Freetown Village
Helping young Black Americans find cultural grounding through interactive storytelling
Role: UX Researcher & Product Strategist
Team: 4-person team of Product Designers
Timeline: 2 months
OVERVIEW
Freetown Village, a 40-year-old living history museum (live events performances), reached audiences 40 - 50+ age, invisible to Gen Z. I led research and strategy to design a platform helping young Black Americans find cultural grounding through interactive storytelling.
THE PROBLEM
They're not looking for content, they're looking for belonging
Through our interviews with 4 community members (ages 23-35) and analyzing secondary research such as demographic data, it was found:
79%
African American teens want to learn how slavery's legacy still affects them today
76%
Have talked with relatives about family ancestry
18%
Only trust social media for accurate historical information
This insight drove our problem statement and ideation phase
Problem Statement
THE RESEARCH ARTIFACTS
Through 4 stakeholder interviews, 3 core needs were identified.
Critical User Needs
IDEATION
From Insights to Ideas
With clear user needs identified, our team moved into rapid ideation. We needed to answer: How might we help young digitally active learners connect with trustworthy and interactive experiences, so they feel more grounded in their historical roots?
Key Questions We Explored:
How do we replicate the "fourth wall breaking" experience characters do in-person events?
What makes history feel personal and tangible in a digital space?
How can a nonprofit realistically build and maintain an audience digitally?
Iteration Methods: Crazy 8's, Brainstorming and Iterating
3 CORE FEATURES EMERGED FROM IDEATION
TESTING AND LEARNING
What Users Loved, and What Needed Fixing
Method: Think-aloud usability testing with low-fidelity Figma prototype
Tasks We Tested:
Join a live watch party and write a comment in chat
Answer an interactive quiz during the performance and earn points
Use points to purchase an artifact and add it to personal museum
User Testing
Success Metrics
92% would recommend the experience
84.5% agreed "learning African American history is important to me
"I want to show this to my family"
Areas for Improvement: User Feedback
THE SOLUTION
Three Integrated Features Addressing Trust, Interactivity, and Community
Feature 1: Live Watch Parties
Users tune in to watch Freetown Village's live historical performances together in real-time, with interactive quizzes and community chat creating shared cultural moments.
Feature 2: Museum of Memorabilia
Users collect points through participation and unlock historical artifacts to display in their personal 3D museum space, making cultural exploration tangible and permanent.
Feature 3: Community Chat Threads
Safe, moderated spaces where users discuss performances, share family stories, and ask questions of historians, recreating the trusted learning environment 64% of Black Americans prefer.
User reception:
Users loved the community concept and expressed strong interest in connecting with other, emphasizing that visible safety features and moderation were essential for participation.
"I want to show this to my family"
BUSINESS STRATEGY
Youth Accessibility Meets Sustainability
TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY
Proven Technology, Phased Approach
IMPACT
National reach
WHAT I LEARNT
This project transformed how I think about design. I learned that constraints aren't enemies, they're clarifying forces that drive creativity.
Success came from balancing user needs with Freetown's operational capacity, technical constraints, and business viability. Great design considers the entire ecosystem.
