Nonprofit Client Capstone · INF2192 · 2026
The Graphix Project
Connecting global youth activists through verified visual storytelling.
Interviews
17 conducted, 16 analyzed
Team
5 people
My Role
Team Lead · Client Liaison · Researcher
Outcome
Moving forward for funding
17
Interviews
10
Countries
293
survey respondents
15+
Usability tests
5
Design iterations
The Challenge
What we were solving
Graphix is a nonprofit connecting young activists globally through visual storytelling. They needed a mobile platform to share content safely, with verified information.
A team of five, one academic term, one funded prototype.
My Role
Team lead, client liaison, researcher
Led all team and client meetings with Graphix
Liaison for two Filipino participant groups
Reviewed 17 transcripts, built the affinity diagram
Built the first lo-fi prototype draft
The Research
16 semi-structured interviews, 10 countries, 2 weeks
Virtual 1:1 interviews, 20–30 min each. Recruited via social media, word of mouth, and our partner's network. Analyzed through affinity mapping.
RQ1 · Current Practices
Where do activists find information, and where do platforms fall short?
RQ2 · Barriers
What stops them from connecting or sharing their work?
RQ3 · Our Role
What role could a nonprofit platform play?
What We Heard
Four themes from the interviews
Safety prevents sharing
"I've held back from sharing forms of art or graphics, especially when a source wasn't clear."
Participant HYE
Need for a central hub
"I hope there is a central platform that connects activism, leaders, artists, and real actions."
Participant CPG
Visuals build trust
"Sometimes visuals make me trust the information more, because it is posted by a credible source."
Participant OPB
Geographic isolation
"It's harder to find people who care about Taiwan-related issues, and I don't always know where communities are."
Participant CPG
The Process
From whiteboard to wireframe
Fast, messy sketching, on purpose.
Mapping out the map's modes and view states
My first low-fi landing page pass
The Design System
Built for clarity and trust
Three content types. Map view and card view. Color-coded at a glance.
Deep Blue · News #1C3FA8
Orange · Story #FAA34E
Light Blue · Post #719EEC
Neutrals · Text and BG
Final Deliverable
Delivered, tested, and funded
Two rounds of usability testing. Five design iterations. Graphix confirmed the prototype is moving forward for funding.
View live prototype →
Why It Matters
What this platform does for people
Lowered barriers
Lowers the bar to learn about causes that matter
Global connection
Connects activists worldwide, beyond mainstream media
Unified pathways
One trusted place for action, community, and news
Intentional focus
Turns an overwhelming feed into something intentional
"This is going to be a prototype that will go out for funding, and likely for further research."
Graphix Partner
Insight In Action
Meet Kali, our primary persona
Age 20 · Vancouver · University Student
A young activist active in protests, digital activism, and local politics.
Concerned about issues like immigration
Wants to connect with other activists
Wants trusted information to create content
Where the friction is, and where we step in.
1 · Enter & Engage
Sees a post she wants to share
2 · Cross-Check
Hesitates, can't verify the source
3 · Auto Fact-Check
What if images were verified as real?
4a · Contribute
A clear call to action, for any capacity to help
4b · If we don't act
She stays silent. Movements lose momentum.
The Iterations
What we changed, and why
Landing page
Round 1
Round 2
Final
Reordered content flow, to improve narrative hierarchy
Upgraded the banner, so the hero felt more prominent and responsive
Removed a text shadow, to improve readability
Enhanced the map overview
Improved CTA contrast
Map
Round 1
Round 2
Map View
Card View
Updated icons and labels, to improve clarity (e.g. "browse" became "News")
Rescaled the map, for better readability and structure
Added Map View and Card View, so people could explore however they preferred
Changed the mode switch tab, adding an "All" default and clearer icons