Stop Asian Hate Hate App Design

This is a group interaction design project. It was collaborated with Renee Yan in my junior year IXD AND COMM (2022) class.

MY ROLE

Brainstorm proposals, Research project background
Building user journey, design app function & prototyping

And that's the part where we also divide the work and each person does those parts.

TIMELINE

March 7 - April 11, 2023

🔍BACKGROUND RESEARCH

ASIAN HATE refers to increased discrimination, bigotry, and violence against people of Asian descent, including East Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians, and Pacific Islanders. This disturbing trend has gained greater attention and urgency in recent years with the COVID-19 pandemic. And the associated rhetoric, misinformation, and accusations have felled a surge in anti-Asian sentiment and attacks, from verbal harassment and online stalking of Asian descent to physical attacks and murders. This has resulted in Asians facing a range of hate crimes that threaten their safety, dignity, and sense of belonging in their communities. Asian hatred is not a new problem but an ongoing act of discrimination/prejudice. It has only become more visible and alarming in recent years.

But why?

The causes of hate crimes and discrimination against Asians are complex and multi-faceted. One reason is the persistence of negative stereotypes and prejudices against Asians in Western societies for centuries.

Immigrants
Language and cultural barriers
Political tensions and conflicts between countries with large Asian populations and Western countries
The "model minority” myth that portrays Asians as successful and non-threatening, which can lead to the erasure of their experiences of discrimination and prejudice
Media portrayal. Media portrayals of Asians can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and prejudices.
Lack of representation. Asians and Asian Americans are often underrepresented in politics, media, and other areas of public life. This situation can make it easier for stereotypes and discrimination to occur.

Here are other reasons for hatred and discrimination against Asians that emerged from conducting self-research:

Unfortunately, since the beginning of COVID-19, Asians have been blamed for the spread of the virus, among other things. There has been a significant increase in hate crimes and discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans. However, blaming a specific group for the spread of COVID-19 is unfounded and perpetuates harmful stereotypes and prejudices. This has led to more organizations like Stop AAPI Hate form to combat racism and discrimination against Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

STOP AAPI HATE

Stop AAPI Hate is a nonprofit organization that runs the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center, which tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. The organization was formed in 2020 in response to racist attacks on the Asian community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stop AAPI Hate’s approach is to focus on working to end all forms of structural racism leveled at the communities of color to truly be able to effectively address anti-Asian racism.

🤨Problem:

After an incident of or experience with discrimination against Asians. A variety of factors, including:

Fear of retaliation
Lack of trust in the police
Cultural differences
Language barriers
Lack of awareness and understanding of U.S. law
Feel particularly vulnerable, unsure and insecure
Problems with mental health after experiencing or witnessing discrimination

Other factors may prevent individuals from seeking help, leading to a lack of resources and support.

💡Solution:

Designing an app to help Asians, offering resources and information to help them navigate difficult situations

Mood recording
Report cases to Law Enforcement
Self-defense techniques teaching and practice training
Other helping service

👨‍👩‍👧Target Audience:

Asian user who's experiencing/has been experienced any Asian hate crime or Discrimination

User who is trying to seek for help that can let them avoid potential attacks on the street or know how to handling the situation
Allies and Community origination who want to support or help the Asian community. You can participate in the Social Worker program to provide more personalized support and assistance to Asians in need.

Foundation UI Design ⬇️

MICRO INTERACTIONS

🧐User Interview & Testing

We conducted User Interview & Testing with 16 individuals from our vicinity who closely resembled our target persona, utilizing our designed app prototype. Each participant was asked five identical questions to gather valuable insights on their usage experience, feedback, and suggestions.