TribalTune

Cultural Connection Interactive Music Device for Aboriginal Youth.

UX/UI Design / Product Design

2024

Guided by Jasper Garay's project brief, we were tasked to explore and rethink how Digital Health experiences can be designed to enhance social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

TribalTune is a post-graduate capstone project recognising the multifaceted relationship between cultural connectedness and music to develop an interactive music device that promotes self-expression and empowers cultural identity.

Project Overview

Background and User Research
Concept design
Interview
Prototyping
UI Design

Role

Timeline:  February 2024 - May 2024 (14 weeks)

Tools:  Figma, Miro, Photoshop

Subject:  University of Sydney Master's Capstone Project (as part of a group)
‍
Collaborators:  Shelly Cao, Rong Guo, Ke Chen

Process

Our client, Tribal Warrior, a non-profit dedicated to revitalising Aboriginal culture, challenged us with leveraging digital health investments to enhance Aboriginal health, wellbeing, and cultural outcomes through technology-based interventions.

Problem Statement
& Objective

Aboriginal culture's resilience faces challenges like high suicide rates, stigma around seeking help, and intergenerational trauma, indicating inadequate support from health and education systems. TribalTune, an interactive music device, serves as a therapeutic tool for Aboriginal youth (aged 7 to 18), promoting positive social and emotional wellbeing by enabling self-expression, cultural connection, and social inclusion.

Design Approach.

This project methodology adopts a strength-based approach to explore the potential of Aboriginal music in promoting social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB), shaped by cultural determinants that contribute to a secure sense of cultural identity. Our design intervention seeks to harness the strengths of Indigenous culture, rich traditions, and resilience to ensure engaging and impactful outcomes.

A found potential for a solution that caters to Aboriginal youth's diverse skillsets and domains of musical interest.

Research Findings.

Through research, we found that leveraging the therapeutic and community-building aspects of Aboriginal music and instruments presents valuable opportunities. Preserving and promoting culture enables youth to connect with their heritage and identity by engaging with ancestral language and stories, providing a safe and creative outlet for emotional expression. Additionally, collaborative play fosters positive social interactions and strengthens community bonds within the Aboriginal community while developing various skills like cultural understanding, rhythm and timing, and storytelling.

How might we strengthen connectedness to cultural expression, country, mind and emotions by engaging with indigenous music and language, thereby enhancing SEWB outcomes for Aboriginal youth communities?

REFRAMING THE PROBLEM

Problem space.

Aboriginal youth want to reconnect with their cultural roots but find it challenging to feel accepted and safe, hindering their engagement in cultural activities.

By engaging in a number of design thinking methods such as Starburst brainstorming focusing on the 5 Whys to understand the context, stakeholder mapping, theme framing, and secondary research, we confirmed our project focus and problem space. We transitioned from an initial focus on Dadirri mediation to a targeted exploration of Aboriginal music, recognising greater opportunities in cultural expressions and collaborative practices that resonate with youth.

Ideation and interview insights.

It is essential to be mindful of Aboriginal symbols and notations to ensure cultural sensitivity and authenticity when designing a music game and its interface.

We engaged in Crazy 8s to brainstorm ideas to push beyond initial concepts and encourage innovative thinking. The 4 main ideas we decided to hone in on were:

Silent disco
VR sound bath with sonic vibration
Immersive nature exhibition experience with sound
Interactive music game

Despite challenges in obtaining primary data, our interview with Jodie Kell, a researcher, provided insightful feedback for our concept testing. Her extensive knowledge and expertise in Aboriginal music, repatriation, and ethnomusicology, particularly in the Northern Territory, were instrumental in shaping our understanding on specific features and musical elements to include based on our target users' needs and motivations.

What is TribalTune?

TribalTune is a multiplayer interactive music device that can accommodate up to five simultaneous users for gaming or creating which entails tapping rhythmically to the beats of Aboriginal music or creative music making. Its entire circular base screen divides into five identical segments upon starting a game or creative session, enabling seamless user interaction.

As a culturally sensitive educational tool, TribalTune nurtures a sense of continuity by bridging traditional music with the present, assisting youth in underpinning a strong cultural identity, leading to enhanced positive wellbeing. By offering opportunities to participate in cultural activities, foster meaningful relationships with the broader community, TribalTunes endeavours to instil confidence in their cultural heritage through connections with music.

01

Learn and delve into the origins of Aboriginal instruments.

Tap on an instrument to get to each information page
Instrument facts structured like flashcards to make information more digestible
Tap on question mark card to flip and see an interesting fact
Music icon plays the sound of the instrument

Be in control of your song choice and instrument.

02

Browse and search through song choices

Filter song type and genres to easily match a song to your interest and preference
Choose instrument after learning

Understand how you want to interact with Aboriginal music.

03

Choose between the game and create mode

A user lacking confidence and is new to Aboriginal music may benefit from the game mode, whereas someone with prior knowledge and values creativity may find sharing their music creation more rewarding

Share music creation with your community.

04