Kinstellation

"For communities where knowledge lives in stories, not databases. Kinstellation maps Indigenous kinship, memory, and connection as a living constellation — including seasons, moieties, and Country."

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Inspiration

Kinstellation was born from noticing a gap in how culture, history, and relationships are preserved and passed down for Indigenous communities. Traditional family tree tools don’t capture kinship systems, seasons, oral stories, or the relationships that truly define identity.

As international students who have experienced the gradual loss of language and cultural identity in our own communities, this issue felt deeply personal. We saw how quickly culture can fade when it isn’t actively preserved. That inspired us to build a digital space that supports cultural continuity rather than replacing it.

Kinstellation is our attempt to honour Aboriginal knowledge systems and offer a tool for storytelling, kinship mapping, and cultural preservation, while acknowledging that true cultural ownership must remain with community members and Elders.

What it does

Kinstellation is a kinship-based oral history and storytelling platform designed for Aboriginal communities in Australia, but due to time constraints the prototype scope was limited to Aboriginal communities in Victoria. It allows users to:

  • Create people as “stars” in a constellation-style kinship map
  • Connect family and community members through relationships
  • Record oral stories using voice recording, video, text, or other media
  • Organise stories by Indigenous seasons rather than the Gregorian calendar
  • Visualise relationships through constellations rather than Western-style family trees
  • Invite trusted community members to expand shared knowledge
  • Preserve memories of people, places, culture, and history in a living, evolving network Core features we are proud of
  • Constellation-based kinship visualisation
  • Voice recording and story capture
  • Invite system to grow family constellations
  • Seasonal calendar integration
  • AI-assisted story summarisation
  • Accessible user tutorial

How we built it

We built Kinstellation in three days using:

  • Next.js + React for the frontend
  • D3.js for the constellation physics and layout
  • Supabase for authentication and database foundation
  • Tailwind CSS for styling
  • Speech-to-text and voice recording features for oral storytelling
  • AI-assisted tools (prototype) for story summarisation and impact ranking Because we are first-year students, much of the stack was learned during the hackathon. We designed with intentional cultural framing, including kinship structures, seasonal calendars, and non-hierarchical relationships, while carefully avoiding culturally insensitive representations.

Challenges we ran into

Technical

  • Learning new frameworks and technologies from scratch
  • Combining React with D3 physics simulations
  • Designing a dynamic, interactive constellation interface
  • Balancing performance with visual complexity Cultural and design challenges
  • Ensuring respectful representation without being part of the Aboriginal community ourselves
  • Researching kinship systems, cultural protocols, and seasonal calendars
  • Designing something that has not been widely digitised before
  • Avoiding assumptions and ensuring sensitivity in cultural representation

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a working prototype in just three days
  • Successfully visualised kinship as constellations instead of rigid family trees
  • Implemented voice recording and oral storytelling tools
  • Created a unique seasonal-based storytelling system
  • Built an inviting and meaningful user experience
  • Designed a tool that, if developed further, could help preserve culture and identity We’re proud that this project demonstrates a meaningful vision and a functioning prototype.

What we learned

Technical Learning

  • How to build a full-stack web app from scratch
  • Integrating D3 physics with a modern React interface
  • Voice capture and media handling
  • Working with Supabase and authentication flows Cultural and Community Learning
  • The importance of cultural safety and community consultation
  • The significance of seasonal calendars, kinship structures, and oral tradition
  • How much knowledge is at risk of being lost without proper preservation

What's next for Kinstellation

Our next steps include:

  • Collaborating directly with Aboriginal Elders and community members to ensure cultural accuracy, safety, and ownership
  • Expanding beyond Victoria to support other Aboriginal communities and nations
  • Completing backend integration with Supabase Improving accessibility, mobile experience, and offline support
  • Expanding storytelling tools and community governance features
  • Our long-term goal is to build Kinstellation into a platform that is guided by Aboriginal voices and owned by the communities it serves.

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