K I N D R E D
U X + U I
BRIEF: Develop an app for genealogists, both amateur and professional to research and construct family trees and heritage. Secondary purpose is to build a global community of genealogists, contributing to a library of records, photos and information.
Kindred started life as a UX group exercise that grew into so much more. Genealogist apps are almost painfully common, but the UI of almost all of them leaves a lot to be desired. I wanted to keep screen clutter to a minimum, bearing in mind that the target demographic of 40-50 year olds might not be the most tech savvy. While I didn't skimp on the design or refinement of the app, I wanted to make navigation and interaction to be a clear cut, easy to follow process.
DISCLAIMER: Concept work for student project
While this was a UX/UI app primarily, I found myself delving into the age old cookie of brand development as a matter of development. It was near organic, but the below panel is a gleeful culmination of trial and error, design and redesign. My first foray into the world of design was through brand management, so having developed the breakdown below fills me with a strangely wholesome sense of accomplishment.
The icons were perhaps the most labor intensive part of the process, using the motif of a family tree and the near iconic elements of circles and linking lines that come with it. It was a bit of a brain stretch to find different ways to express at times complex words/ideas with so few elements, but necessity is the mother of invention and the result is something that I am very proud of.
