introduction

I moved back from Taiwan to Canada for educational purposes when I was thirteen. At the time, my parents had provided me with everything they could to make my stay as comfortable as possible. They gave me allowances, bought me furniture and even had my aunt to take care of me. Thanks to that, I was able to adapt to this new living environment in almost no time.

Fast forward to last year(2019)'s September, I just began my role as a Design Intern at PeaceGeeks. Excited about the opportunity, I didn't wait to dive right into all the research and design projects. It was then that I got to learn about one of PeaceGeeks' flagship projects named Arrival Advisor. Arrival Advisor is a mobile application that provides accurate and relevant information for newcomers to settle in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Designing for Arrival Advisor, I came to realize the effortless immigration experience that my parents had set up so perfectly for me was merely an illusion.

Arrival Advisor is an mobile app that helps newcomers to settle in B.C. by providing credible relevant information.

Working at PeaceGeeks, new experiences, new challenges, and new lessons never cease to present themselves. While my time at PeaceGeeks had changed my perception of settlements, I also grew my technical skills exponentially by working closely with all the professionals and stakeholders. Besides doing what I already love, which is digital product design, I was also given the freedom to engage in user research with great flexibility. I got to listen to a wide range of newcomers and settlement workers sharing their stories of settling or helping others to move in Canada. My team, which included another designer, a project manager, various developers, and project coordinator were incredibly passionate, friendly and collaborative.

When my team threw me a surprise birthday cake in the middle of a (made-up) meeting. 😂

There are too many lessons to count throughout my internship with PeaceGeeks. That being said, I've written a reflection piece and a case study with the aim to share some of the key lessons and perspectives I've learned. While these lessons came from working in a non-profit work environment, they can certainly be applied to any other context as well.

Three Lessons I Learned from My Internship

Be Concise, Simple and Inclusive

The primary users of Arrival Advisor are newcomers that came from all over the world. The difference in countries of origin not only indicate their diverse cultural backgrounds, but also various proficiency levels in different languages. Therefore, while expanding the available in-app languages, the copywriting used throughout the UI also needs to be concise, understandable and convey in the right tone. For example, during an interview session, a participant pointed out the phrase "Report an issue" as threatening and may discourage people who aren't as proficient in English to provide feedback. The string was later on refined to become "Suggest an update," which was far more neutral. What makes sense in English, might be perceived differently due to the individual's background and their understanding of that language. Some words may not even exist in other languages, so it becomes imperative to stay concise, simple and inclusive when designing for international audiences.

Industry Standard or Not, Always Evaluate

Many design patterns may be recognizable to a lot of us who are more tech-savvy, but what about the ones who aren't? From the interviews we had done with all the settlement workers, we learned that many newcomers aren't necessarily comfortable with technology. For instance, from a past testing session, I learned that participants had trouble discovering a floating action button, which was designed to be visually prominent in the interface.

While there could be many factors (e.g. visual hierarchy, colour, etc..) preventing participants from locating the floating action button, it is crucial to test with real users and evaluate the usability of the feature or product. No matter how standard or common you think your design might be, there are always unexpected exceptions.

Be Emotionally Invested

One of my greatest delights I had working at PeaceGeeks is perhaps the opportunity to interact with all the newcomers and settlement workers. Hearing people's stories really provided me with the incentive to create products that can make a positive impact on their lives.

Empathy is a crucial part of becoming a successful designer, and one of the ways I learned to build that empathy is to be emotionally invested in people's stories. Indeed, one story will never be able to match exactly any other. If we could really attend to what people have to say and have those sentiments drive the work we do, I believe we'll create a real, positive impact.

Here is a photo of me helping out during the Canadian Immigrant Fair.

reflection

The team isn't big, but that's precisely why I really get to see everyone's dedication in bringing peace to the vulnerabilities that still exist in the world. My time at PeaceGeeks not only helped grow my professional skills but also allowed me to define the type of designer I wish to become: a product designer that prevents harm and brings happiness to people without adverse impacts through compassionate empathy.

It's been a genuine pleasure and a great fortune to have worked with everyone at PeaceGeeks. While the definition of peace comes in many forms, I am certain that the organization will continue to deliver and support the ones in need.