Community Matching
Helps users discover groups and people based on shared interests, background, language, or location.
Kin
Kin is a mobile app concept designed to help new immigrants feel more at home by connecting them with local communities, shared experiences, and supportive social spaces.
Problem
Moving to a new country can feel isolating, especially without familiar people, places, or support systems.
Goal
Create a warmer, easier way for new immigrants to connect, find community, and feel at home.
My Role
UX research, user flows, wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and visual direction.
THE PROBLEM
Finding belonging in a new place can be difficult.
New immigrants often have to rebuild their sense of home from scratch. Everyday things like finding local support, meeting people, understanding cultural expectations, or discovering community events can become emotionally exhausting when everything feels unfamiliar.
Kin was designed around the idea that settling into a new country is not only about practical information. It is also about connection, comfort, identity, and finding people who make a place feel less distant.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Three needs shaped the app.
1. People need connection without pressure.
Kin focuses on gentle ways to discover people, groups, and events rather than forcing users into overwhelming social interactions immediately.
2. People need familiar anchors.
The app helps users find communities connected to shared languages, cultures, interests, and lived experiences.
3. People need practical support that feels human.
Kin combines social connection with helpful local information, making the experience feel supportive rather than purely transactional.
KEY FEATURES
Designed to make a new place feel warmer.
Local Events
Surfaces community gatherings, workshops, cultural events, and casual meetups to help users connect offline.
Supportive Profiles
Gives users a way to introduce themselves gently, express what they are looking for, and find others with similar experiences.
DESIGN DECISIONS
Soft, welcoming, and emotionally aware.
The visual direction needed to feel warm and safe rather than corporate or clinical. I focused on approachable language, simple navigation, rounded UI elements, and calm spacing to make the app feel supportive.
Because Kin deals with belonging and social connection, the design had to avoid making users feel exposed or pressured. The experience is structured around gradual discovery, allowing users to explore communities and events at their own pace.
FULL PROCESS DOCUMENTATION
Want the full breakdown?
The complete report includes research findings, user flows, wireframes, iterations, design rationale, and deeper explanations behind the product decisions that shaped Kin.
Read Full ReportREFLECTION
What I learned.
Kin helped me think more carefully about emotional UX. Designing for belonging means considering not only what users need to do, but how they might feel while doing it. This project taught me how visual design, language, and interaction flow can all contribute to making a digital experience feel more supportive.