Connect Orange County

Mobile B2C Application

Overview:

Orange County houses around 200,000 Vietnamese-Americans.
75% of them, roughly 150,000 people, are foreign-born.
Of the foreign-born Vietnamese-Americans, about 65% have limited English proficiency, while only about 35% are proficient in English.

Problem Statement: The foreign-born Vietnamese community in Orange County, CA often faces difficulties accessing essential resources due to language barriers and a lack of technological proficiency.

Opportunity: This project aims to develop a user-friendly mobile application that empowers the Vietnamese community in Orange County. Through providing them with easy access to crucial resources, the app will enhance their independence and quality of life.

Empathize

Gain a deep understanding of the users and their needs.

User Interviews

Critical Findings and Themes

Contextual inquiries

User Research: I conducted a total of 10 in-person interviews and contextual interviews with Vietnamese individuals of various ages and vocations to understand their challenges with language and technology.

Reliance on family members to translate.
Though they may have a smartphone, it is often time utilized just for calls and messages; as there is a fear of making mistakes coupled with not knowing how to use other apps.
Information typically is spread through word of mouth, such as from the community center, temple, or grocery stores. As a result, they miss out on important events and news.
Getting access to medical providers and medical resources poses a large challenge due to language and tech proficiency.

I sought to understand their technological proficiency, information seeking behavior, access healthcare services, as well as understanding the barriers involved with government services through a series of inquiries and watching how the interviewees interact with their smartphones.