Tanushree Padath Portfolio

Storytelling with Mixed Reality

Storytelling with Mixed Reality

Storytelling with Mixed Reality

As a UX designer for the Joy Media-sponsored Ubuntu project, I helped design a collaborative mixed-reality experience to increase access to African culture and storytelling practices.

Using community centered design principles, I cofounded Ask Mabel, a free, playful SMS experience that empowers older adults to learn and practice digital communication skills through a web-app.

As a UX designer for the Joy Media-sponsored Ubuntu project, I helped design a collaborative mixed-reality experience to increase access to African culture and storytelling practices.

Contributions

UX Design

User Research

Prototyping

Illustrations

Video Editing

Team

3 UX Designers

1 Subject Matter Sponsor

1 Technical Advisor

Timeline

January 2024 - August 2024

(8 months)

Glossary

We've included definitions of key terms you might come across in this project to help you understand them in our specific context.

We identified three technological needs based on insights from three SME interviews and two focus groups:

Summary

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Context

Client Brief: Expanding Public Access to African Diaspora Museum Collections

Joy Media, a futurist publishing studio, presented our capstone team with a specific challenge:

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Client's Homepage

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Client's About Us page

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

Many African diaspora collections held by their museum clients were largely inaccessible, displayed only during select exhibitions.

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

Many African diaspora collections held by their museum clients were largely inaccessible, displayed only during select exhibitions.

Many African diaspora collections held by their museum clients were largely inaccessible, displayed only during select exhibitions.

They sought a solution to broaden access and explore how emerging technologies could reimagine museum catalogs.

To frame our approach, we began by researching Africana collections and their connection to the African diaspora.

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

Problem

Through our research, we found these challenges facing the African diaspora in accessing cultural heritage

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Field Observation: Spirit of Africa Festival

At Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation's innovation hub, I conducted in-depth, community centered research through interviews, field visits, and focus groups. Our goal was to uncover problems faced by low income communities in New York City.

After talking to more than 10 community members in 2 focus groups about their challenges with the digital world, my curiosity led me to the intersection of technology and aging.

Authentic Representation

Authentic Representation

Authentic Representation

Authentic Representation

Afro-diasporic individuals often find it difficult to access authentic and diverse representation of their history and culture.

Afro-diasporic individuals often find it difficult to access authentic and diverse representation of their history and culture.

Afro-diasporic individuals often find it difficult to access authentic and diverse representation of their history and culture.

Afro-diasporic individuals often find it difficult to access authentic and diverse representation of their history and culture.

Resource Heavy

Resource Heavy

Resource Heavy

Resource Heavy

Any attempt to access authentic representations was resource heavy (i.e: traveling to Africa or getting a degree in African studies),

Any attempt to access authentic representations was resource heavy (i.e: traveling to Africa or getting a degree in African studies),

Any attempt to access authentic representations was resource heavy (i.e: traveling to Africa or getting a degree in African studies),

Any attempt to access authentic representations was resource heavy (i.e: traveling to Africa or getting a degree in African studies),

Negative Media Focus

Negative Media Focus

Negative Media Focus

Negative Media Focus

Western media disproportionately focuses on tragic and negative narratives surrounding depictions of Blackness.

Western media disproportionately focuses on tragic and negative narratives surrounding depictions of Blackness.

Western media disproportionately focuses on tragic and negative narratives surrounding depictions of Blackness.

Western media disproportionately focuses on tragic and negative narratives surrounding depictions of Blackness.

Thus, many in the community seek to foster a sense of pride and belonging through counter narratives, especially around pre-colonial histories and contributions of African culture to society.

Thus, many in the community seek to foster a sense of pride and belonging through counter narratives, especially around pre-colonial histories and contributions of African culture to society.

Thus, many in the community seek to foster a sense of pride and belonging through counter narratives, especially around pre-colonial histories and contributions of African culture to society.

Thus, many in the community seek to foster a sense of pride and belonging through counter narratives, especially around pre-colonial histories and contributions of African culture to society.

Design Response

Ubuntu: Bridging cultural gaps through collaborative mixed-reality.

Resource for Museums

Museums deal with tangible cultural heritage, however, the intangible is often lost when artifacts are displayed without its rich cultural context.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Digital Twin

"Ubuntu" addresses this by enabling museums to place digital twins of artifacts within immersive story landscapes.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Providing Context

This allows individuals to learn more about the artifacts within its proper context.

To facilitate the discovery and experience of intangible cultural heritage for Afro-diasporic individuals, we created "Ubuntu," a mixed-reality storytelling platform centered on African oral storytelling tradition.

Participants, called “travellers” use their phones to enter an augmented reality world, where they engage in the storytelling experience. In keeping with the communal nature of this powerful tradition, "Ubuntu" is designed for group interaction.

Why Collaborative Mixed Reality?

Why Collaborative Mixed Reality?

Why Collaborative Mixed Reality?

Why Collaborative Mixed Reality?

Mixed reality was selected for this experience to foster interpersonal connection and individual digital exploration.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Listen to Central Storyteller

In the physical space, participants sit around a table and listen together to the central narrator/storyteller and discuss how they want the storytelling experience to proceed.

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

A group of diverse design, product, engineering and subject matter expert fellows stand in front of a whiteboard that says "Welcome to Blue Ridge Labs"

Inidividual Mobile Interaction

Digitally, each individual's mobile device provides a personal window into the story's virtual world, allowing them to explore an expansive digital canvas by moving their phones across the table surface during designated exploration periods.