that could help do these things.
Task
54%
25%
78%
The National Indian Council on Aging
“We know that elders who are socially connected live longer, have less health problems and can have some protection from mental health issues such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
“It’s hard to find data specific to American Indians and Alaska Natives. However, we did a focus group in New Mexico and we found that many of our elders and caregivers were dealing with stress from isolation.”
#ConnectedIndigenousElders persuades youth, who will also be encouraged to enter into an online contest on how they engage with their elders, to learn from and help take care of tribal knowledge keepers.
University of North Texas NASA - Native American Student Association
We attended the Native American Student Association meeting on September 9th, 2024 and learned a lot.
The importance of dancing and learning to dance
UNT’s removal of the Grandmother tree
Indigenous peoples day 2024
28 Muscogee Creek students 1890
Disrespectful statements made toward them
All try to connect with their tribal affiliations
AIAN cultures emphasize community involvement
Survey and Interview Results
We conducted a Qualtrics survey exploring technological barriers, technological preferences, and interest in learning from seniors that acquired 52 responses that we used to further define our solution and locate solid ground among ambiguity.
We also conducted several interviews with indigenous individuals (born and reconnecting alike). Exploring their wants and needs would define our use cases and viable users.
Personas, Journey Mapping, and HMW Statement
How might we empower indigenous seniors to leverage technology to preserve and share their memories and cultural knowledge with today’s youth, decreasing senior loneliness and reducing the loss of vital cultural practices?
Sarah Brave Woman & Fred Little Turtle
Sarah Brave Woman (Fred's Grandmother)
Fred Little Turtle (Sarah's Grandson)
Solution Exploration
Comparative Analyses and Cognitive Walkthrough
Our team knew we wanted to incorporate virtual reality, three-dimensional scanners, and some form of sandbox game into our solution. Not only would this encourage creativity, but it would facilitate the exchange of knowledge through a variety of unique story-telling methods. We conducted several cognitive walkthroughs of VR technology and lidar scanners, as well as competitive analyses of sandbox applications that allow users to build their worlds, environments, games, and stories.
We settled on coming up with a solution that utilizes both a screen-based application paired with a VR environment to connect Indigenous elders and youth.
3.0 Ideate
System Mapping and Information Architecture
System Mapping
We created a system map that separated our ideas into five main groups: end user, community, technology, collaboration, and preservation.
Screen Based Information Architecture
This IA informed us of how we wanted our Sacred Roots app to function.
Screen Based Information Architecture
This IA informed us of how we wanted our Sacred Roots VR environment to function.
4.0 Prototype
Messaging
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System Mapping
System Mapping
System Mapping
News
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