top of page
Mobile screenshots from the Xplore app, which promotes indigenous culture through quizzes, sports profiles, and learning modules.

Strengthening indigenous culture through gamified experiences

Background

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympics as a backdrop, the aim of this project was to increase global awareness and understanding of Australian Indigenous culture. Aboriginal people have long experienced underrepresentation in Australian society, creating a need to highlight their culture and history in an engaging and accessible way.

Design option

How can we use gamification to increase global awareness and understanding of Australian Indigenous culture in connection with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics?

My role
UX/UI designer
Methods

Netnography, competitor analysis, user personas, Jobs To Be Done, user journey mapping, ideation, prototyping, heuristic evaluation, annotated sketches, cognitive walkthroughs, information architecture, style guide, design system, mockups.

Solution

A digital platform, available via web and app, that combines gamification and interactive content to promote Indigenous culture in conjunction with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Users can participate in activities such as treasure hunts using AR technology, test their knowledge with quizzes, and explore content about Indigenous athletes. The platform includes a calendar of events and the ability to support Indigenous NGOs. The solution creates a holistic and engaging experience that both informs and rewards users, with a clear focus on increasing global cultural awareness.

Laptop and mobiles display the Xplore website and app, with a dark background and text about exploring indigenous culture.

Design process

Research

Australia's Indigenous people, who make up 3.8% of the population, continue to face discrimination, social inequalities and the legacy of colonialism, highlighting the need for collective action and responsibility to change persistent racist narratives.

Netnography

I conducted extensive netnography to uncover diverse perspectives on indigenous rights, historical narratives, and cultural awareness. Analysis of posts, hashtags, and discussions provided insights into attitudes, themes, and user engagement across platforms.

 

Recurrent themes

  • Indigenous rights and reconciliation

  • Education reform

  • Cultural awareness and recognition

  • Identity and ancestry

  • Open dialogue and respect

  • Misinformation

  • Political attitudes

Visual analysis of social media related to indigenous rights and reconciliation, with interconnection of themes and posts.

User understanding

Persona 1: Rehan

Persona profile for Rehan, a software engineer from Sri Lanka, with needs and goals related to social integration in Australia.

Rehan is the user I have based the user journey on, as I consider his needs to be the most crucial to satisfy.

Persona 2: Jeddah

Persona profile for Jedda, an indigenous woman and health worker with a focus on reconciliation and indigenous rights.

Although Jedda is not a direct user, her perspective is essential to creating an optimal solution. By addressing her needs as an activist, the goal is to indirectly ease her workload.

Rehan's user journey

User journey map for Rehan, showing his process from awareness of learning to loyalty with the culture app.

Wireframing and interaction flow

Hand-drawn sketches

Sketch of information cards for indigenous athletes, with hand-drawn profiles and design notes.
Hand-drawn sketch for an app section about Indigenous athletes, focusing on easy navigation and visual organization.
Sketch drawings for an app with a quiz and donation system for indigenous athletes in connection with the Olympics.

Annotated low-fidelity wireframes

User flow for language learning in the Xplore app, from language selection to quiz.

Wireflows

Schematic view of user flow in the Xplore app for exploring Indigenous athletes.
Digital wireframe of the Xplore app, with annotations highlighting design principles and user needs.

Design principles and system structure

Style guide

Overview of primary, secondary, and feedback colors in the Xplore design system.
Grid layout for web design in the Xplore platform.
Evaluating color contrast ratios for accessibility in the Xplore interface.
Overview of navigation and feature icons in the Xplore platform.
Overview of navigation and feature icons in the Xplore platform.
Hierarchy of font sizes and weights for headings, body text, and buttons in Xplore design.

Design system

Overview of UI components such as buttons, cards, and navigation.

Heuristic evaluation

Overview of 10 usability principles for Xplore design, with evaluations. Tested by Jessy

Test done by Senior Product Designer at NSW

Overview of 10 usability principles for Xplore design, with evaluations. Tested by James

Test done by Product Designer at Aleph-Labs

Information architecture

Structure of the app's pages and functions.

Final design

for clickable prototype in Figma.

Poster

Design solution and iterations – Presentation of the design process and improvements.

Mockups

Laptop and mobiles display the Xplore website and app, with a dark background and text about exploring indigenous culture.
Mobile screenshots from the Xplore app, which promotes indigenous culture through quizzes, sports profiles, and learning modules.

Lesson and value

  • Through this project, I gained insight into how gamification can be used as an effective method to promote cultural understanding and create engaging experiences.

  • I improved my skills in balancing technical constraints with user-centered design, while integrating social and cultural considerations into the solution.

  • The work strengthened my ability to conduct extensive research and translate complex insights into concrete design solutions.

bottom of page