Major Project 1 | Task 1: Proposal Development
Melvin Yung Khun Yew | 0357241 | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative
Media
PRJ 64904 | Major Project 1
Week 1 — Week 3
Task 1: Proposal Development
To proceed with the major project, we as a group need to form a project proposal, with user interviews data to aid in the project development.
|
| Initial Ideation |
These are the jump links to each part of this portfolio
Instructions
Dr Wong Chui Yin, my section lecturer of the Information Design module for this short semester, gives us a heads up on the upcoming projects and exercises.
|
| Expected Deliverables and Timeline of the Project |
Task 1: Proposal Development
This task requires me and my team to develop an innovative concept that introduces unique social, cultural, or economic value within our UI/UX specialization. We need to identify a design gap and propose a solution that enhances user experience in a meaningful way.
To build our proposal, we will conduct research on current technologies, design trends, and industry benchmarks that shape UI/UX today. Our research will include:
- Case studies and analysis reports on usability, functionality, and design aesthetics.
- Technical innovations and challenges influencing modern UI/UX.
- User-centred solutions that improve accessibility and engagement.
By the end of this task, our project should present a fresh, valuable approach that effectively addresses an existing problem and enhances digital experiences.
Work Process
Task 1: Proposal Development
Starting with my major project, I decided to join hands with my other reliable course friends, who we have overcome countless group assignments together, to tackle the first major project of our university life, together with Winnie Ho, Lin Si Yan and Lew Guo Ying. The benefit of choosing my familiar team is, that we have already understood each other without any barriers between us, allowing a smooth coordination that aids in our major project.
Chapter 2: Planning
With no time to lose in a short 7 week semester, we quickly sprung into action, brainstorming our project point of focus, with guidelines to adhere to the UNSDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). By focusing on goal 11.4 "Protect the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage", we settled down with the topic of disappearing cultures, with our expertise in creating digital experiences to help combat the challenges.
|
| UNSDG Goal 11.4 |
To allow us to ideate, document and share our perspectives with our team, we utilized the Figjam board in the Figma application for collaborative editing and references. By communicating face-to-face with my groupmates, we all came to a conscience, determining our project aims and statement, how might we as UI/UX designers solve the issues and the target audiences of our project.
|
| Our Figjam Board: Topic Selection |
Chapter 3: The First Feedback
|
| Week 01 5 Feb 2025 - Winnie explaining our project ideas with Dr Wong |
Chapter 4: Change of Plans
After finalizing our project direction, we proceeded to decide on our targetted user for real-life interviews and data collection to gain insights into what lies beneath the issues of disappearing cultures. Following our main focus on Baba Nyonya cultural crafts: Kasut Manik (beaded shoes), Nyonya Paper Lantern and Baju Kebaya (Nyonya Kebaya dress) and the wayang kulit (shadow puppets performance), we decided to focus on groups such as:
- Traditional crafters or artisans
- Enthusiasts
- General Audience (Public)
As our project focus is bound to be location-specific, we set off our research trip to Melaka, home to the Baba Nyonya culture, where we are determined to collect user interviews for further analysis and to empathize with them.
As each of us is required to interview 3 of the targeted groups for data collection, we spread out our interviewee group focus among 4 of us, with some of us focusing on the artisans and the public.
As a photographer, I help photographed my fellow groupmates' interview sessions for documentation and research evidence.
Here are some of my photograph documentation!
|
| Jonker Street |
|
| Temple visit to search for paper lantern crafter |
|
| Interview with Kasut Manik Artisan |
|
| Watching wayang kulit introduction video at arts & crafts musuem |
As I covered some interviews on Baba Nyonya culture, I did some research on possible interviewees to ask for their perspectives on the culture itself. From the Baba Nyonya museum docent, local Melaka resident and kebaya crafter located at KL, I have gained knowledge about their POV on the culture itself, which will help our projects to determine our audience focus point in the project later on.
Chapter 5.1: My Interviewees
For my interviewees, I'm more focused on the Baba Nyonya culture side, while I left the wayang kulit culture part into Guo Ying's and Si Yan's hands. Coming back to my interview process, I interviewed a late 20's Baba Nyonya descendant working as a museum docent at the Melaka Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, where I got to understand the current challenges faced by the culture itself.
I also made an appointment with one of my friends who's a local Melaka resident currently working in Kuala Lumpur, to talk about his experience with the culture and his perspective on the current cultural challenges and the need for digital engagement experience to rekindle the younger generation's interest in Baba Nyonya culture. (For example, the recently popular show "Little Nyonya" in Singapore sparks interest among the public)
Last but not least, at the suggestion of Winnie, I got in contact with the owner of the Ang Eng boutique store located at Ampang, which has focused on making the Baba Nyonya Kebaya dress for several decades since 1955. Here I also made a request to my supervisor Dr Wong for an official academic letter for a face-to-face interview with the 3rd generation store owner (and also a traditional kebaya dress artisan). Upon further conversation with her, she also recommended her store publications mentioning their history and her vision of the current Kebaya dress culture.
More in detail interviews' information can be found attached in the PDF file below and also in our group's FigJam board.
Chapter 6: Interview Analysis
Following the guidelines of my supervisor, I moved on to synthesize my user interview data using Affinity Diagram and to observe the common pattern for user insights.
PDF Presentation Slide
View our Figjam board here:
FIGJAM BOARD
My reflections
One surprising observation was during my interview with a younger Baba Nyonya museum docent. Despite working in a cultural institution, he had limited knowledge about traditional Baba Nyonya costumes beyond the generic information. His lifestyle also leaned towards modern influences, reflecting how cultural transmission is becoming fragmented even among those within heritage spaces.
Another challenge I encountered was the difficulty in locating traditional artisans in Melaka. Many experienced crafters are now retired or no longer in business, and finding reliable information about them online was nearly impossible. Instead, my team had to rely on verbal recommendations from local residents, making the interview process more complex. This highlighted how endangered these crafts are, as fewer artisans remain to pass on their knowledge.
Working with a familiar team had a positive impact on communication and workflow. Since we already understood each other's working styles, we were able to quickly align our ideas and finalize our project topic efficiently. This level of synergy allowed us to focus on research and execution without unnecessary delays.
One of the biggest challenges in this process was conducting interviews while ensuring authenticity. It was crucial to capture real user perspectives without influencing their responses, allowing us to gather genuine insights into the struggles of cultural preservation.
A particularly memorable experience was having firsthand exposure to traditional crafts. Being able to see, touch, and interact with these cultural artifacts in real life gave me a deeper appreciation of their craftsmanship. It reinforced my understanding that heritage isn’t just about history — it’s a lived experience that needs active engagement to survive.
Despite the challenges, I felt determined and optimistic about our project’s objectives. The more I uncovered about these disappearing traditions, the more I saw the potential of UI/UX design in revitalizing interest through digital storytelling and interactive experiences.
Findings
From my research, I found that public interest in traditional crafts is steadily declining, limiting the opportunities for people to engage with them. Without active participation, these crafts risk being forgotten altogether.
This project also changed my perspective on the urgency of cultural preservation. I hadn’t fully realized just how fast traditional artisans are disappearing and how little effort is being made to transfer their skills and knowledge to the next generation. The lack of apprenticeships and structured documentation means that once an artisan retires, their craft might vanish with them.
Through this realization, I see UI/UX design as a powerful tool for cultural preservation. By creating interactive and immersive digital experiences, we can spark public interest and provide a digital archive that future generations can access. This approach not only engages audiences but also serves as a form of documentation, ensuring that these cultural elements continue to be appreciated even as the world modernizes.
This task has been an eye-opening experience, reinforcing the value of integrating technology with heritage preservation and making me more passionate about using design to bridge cultural gaps.
Comments
Post a Comment