Immigrant parents often experience higher levels of loneliness due to cultural differences, language barriers, and limited local support networks. Many schools, communities, and existing technological solutions lack effective systems to address this, leaving parents feeling disconnected. That's where Buddy comes in... ‍ Buddy was created to address the challenge of alleviating loneliness in immigrant parents and is designed to explore the potential for fostering connections between parents. It integrates a mobile app and physical screen kiosks placed at school pick-up points, leveraging these locations and the broader school community as natural gathering spaces for parents. ‍
My Role
Conducted interviews, observations and usability testing to understand immigrant parents' needs.
Designed and iterated on low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes as well as researching system requirements and existing models to inform design.
Developed and delivered an award winning pitch presentation with supporting visuals.
We began with extensive research into parental loneliness, its effects on mental health, and the importance of community-driven support. Our research also helped us narrow down our target user group, which was originally parents in general. After growing our understanding of the challenges that immigrant parents face, we decided to focus our prototype on this user group. Here's a breakdown of our contextual activities:
Literature Review – Identified key themes such as social isolation, mental health challenges, and the role of digital-in-person hybrid solutions.
Interviews – Engaged immigrant parents to understand their experiences, uncovering pain points around cultural adaptation, language barriers, and social integration.
Observations – Once we had focused our target user group, we observed parent interactions during school drop-off and pick-up, revealing an opportunity to introduce a physical platform for increased in-person engagement.
Phase 2: Concept Development & Design
To translate research insights into a viable prototype, we explored different engagement models and adopted the Dual Navigation Approach where the mobile element of the concept forms the home-based aspect, and the physical screen situated at school pick-ups is the school-based component.
Following our prototype concept solidification we refined the conceptual framework and undertook the following tasks:
Created low-fidelity mockups using sketching apps and Balsamiq.
Developed high-fidelity prototypes in Figma, refining layouts and interactions based on iterative testing.
Created an interaction workflow mapping user journeys and system functionality.
Defined functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the prototype met user needs effectively.
Content architecture and brainstorming
Initial wire-frame sketches
Physical Kiosk high-fidelity screens
Mobile high-fidelity screens
Phase 3: Development & User Testing
Buddy was built by the developers in our team, with support from myself and my fellow designer/researcher. The screens below are from the functioning prototype.
Prototype Spotlight
Mobile Application Features (React Native App)
Buddy-Up feature – pairs up users and facilitates user connections through collaboration and interaction.
Parent Forum and Events – Promotes conversations, connections, and community awareness.
Post prototype development, myself and my fellow designer/researcher undertook testing with key stakeholder groups. We wrote the testing protocol used cognitive walkthrough and interview methods to evaluate the prototype.
Immigrant parents appreciated the convenience but raised concerns about data privacy and friend request anxiety. Their concerns regarding data privacy were eased when we assured them that Buddy is school-specific and all interactions will remain within their school community.
Teachers and school staff saw Buddy’s physical screen as most useful for parents of Prep–Grade 2 students, reinforcing its role in fostering parent-school engagement.
To prepare for the presentation of our prototype, I created visual assets including a poster, Â brochure and instagram account to depict the design and development process.
Following the creation of the functional Minimum Viable Product, we first showcased Buddy at our course-based trade show, where positive feedback led to an invitation to present at the UQ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Showcase. I delivered the final pitch, and our project won the Diversity Award for community impact, presented by Emesent and the UQ EECS Faculty.
This experience strengthened my public speaking and communication skills, and I thrived in the opportunity to present our work to industry professionals.
My team and I receiving our award
An snippet of an interview where I discuss the Innovation Showcase
Phase 5: Project Outcomes and Next Steps
Buddy successfully demonstrated how a hybrid digital and physical support system can foster connections among immigrant parents. Moving forward, key areas of development include:
Enhancing Data Privacy Features – Addressing privacy concerns by refining security measures and providing clearer privacy settings.
Refining Physical Screen Adaptability – Customising content based on a child’s grade to improve usability and engagement.
Expanding Testing & Scalability – Extending pilot testing across diverse schools and exploring broader community applications.
Reflection
This project was an invaluable experience that deepened my skills in UX research, design, and cross-functional collaboration. Throughout Buddy’s development, I gained hands-on experience in:
Designing low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes that were iteratively refined based on feedback.
Defining system requirements to ensure a seamless blend of digital and physical interactions.
Communicating design decisions and strengthening my public speaking skills at trade show presentations and stakeholder discussions.
Conducting user research and evaluations, uncovering real-world challenges faced by immigrant parents.
Given more time, I would further refine interactive engagement strategies for the physical screen and explore additional community partnerships to expand Buddy’s reach. This project reaffirmed my passion for designing impactful, user-centered solutions and was a valuable step toward my future in UX design and product development.
