Project Description & Client
The Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Lactation Collaborative is a non for profit organization dedicated to lactation and reproductive health advocacy, policy change and education for AANHPI communities. They are looking for a new brand design as well as a website to provide resources and information.
The Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Lactation Collaborative is a non for profit organization dedicated to lactation and reproductive health advocacy, policy change and education for AANHPI communities. They are looking for a new brand design as well as a website to provide resources and information.
Project Category Role
UX/UI & Branding Primary Researcher and Designer
Tools Duration
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign 9 Months
Project Rationale
The AANHPI Lactation Collaborative of California provides a network of research and lactation resources to healthcare professionals, community advocates, and AANHPI families. As a designer, my role was to build a brand identity and redesign the organization's website to address and dismantle disparities within AANHPI communities in a professional manner. The new brand represents a diverse range of cultures united by a shared drive for change and empowerment. This polished, professional brand was paired with a website focused on consistency, ease of use, and functionality. The website serves as a resource hub for community information. As leading advocates, AANHPI communities come together as a powerful force for change—much like a wave.
The AANHPI Lactation Collaborative of California provides a network of research and lactation resources to healthcare professionals, community advocates, and AANHPI families. As a designer, my role was to build a brand identity and redesign the organization's website to address and dismantle disparities within AANHPI communities in a professional manner. The new brand represents a diverse range of cultures united by a shared drive for change and empowerment. This polished, professional brand was paired with a website focused on consistency, ease of use, and functionality. The website serves as a resource hub for community information. As leading advocates, AANHPI communities come together as a powerful force for change—much like a wave.
Project Process
Creating a brand and website redesign involved research, ideation, and a structured process over two terms. Working alongside my community partner via Zoom meetings allowed me to continuously learn new aspects of lactation advocacy and better understand their work. This required conducting thorough research using multiple resources, including literature reviews, a precedent analysis, and a virtual co-design process.
Group discussions and interviews helped define the main collaborative goals for this project, including:
Representing the diverse cultures within the AANHPI community through a cohesive brand.
Creating a website that serves as a resource hub for information and support.
During the branding process, I researched competitors, similar organizations, cultural significance, motifs, and images. I also conducted co-design sessions and created mood boards. Given the cultural diversity of the AANHPI community, I chose to avoid overly specific cultural symbols, instead celebrating the coming together of cultures to create change. I ultimately focused on shared water symbolism, which beautifully represents movement, change, and a natural element. Pairing this with a navy blue and teal represent the health sector in a professional way.
In the second term, we applied this research to ideate and develop the brand and website simultaneously, due to the strict timeline. To further inform the design, I conducted a card sort to identify users' assumptions and expectations for accessing resources and information on the website. This allowed me to pinpoint the primary goals of the site and determine which site map would be most intuitive for users.
BEFORE
AFTER
Video Walk Through
Key Takeaways & Results
Overall, the brand created reflects the diverse demographic of the AANHPI community and represents the collaborative in a professional manner. The website features a sleek design that makes resources easily accessible, whether users are healthcare professionals, community advocates, or AANHPI families.
Through this process, some key takeaways and improvements I would make include:
Understanding the Client and Their Background: The importance of conducting thorough research and practicing empathy to truly understand the client. Without this, we are designing blindly and unable to turn a story into a meaningful voice.
Incorporating Cultural Aspects: I would have liked to incorporate more cultural elements within the pattern design and social media templates to further enhance the representation of the AANHPI community.
Navigating Unknown Spaces: I learned how to navigate unfamiliar areas of design, particularly by utilizing research tools such as online ethnographies and virtual co-design sessions.
View the full process below!