YiSi. Life in China

YiSi is a platform and service designed to help young students and professionals adapt more quickly when relocating to China.

Project details

Client

Master's of Design - Project

Project

YiSi. Life in China

Year

2019

Services

UX/UI Design Service Design Innovation Discovery

Credits

Joanne Bae
SukJin Jin
Inhwan Kim

Category

Mobile and Web App

My Role

UX Research, UX Design, Service Design

Problem Statement

International students and young professionals encounter immediate challenges when they first arrive in China. They face not only the language barrier posed by the language but also administrative hurdles and a sudden shift in lifestyle within an unfamiliar environment. Furthermore, China’s internet firewall restricts foreigners from accessing various apps, platforms, and websites that are widely used in Western countries.

Key personal challenge(s)/learning(s)

This project was one of the initial assignments I completed during my master's program at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Adapting quickly to my classmates' work style and communication methods was crucial for establishing a shared design language. Additionally, I faced the challenge of conducting interviews with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. Given the 3-week timeframe for this project, the workload and constraints compelled me to multitask and analyze data efficiently.

Solution and Impact

YiSi offers essential information in English for settling in China. For international students and young professionals from other countries, YiSi provides practical information such as accommodation, IT services, banks, job opportunities, and more, facilitating quick access to the right information.

Over 500,000 students migrate to China annually to pursue their studies
There are approximately 1.4 million foreigners residing across the country
International student enrollment in China has seen a 299% increase since 2004.

Source: (HSBC Expat Explorer Global Report, 2017)

Background - Why now?

As China's economy and technology continue to evolve, international students and young professionals increasingly view China as a hub for new opportunities and a means to acquire competitive skills. Our design process facilitated the discovery of a business opportunity. Multiple brainstorming sessions, empathy maps, and user journeys assisted in visualizing the Product Opportunity Gap.

User Research

We interviewed 15 users to understand the needs of our target demographic when relocating to China. This informed the development of a value proposition canvas, personas, customer journey map, and an prototype for user testing.

Question Samples:

What preparation did you have before studying/living abroad in China?
What apps, search engines or social platforms did you use in China?
How can the experience for foreigners be improved when living in China?

Key Insights

International students seek trustworthy information to avoid scams and misinformation. However, many websites are in Mandarin, making it challenging to verify the accuracy of the information provided.
International citizens relocating to China desire diverse means of communication with locals to facilitate smooth navigation in a new city. However, relying solely on Google Translate is insufficient to fully comprehend each other.
Expats moving to China want to feel welcomed because moving to a new place is challenging but feeling welcome is difficult when you don't know locals.

Key Learnings & Next Steps

After testing the prototype, we discovered new features that could be crucial for individuals moving to China for the first time. Information about hospitals, nearby supermarkets, and public buildings is also vital in case of an emergency. Moreover, we recognized that building a community can be a vital aspect that is often overlooked, as social bonds are essential for both mental and physical well-being.

Our team received valuable feedback from peers and mentors, which further solidified our idea. Although we were enthusiastic about bringing the project to life, we decided to postpone it for another time due to the remaining coursework in our master's program.