ANUNNAKI
UH.NOO.NAA.KEE
A social application fostering the celebration of diversity through providing each user with a curated feed of authentic recipes, music, history and grocery store mapping based on their ancestral cultural heritage.
Background
Cultural heritage, encompassing traditions, languages, and stories, is rapidly eroding as generations grow increasingly disconnected from their roots. In an era of globalisation, while societal diversity fosters inclusivity, it also dilutes the distinct traditions that shape individual identities. Although the mixing and sharing of cultures should be appreciated and celebrated, the erosion of ancestral traditions leads to a loss of what makes us who we are.
The Problem
Research highlights that 60% of younger generations struggle to identify with their ancestral culture, often due to migration, assimilation, and the dominance of mainstream global cultures.
Scope of work produced
Role
All outcomes of the project.
Identified key reasons why mixed raced Gen-Z students felt disconnected from their cultural heritage.
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Uncovered opportunities within social media sector to develop a new application which is unique and competitive.
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Designed a UX/UI prototype which aims to address the identified issue, that provided an authentic platform to educate, foster and maintain a community of individuals of the same cultural heritage mix.
Timeline
November - January 2025
7 week project.
01 Research
The starting point
Initially basing this on my own experiences as a mixed raced Gen-Z individual, extra reading was completed, exploring the experiences of those who have shared online, as well as interviewing close friends and family on their opinions on the subject.
Relevance within the UK
Exploring the relevance of the issue within the UK through initial exploration into diversity, followed by primary research into the pain points of some individuals living in Britain.
Pain points
Through speaking to various individuals from varying demographics insight into lived experiences surrounding this topic became more clear, helping to define the project.
‘I would definitely love a resource or tool that would teach me more about the cultures I’m mixed with, even relating to traditional food recipes, music,
art, etc.’
‘But I think its more now that sometimes gets to me, I don’t really know whats culturally relevant in Guyana now, my dad left Guyana in 1956, and a lot of things I would go to him about to do with cooking recipes, etc. I can’t do because he’s passed.’
‘I really do try to keep in touch with my jamaican side as I am proud to be mixed race, and in a lot of ways it's just who I am’.
‘Since my grandparents passed, I’ve been learning about my culture from people online who are from where they were. It helps, but it’s tough to sift through, and I wonder how accurate it is since a lot of it feels over-saturated and Westernized for trends’.
Key takeaways were that a primary source of the issue was individuals losing senses of their cultural heritage as a result of the passing of first generation relatives. Another significant issue related to the fact that cultural traditions tend to be lost as a result of westernisation.
02 Define
Meet our target users
Although at this point within the project I had developed an understanding of the issues and needs required to address such problems felt by those who have fallen 'out of touch' with their cultural heritage, I find much value in developing personas to help define project intentions.
Several personas were developed with intention to design an application which would be able to address multiple different needs from a range of individuals.
Learning from competition
Due to the time provided to complete the project, an in-depth competitive analysis was not able to be done, however research into competition to find a gap was completed.
Jobs to be done (JTBD)
Based on primary research and reading, 'jobs to be done' statements were formulated, as well as creating an empathy map to drive the design process of the application.
‘When I’m struggling to find recipes to cook, I want a resource that will give me authentic recipes that link me back to my cultural heritage to stay connected to my roots’.
‘In my spare time, I want a tool that will curate content for me and sift through information to educate me on my cultural heritage to feel connected once again to my grandparents as they have all passed’.
‘When I’m with my family, I want something that will educate me to give me ideas of songs to play and food to make to connect with them further, so we can reminisce on their upbringings in a different country’.
03 Ideate
Brainstorming application features
How might we...
Create a platform for Josh Morris which reconnects him with his ancestral heritage?
How might we...
Connect people to one another who may have similar interests to form friendships?
How might we...
Foster an experience which feels authentic and personal to each and every user?
Key takeaways
The platform should be made personal to each user, and through this feature they will be able to connect with one another.
Ideas began to spring to mind of how this could be done, particularly within the onboarding process. However, within the prototyping process, it should be kept in mind that this should not inconvenience or overwhelm the user.
04 Prototype
Low-fidelity wireframing and evaluations
Initial outlines of various compositions of the app completed on Figma, as well as some evaluative notes regarding user flows which required improvement.
High-fidelity prototype
Based on feedback from peers, a high-fidelity prototype was developed, examining the interactions between pages based on testing.
05 Design
This project also required a pitch submission, where designs needed to follow the selected colour palette. I also chose to include my own 'contemporary style' illustrations to showcase my skills as well as enhancing the visual narrative of the app.
The Brand
Values
Tone of voice
The mission
The vision
Togetherness, inclusivity, community, authenticity, sincerity, fresh, progressive.
Human, Trustworthy, passionate, sincere, positive, uplifting.
To create a space which fosters a sense of community among users, encouraging them to explore and share their cultural experiences.
To become an internationally recognised social platform for individuals who want to share and learn more about their cultural heritage.
#fo5254
#d9e23f
#3e41d4
Aa SF PRO HEAVY (Primary)
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Aa Adelphi Display Extrabold Italic (Secondary)
The Logo
Our logo not only aims to reflect the important keyboard symbols within our app, where the use of hashtags ensure the right content is recommended to the right user, but also depicts the importance of unity, no matter your colour, shape or size.
The name
ANUNNAKI
UH.NOO.NAA.KEE
Based on the Sumerian word for 'children of the earth'. Sumerian was the first ever language recognised by historians, but has been lost due to assimilation. We want to bring it back.
Social awareness
Instagram Feed
Social Events
#anunnaki
Poster advertisements
06 Final UI
Onboarding
07 Learnings
Project sensitivity
Due to the subject of the project directly relating to race, culture and diversity, it was significant to be sensitive about the language and communication of the project.