Problem statement
The challenge
International students often feel disconnected from their cultural traditions while studying abroad. Academic schedules conflict with holidays, and finding others to celebrate with can be difficult — especially without an existing social network in a new country.
"How might we help international students find peers who share their traditions, so they can celebrate meaningfully — even far from home?"
User research
Three key challenges
1
Disconnection during cultural holidays
Students struggle to recreate meaningful traditions abroad without family, familiar foods, or community context.
2
Coordination friction
Planning even small celebrations requires significant effort across schedules and locations — most students give up before even starting.
3
Lack of structured support in existing apps
General social media platforms don't support culturally-focused matching or celebration planning in any structured way.
Research insights
What users told us
Users want clear continuity between planning and reflecting — the app should feel like one journey, not disconnected screens.
They expect a visible history of events and saved content — memory and reflection matter as much as planning.
Matching must feel transparent and trustworthy — users won't connect with strangers unless they understand why they're being matched.
Features that duplicate existing social apps must provide clear added value — otherwise users will just use Instagram.
Persona
Who we designed for
👩🎓
Aera Kang
Cornell international student · Seoul, South Korea
- Find other students who share her cultural traditions
- Plan small celebrations that fit into a busy academic schedule
- Feel emotionally connected to her home culture
- Share meaningful moments with family abroad
Aera doesn't need a large event-planning platform. She needs a simple, emotionally supportive tool that helps her connect, celebrate briefly, and reflect meaningfully.
Design goals
Our north stars
Meaningful connection
Help international students find peers who genuinely share their traditions — not just their country of origin.
Clarity and trust
Provide clear feedback and system status in every interaction so users always know what's happening.
Reduce friction
Make organizing small celebrations quick and simple — three taps, not thirty minutes.
Continuity & reflection
Allow users to revisit past celebrations and share meaningful recaps with people back home.
Information architecture
How the app is structured
The app is organized around four tabs, each representing a stage of the cultural celebration journey — from finding people, to planning, sharing, and managing relationships.
Cultural Buddy Finder
Match
Filter by tradition
Match results
Buddy profile
Plan
New celebration
Invite buddies
Confirm & set time
Share
Add recap
Voice & photos
Share or save
Buddies
My buddies list
Past events
Profile view
Major screens
The final product
Four screens covering the full journey — matching with cultural peers, planning a celebration, sharing a recap, and managing your buddies.
Home
Match
Plan
Share