Devin VowelsSELECTED WORK Street Planters
Union Exchange
Worldwide MI
Traffic Cones
Maps: Biking Mode


OTHER WORKProjects + Exercises



















About Me





















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Worldwide MI
A digital service that helps Michigan newcomers find emotionally enriching communities through exploring the cultural identities of the world in their own backyard.

















The Opportunity:
Develop a solution for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) that reimagines and improves the "onboarding" experience to Michigan.











Meeting people where they are
Michigan has a wealth of cultural communities but newcomers sometimes struggle to locate and connect with them. Worldwide MI addresses this need by identifying the cultural heritage and identities of businesses, events, and locales in Michigan that parallel their past experiences, leading them to form genuine connections with local communities.









The Challenge:
Michigan is a culturally enriching place, but the reality is you have to dig deep to find it























The Solution:
A guide of cultural parallels between Michigan and the world spotlighted through the stories of local residents.
















Discovering MI through the world and the world through MI
Our tool encourages natural discovery, using parallel maps of the world and the state to highlight the global diversity that exists here in Michigan. Rather than searching without knowing exactly what you are looking for, you can search by geographic region and find real stories of real Michiganders, and we let them recommend you places.











Meeting real MI people with real MI stories
While the main function of our website is the maps, the main feature is actually in the Michigan stories we share. In their stories, they get to share the places that are most meaningful to them. As a result, these locations become more than just places, they also become nodes for cultural communities and social bonding.










Finding the nuance and identity in your search query

Current search tools follow are linear path of query -> information -> output with generic algorithms & purely monetary search incentives. Our tool aims to do something different by utilizing users emotional context behind their search query.









Presenting to the MEDC:







PROJECT DETAILS

timeline -> feb -- apr 2024
junior studio -> Service Design & Urban Needs


collaborator(s) -> Audrey Tang, Ting Fong Chen, Enzo Mignano, Theo Berry


skills used -> service design, interface design, research + strategy, presentation design





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