Thesis Project, UI/UX, Visual, Prototyping | 2 years

yi zhangMay 23, 2018

Root is a mobile application that helps Chinese American to reconnect their heritage, history, and ancestors. Root connects to people who would like to trace back to ancestors and find unknown relatives.

Thesis Project, UI/UX, Visual, Prototyping | 2 years

The Concept

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE CHANCE TO HEAR THE STORIES FROM THEIR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS ABOUT THEIR ANCESTORS? HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR ANCESTORS AND YOUR ROOT?

Imagine there has one mobile application that would help users to reconnect with their ancestors, and also discover the path they been through and to experiences their life. By finding the heritage, the users would create their files to connected with their family and may see some missing members of the family. Furthermore, the goal is to build the way that makes users reconnect with ancestors and family. Besides, users may also be experienced the path to their ancestors, by created a timeline and to represent ancestors' life stories, to discover more about them.

For better understanding please view my concept video.

Target Audience

Architecture Information Overview

Root's have three core features to fulfill: create a family tree, analyze family timeline and automatically merge family tree.

The architecture information map contains basic structure of Root.

Competitors Research

There are three main competitors: Ancestry, MyHeritage, and FamilySearch-Tree. Also, all of them shared similarities with each other, but there was one feature that they do not have, automatically expand family tree when finding the connection. And also, I have compared Root with these three apps in detail.

Sketching and Testing

During the early stage of my project I did various user testing with people neither fit with my target audience group or not. I spent months to focus on the user testing and concentrated on the feedback from user testing. In general, the paper prototyping and cards sorting helped me understand the navigation, function and location of each bar.

Wireframe

During the early stage of my project, I did multiple user testing with people neither fit with my target audience group or not. I spent months to focus on the user testing and concentrated on the feedback from user testing. In general, the paper prototyping and cards sorting helped me understand the navigation, function, and location of each bar.

Three Key Features of Root

Feature one: Create Family Timeline

By adding a new post to the family timeline with text, image, and location.

Feature two: Analyze family timeline

Compare with the various family timeline from different users, then find hidden relatives from the similarities.

Feature three: Automatically combine family tree

After creating the family tree by adding family relatives, there would notify user there might be other users whose family tree shared the same family members. And also, there would be a request for a user to merge their family tree automatically.