BUA THAI INTERACTIVE FAMILY STORIES

BUA THAI INTERACTIVE FAMILY STORIES

BUA THAI INTERACTIVE FAMILY STORIES

UI/UX

UI/UX

CAPSTONE PROJECT

CAPSTONE PROJECT

YEAR: 2025

YEAR: 2025

ROLE: UX/UI Designer · Research · Visual Design

ROLE: UX/UI Designer · Research · Visual Design

PLATFORM: Responsive Website

PLATFORM: Responsive Website

TOOLS: Figma, Miro, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects

TOOLS: Figma, Miro, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects

RECOGNITION: Excellence in Digital Product Design from Purple Shirt Design Agency

RECOGNITION: Excellence in Digital Product Design from Purple Shirt Design Agency

the PROBLEM

the PROBLEM

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Thai diasporas feel disconnected from their heritage.

Thai diasporas feel disconnected from their heritage.

Many Thai family stories, rituals, and cultural knowledge are undocumented and gradually lost between generations, especially within diaspora communities. Existing genealogy platforms such as Ancestry and My Chinese Roots prioritise data-driven family trees and lack the narrative and cultural relevance needed for Thai users to meaningfully engage with their heritage.

Many Thai family stories, rituals, and cultural knowledge are undocumented and gradually lost between generations, especially within diaspora communities. Existing genealogy platforms such as Ancestry and My Chinese Roots prioritise data-driven family trees and lack the narrative and cultural relevance needed for Thai users to meaningfully engage with their heritage.

This sparked the question - How might we encourage Thai diasporas to rediscover cultural values and family heritage through interactive storytelling?

This sparked the question - How might we encourage Thai diasporas to rediscover cultural values and family heritage through interactive storytelling?

the SOLUTION

the SOLUTION

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A digital interactive storytelling website

A digital interactive storytelling website

Exploring Thai family narratives across generations

Exploring Thai family narratives across generations

Parallax Scrolling & Engaging Navigations

Parallax Scrolling & Engaging Navigations

  • Parallax scroll explores layers of a lotus blossom → layers of family generations


  • Symbolic metaphor for growth, spiritual awakening, cultural rebirth

  • Parallax scroll explores layers of a lotus blossom → layers of family generations


  • Symbolic metaphor for growth, spiritual awakening, cultural rebirth

3 Different Stories

3 Different Stories

  • Each stories told through a different family member and generation.


  • Each narrative represents distinct cultural values, traditions, and lived experiences


  • Stories are structured using Freytag’s Pyramid (rising action, climax, resolution) to guide emotional pacing

  • Each stories told through a different family member and generation.


  • Each narrative represents distinct cultural values, traditions, and lived experiences


  • Stories are structured using Freytag’s Pyramid (rising action, climax, resolution) to guide emotional pacing

Sound Design

Sound Design

  • Ambient sound design based on the scenery of each stories being told.

  • Muay Thai stadium, Temple Bells, Market and Street sounds

  • Enhancing immersion into each stories’ settings

  • Ambient sound design based on the scenery of each stories being told.

  • Muay Thai stadium, Temple Bells, Market and Street sounds

  • Enhancing immersion into each stories’ settings

DESIGN PROCESS

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Process Overview

Using the Double Diamond’s design process as guideline.

KICK OFF!

  • Brief

  • Future Wheels

  • Problem space and concept

  • Initial storyboard concepts

  • Moodboard/Visual Style

  • Feedback from Industry

  • Redrawing illustrations

  • Define main navigation and stories

  • User Testing

  • Start Lo-fi and navigations

  • User Surveys

  • Global, Category and Specific trends

Contextual Research

Define HMW question

Quantitative & Qualitative Research

Lo-fi Prototyping & Storyboarding

Begin Illustration

Define Illustration & Interactions

Feedback & Iterations

USER RESEARCH

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Key Insights use in Design

  • Lotus flower chosen as primary navigation symbol

  • Illustration were inspired by Traditional Thai Mural & Publication

  • Stories are told through themes and times

  • Warm, conversational storytelling tone applied

  • Strong focus on food, festival/rituals and visual representation of stories

User Preference Survey

To understand how Thai users emotionally and visually connect with their cultural heritage, I conducted a Google Form survey with Thai students and Thai-identifying participants. The survey focused on cultural symbols, storytelling preferences, and emotional engagement.

16 participants on the survey

20%

60%

Lotus Flower

Elephant

Which symbols best express Thai cultural heritage to you?

Through themes (Location/Festival)

Chronological

80%

10%

How would you prefer to explore Thai family history stories?

Warm & Conversational

Formal & respectful

Playful

50%

25%

25%

If you were reading a Thai family story, what tone would you find most engaging?

Traditional Thai Mural

Thai Publication

Modern Arts

50%

20%

10%

Which visual style resonate with you the most?

What makes a personal family story engaging to you? (select all that apply)

Seeing visual/illustrated representations of history

75%

12/16

Learning about Thai cultural traditions through one family’s lens

62%

10/16

Emotional experiences (migration, loss, belonging)

18%

3/16

What aspects makes you feel most connected or resonant with your culture?

(select all that apply)

12/16

Food (e.g., street food, family recipes)

75%

12/16

Festivals & rituals (e.g., Songkran, Loy Krathong, temple fairs)

75%

9/16

Religion & spirituality (e.g., Buddhism, temple visits, monk ordination)

56%

9/16

Family & community traditions (e.g., respect for elders, ceremonies)

56%

7/16

Old Media (Old Thai films, books, music)

43%

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

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BUA uses parallax scrolling to guide users through a non-linear, generational narrative. The Lotus Blossom family tree serves as the main navigation, allowing stories to unfold intuitively while preserving a clear sense of progression through its layered structure.

SPLASH SCREEN

INTRODUCTION

DESCRIPTION

PLAY THE STORY

Parralax Scroll & Read

Reflect on the Story

Go Next

Go Back

Go Home

Go Next

Go Next

Go Back

Go Back

Go Home

Go Home

Reflect on the Story

Reflect on the Story

Micro Interaction (Muaythai Fight)

Parralax Scroll & Read

Micro Interaction (Buying Krathong)

Parralax Scroll & Read

Micro Interaction (Cooking Food)

DESCRIPTION

PLAY THE STORY

DESCRIPTION

PLAY THE STORY

DESCRIPTION

LOTUS BLOSSOM (HOME)

ABOUT PAGE

1st Layer (Family Heirloom)

2nd Layer (Great Grandfather)

3rd Layer (Grandmother)

4th Layer (Mother)

DESIGN SYSTEM

DESIGN SYSTEM

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BUA’s Stylistic

BUA’s Stylistic

FINAL DESIGN

FINAL DESIGN

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