Come together with
I am well cards game
UX Research ∙ Interaction Design ∙ Usability testing
Introduction
I Am Well offers an innovative solution through a card game and an online community that helps young people engage in meaningful conversations and build deeper connections. The game encourages players to open up about important topics, from mental health to politics and more, while also providing a lighthearted and fun way to get to know each other. This makes it easier to build genuine friendships, both online and offline.
My role
Applied a Design Thinking approach to create a design that can be used worldwide by one billion people. That was the purpose of the minor.
The team
I worked on the Design for One Billion People project individually, but received feedback from fellow students, which allowed me to gain different (cultural) perspectives and approach the project collaboratively.
Timeline and Client
August 2021 - January 2022
A minor is an additional study you pursue alongside your main degree to deepen your knowledge in a specific field. I completed the Designful Innovation minor, an international program where I collaborated with students from different countries on the Design for One Billion People project.
Problem at hand
Making friends and maintaining those friendships can be difficult for many people. At school, there is an opportunity to meet others, but connections often remain superficial. Outside of school, it can be even harder, as people tend to have their own established circles of friends from their previous schools or neighborhoods.
Some individuals struggle to start conversations or open up, often due to past experiences or shyness. It’s hard to categorize someone as introverted or extroverted, and it shouldn’t matter. Everyone, regardless of their background or personality, should be able to connect with others easily. In big cities, there is an increasing presence of international students, who face challenges in integrating with Dutch students and understanding the culture. This makes it difficult for them to establish meaningful connections and grow socially.
How might I bring young adults together to connect on a deeper, emotional level?
Important findings
🌐 No effort is made to truly get to know each other, especially if you're international
It often shows up in conversations that feel surface-level, where people ask the usual questions like 'Where are you from?' or 'What are you studying?' but don’t really take the time to get to know who you are beyond those basics. It’s like they’re not truly interested in your story or your experiences, just ticking off a box.
🏷️ You're quickly put into 'boxes', making it hard to break free from stereotypes
This happens when people, especially students abroad, are quickly labeled based on where they’re from or their culture. It makes them feel like they’re never truly seen for who they are as individuals, but always as a symbol of their country or culture.
⏳ Making friendships feels forced, trust is difficult, and meetups don't happen
It often feels like people only engage in social interactions because they feel they have to, or because it’s expected, rather than out of genuine interest. As a result, friendships never seem to develop in a natural way.
🚶♂️ Social networks are already formed, making it hard to fit in
When you step into a new environment, it’s easy to feel like the social groups are already set in stone, and it’s hard to break into them. This only makes you feel more like an outsider, as if you’re on the outside looking in.
😞 Fear of rejection or not being accepted in a new environment
The fear of not being accepted can make people pull back or close themselves off, worried that they’re not good enough or too different to truly belong.
🗣️ Language barriers make it difficult to have deep conversations
For international students, it can be really tough to fully express yourself in a different language. This often leads to frustration or a sense of being misunderstood, which makes it hard to build real connections.
Data analysis
55%
of many young people still find it taboo to talk about mental health.
74%
of many young people withdraw and find it difficult to talk
about their feelings.
From concepts to final(s) product
Conclusion
With the I Am Well cards, building friendships both online and offline becomes easier. The concepts (see above) emphasize the process of finding a balance between offline interaction and online communication. In a world where online connections are becoming increasingly important, this toolkit provides a valuable addition. The cards went through several iterations during the concept development process until I figured out exactly what was needed for the users. Now, the toolkit is easy to use.
Here’s how to use the I Am Well cards:
🎒📚 can purchase the toolkit and use it during the onboarding of new students to play together and connect.
The toolkit consists of a 📦 with three topics and a spinning wheel.
The spinning wheel introduces variation by preventing participants from always picking the same cards.
Each topic contains approximately 12 cards with questions that you can ask each other, even if some questions may feel uncomfortable. It's important that participants feel free to skip a question if they don't want to answer.
Everyone takes turns answering a question, ensuring no one feels excluded.
This process ensures that everyone, including introverts, feels seen and heard, with or without a little push. 🧑🤝🧑💬