Forge

The Island Sustainability Learning Experience App.

Preservation of culture and land through respectful ʻāina friendly choices.

Project Overview

Design a mobile app focused on cultural island life sustainability and influencing friendly choices to protect and perpetuate island culture. The goal was to develop a visually appealing and effective system to convey the core values of the app.

Services

UX/UI & Mobile App Design

Software

Adobe Creative Cloud: Illustrator, PhotoShop, Dimensions, Blender, HTML, CSS, and Javascript Library

Challenge

Create a visually engaging and user-friendly app that lends to both native and non-native culture that included staying to true to the language of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i. How can two cultures co-exist under one UX/UI hood?

Solution

Design a mobile app that resonates with and represents the preservation and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture.

Conceptual Planning

Formulating this complex system began with a user flowchart, explaining how one would navigate through the app. The focus was to create an inviting yet visually engaging and user-friendly interface that could help users learn about and sustain the culture of the island. To this end, we designed a colorful and inviting UI with bold typography and clear navigation. We also used a mixture of traditional and modern design elements to reflect the island‘s history and culture.

THE DESIGN

The final design of ISLE is both eye-catching and easy to use. It features a streamlined interface that guides users from one screen to another while allowing users to actively learn about the island's culture and make responsible choices to protect and perpetuate it. The app‘s design system includes a logo that‘s deeply rooted in island life. A color palette that not only draws from natural island beauty but represents nature to its core. A typeface that lends an immense amount of characteristic qualities of organic cultural elements. An Interactive menu button with custom icons that outline and depict Native Hawaiian core values, practices, and traditions.

Logo and Color Palette

ISLE needed a logo that was highly recognizable and reflected island culture. The approach to incorporate three core reference lends to what is known as Papakū Makawalu or the Hawaiian Worldview. How the natural world is categorized and organized through processing lenses of the universe.

Taking inspiration from nature, it made 1000% to do the same with the color palette. The neutral black and white colors tones come from the icon Manu-o-ku, the blue was inspired from the sea, and the orange and greens came from a plant by the name of Bird of Paradise.

Typography

Blenny is a display typeface that features soft, voluptuous, curvaceous, thick and retro display font. I chose this font because it has a laid back but bold island vibe perfect for grabbing and directing attention. Gotham is a geometric sans-serif typeface perfect for text based projects like this one. I chose this font for its versatility to be easily read from far distances and easy on the eye through print.

Graphics/Icons

Bespoke illustrative icons are used to build upon the cultural experience and impart traditions, practices and values in a clear, approachable and engaging way. Each illustration is inspired by tools, vessels, and places fond to Native Hawaiian people and their culture.

User Flow Chart

Lo-Fi Wireframe

Come to visit, Leave making an Impact.

ISLE will help users engage with the island‘s culture in a meaningful way and make responsible choices to protect and perpetuate it. ISLE is an app filled with confidence that will make a positive impact on island life, allowing users to make friendly choices towards sustainability and preservation.