ISLE

The Island Sustainability Learning Experience App.

Preservation of culture and land through respectful ‘āina 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.

You want culture, well here it is.

ISLE is an app that is both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. It has a clear interface that guides users to different screens while teaching them about Hawaiian culture and how to make responsible decisions to preserve it. The design includes a logo that is connected to the island, a color palette that reflects its natural beauty, a typeface that is culturally influenced, and custom icons that highlight Native Hawaiian practices, values, and traditions.

Logo

The ISLE app required a logo that was easily recognizable and reflected island culture. The design approach incorporates three core references from Papakū Makawalu, the Hawaiian Worldview, which categorizes and organizes the natural world using a lens of the universe.

Color Palette

The color palette was inspired by nature. The black and white tones are from the Manu-o-ku, blue from the sea, and orange and green from the Bird of Paradise plant.

Typography

The typography of ISLE needs to support a lot of information to communicate the importance of cultural preservation to a wide audience. Contrast, legibility, and practicality were prioritized while creating the typographic style of ISLE.

The Blenny font is a display typeface with a bold and relaxed island vibe, suitable for drawing attention. The Gotham font is a versatile geometric sans-serif typeface, ideal for text-based projects as it is easy to read and can be printed clearly.

Graphics/Icons

Customized illustrations are utilized to enhance the cultural experience and communicate traditions, practices, and values in a clear, accessible, and appealing manner. The illustrations are inspired by tools, vessels, and places significant to Native Hawaiian culture.

User Flowchart

The ISLE app is design with an island-friendly and user-friendly mindset. The apps flow allows the user to navigate from one section to another with ease. The design approach incorporates the main functionality of a constant loop to the home screen.

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.

Navigate & Explore

The goal with this project was to create a safe and growing space for up-and-coming creatives while representing the heart of the brand through an engaging and friendly interface.

View App Demo

See more work

Hana

Design & Media, Design Research

Kuaina

Identity Design, Print Design