- Prototype link: Prototype link (Please submit a link to a playable prototype, not a link to your design file)
- Describe your project (Max 150 words)
[Gen]erational [Connect]ions
GenConnect is a family centered mobile app designed to bridge generational gaps, especially in immigrant and multicultural families. The app places family members into a shared private group where they receive a simple daily photo prompt such as “someone that made you smile,” “your favorite meal today with a family member,” or “a place you visited today with family.” Each person uploads one photo, and the images automatically build into a digital scrapbook over time. The goal is to create low-pressure, everyday moments of connection that feel natural rather than forced. Instead of long conversations that may feel awkward across generations, photos become conversation starters. This helps grandparents, parents, and children better understand each other’s daily lives, routines, and perspectives. GenConnect encourages shared experiences, storytelling, and emotional closeness while preserving family memories in one place.
- Describe your research process and findings. If you conducted any surveys or interviews, please include the survey form and/or interview questions here. If you conducted secondary research by pulling from online sources, please include a link to your sources. (Max 500 words)
Our research focused on understanding communication gaps between generational immigrants across different life stages. We conducted interviews and informal surveys with college students, parents, and recent graduates. This allowed us to compare generational perspectives not only within families but also across age and life experience.
A major finding was that generational gaps are often rooted in differences in upbringing, cultural expectations, and communication styles. In our survey, 100% of respondents said that they feel older and younger generations in their families see the world differently. First-generation participants frequently described prioritizing stability, hard work, and sacrifice, while second to third-generation participants spoke about identity negotiation, balancing two cultures, and feeling misunderstood. Language differences also came up often, especially when younger family members felt limited expressing emotions in their parents’ native language, or when parents struggled to relate to American social or school experiences. Despite these gaps, both groups expressed a strong desire for connection. First-generation participants often said they wanted to know more about their children’s daily lives but didn’t always know how to ask. Second to third-generation participants said they cared deeply about family but found conversations sometimes felt forced or surface-level.
Another common theme was time. College students and graduates noted that as responsibilities increase, communication becomes even less frequent. Many interactions shift toward quick check-ins rather than meaningful talks. However, when asked about solutions, participants from both generations emphasized shared activities and spending time together as ways to feel closer. When we introduced the idea of an app, most people responded positively if it was simple and visual. Photos were seen as less intimidating than long messages and more natural to share. Visual communication was also considered helpful across language barriers. Prompts were especially appealing because they reduce the pressure of initiating conversation.
Overall, our research showed that the main issue is not unwillingness to connect, but lack of accessible structures that fit into busy, modern lives. Families need low-effort, meaningful touchpoints that encourage sharing without pressure. These findings directly informed the design of GenConnect as a simple, photo-based, prompt-driven experience that supported everyday intergenerational connection.
- Describe your most important design decisions. What research findings and/or user testing results led you to make these decisions? (Max 500 words)
Our userbase: One of our greatest concerns according to our research was how the older generations would fare using our application. In light of that concern, we made our design centered around guiding the user through all of our features. Starting from the onboarding process, users can create an account using an already existing account system: Gmail. Then, a simple code security system allows for users to join or share their family code with others. The only details our app asks for are for the family name, cultural background, and description.
Picture Prompt ideation: The picture prompt is a feature that helps bring familial ties between generations together. It encourages them to get together and do an activity while also documenting that activity. Over time, their digital photobook will grow and grow while also growing in importance emotionally. Our custom prompts provide users to have their own voice and provide an activity to document for the family. Our research showed that gen Z feels that their voices are often unheard. That is why we also give users the freedom to make their own prompts.
Adding limitations: One way to simplify an application is limiting users in their options so that they are not bombarded with loads of information. The home page asks the user to select between two main buttons: Create your own prompt and a mini camera screen with only the option to take a picture. Our photobook page was made to be intuitive by mimicking what using a physical book would look like. That is, turning from pages can be accessed on the left and right.
Social: Our research showed us that when generations have difficulty understanding someone from another generation, that they rely on learning from people within the same generation. We took this idea and designed a feature that allows families to look at what other families are doing and how they took their picture. This feature will encourage families to take some creative pictures and/or want to join other families in their fun.
Logo & Color Palette: Our color scheme of brown to light green was selected for its vintage and modern styling. The desaturated but bright colors create the bridge between generations. Following that color scheme, we designed a logo that reflects both the feature of snapshotting a moment in time and the timeless camera design that has existed for decades. Our intended use of the color first originated from our initial desire to design a vintage photobook that would store all of the photos taken. The brown could easily reflect the color of a really old paper, leather, or maybe the natural aging process of materials. The concept of taking a digital photo and uploading that to a photobook is the perfect union of generations.
Built With
- figma
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