Unite App

Role: UX/UI Design, UX research

The UNICEF Challenge: UNICEF Canada asked us to design a platform to help youth connect with activism during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical community gathering became difficult.
Critique of Existing Social Media: I identified a core systemic flaw in modern social platforms—they focus on personal clout and individual profiles rather than constructive ideas, creating an environment where youth fear judgement.
Initial Idea: Proposed a platform centred on ideas and causes rather than individuals, eliminating personal ego to create a safe space for youth discourse.

Primary Research: Conducted surveys and remote interviews with youth aged 18–24.
- 4/5 were unaware of existing youth advocacy programmes.
- 5/5 expressed interest in learning more about advocacy and their rights.
User Persona: Mapped out the struggles of a teenager isolated by online school who feels powerless watching online movements but lacks the money or time to donate or attend protests.
Core Pain Points Identified:
- Youth feel disconnected from real-world decision-makers with no clear path to influence policy.
- They struggle to make meaningful contributions without financial donations.
- They fear social judgement and privacy exposure online.
Design Principles: Prioritise privacy for users under 16, provide engaging learning formats, and create direct channels for youth input on policy.

Collaborative Low-Fi Exploration: Translated initial sketches into low-fidelity Figma prototypes.
Think-Aloud User Testing: Conducted usability testing sessions asking youth participants to complete core tasks while speaking their thoughts aloud.
Informed Design Iterations Based on Feedback:
- Navigation Bar: Redesigned the main navigation bar to clarify feature hierarchy and improve movement between learning and action tools.
- Discussion Hierarchy: Restructured discussion threads to visually distinguish and highlight responses from verified moderators and government officials.
- Notification System: Streamlined notification triggers to prevent user fatigue.

Privacy-First Onboarding: Users can browse as guests or create a pseudonymous profile with a randomised username and avatar, protecting users under 16 and removing clout-seeking mechanics.
Pillar 1 Learn: A dedicated hub offering curated articles and videos to build foundational knowledge on ongoing advocacy topics.
Pillar 2 Discuss: Moderated discussion spaces featuring Q&As and highlighted responses from government representatives.
Pillar 3 Action: Tangible policy contribution tools including quick polls, a Kanban-style collaboration board for policy briefs, and inline document annotation features to leave specific feedback.
Final Recognition: Awarded 1st Place in the university design competition for creating a validated, safe advocacy ecosystem that turns youth input into real policy impact.