188: Hayti Alumni: Digital Community Space

Presenter(s)

Todjanae Jones, Neha Singh, Allyssa Harris

Abstract or Description

The Hayti Central School-Parent Chapter Alumni Association (HCHS) is the impetus for this project and serves as the community through which a team of students are working together to design a digital learning space for the community. The mission of HCHS is to preserve their historical roots, share their story, and withhold the legacy of their membership. The active alumni group currently provides networking, scholarship, and mentorship opportunities to current students in the greater Hayti school district and maintains communications and events for their membership. In this experiential learning project, the collaborative team is utilizing user-experience and graphic design methods to create a digital learning environment that informs and inspires the HCHS community. The team has analyzed how individuals experience the community through defining the five experiential elements of a digital community, a framework introduced by design anthropologist, Dori Tunstall. Research methods used are landscape analysis, audience diagrams, interviews, and site diagramming. Specific objectives for the community environment include to be accessible to the general public and members, a historical timeline, offer membership features such as a directory and event information, and build on ecommerce features such as donations, event registration, membership fees, and a community store. The collaborative team includes students from the College of Arts and Letters, specifically Graphic Design and Experience Architecture and the Broad College of Business. Additionally, the students are collaborating with a practicing UX designer working in industry.