Guide for Immigrant Students
Project Context
Immigration is a profound life transition requiring bravery and resilience. It involves not just a change of location, but a complete reconstruction of one's life—from accessing public services to building new social circles.
Inspired by IDEO.org's human-centered design principles, our team (Emmy Zhang, Hui Huang Guan, and myself) tackled the challenge of making migration welcoming and safe for students, particularly those facing language barriers.
Inspiration: Learning from People
We adopted a rigorous, empathetic research approach, engaging with diverse groups to understand the "complete circle" of the immigrant experience.
15+ Immigrants
Interviewed individuals from diverse backgrounds (India, China, etc.) to understand early-day hardships.
30+ Students
Focused interviews with students revealed unique emotional and mental challenges compared to older adults.
Expert Consultation
Insights from an immigration agency director overseeing 500+ cases highlighted adaptation struggles for older demographics.
Key Insight: The Student Struggle
"We concluded that students faced greater difficulties mentally and emotionally due to migration. This insight pivoted our entire study to focus specifically on the student experience."
Ideation & The Pivot
Clustering Themes
We synthesized our research into three major clusters:
- Language Barriers: The root of social isolation.
- Resource Access: Navigating complex public services.
- Life Satisfaction: Building social circles and belonging.
Why Not Another App?
We initially prototyped a language learning app. However, I realized that digital tools were not the solution to a fundamentally human problem. There were already enough apps; what was missing was human connection and guidance.
The Solution: A Service Design Approach
Instead of a product, I designed a Service Program. This comprehensive guide enables school clubs and university management to conduct structured sessions and workshops. These sessions are designed to facilitate networking, financial literacy, and emotional settlement for newly migrated students.
