Overview
The tribe has been losing its traditions and language due to an inability to document them in writing. This stems from the fact that the tribe is still considered to be at war with the United States government; no formal truce has ever been declared. As a result, the tribe has avoided written documentation out of fear that it could be used against them. Although the Miccosukee are a federally recognized tribe, there remains a deep mistrust of outsiders. The combination of this cultural caution, the diverse learning styles within the community, and the passing of elder generations has played a major role in the decline of the tribe’s oral traditions.
The tribe has a long history of distrusting outsiders. While the newer generation is more westernized, they are eager to preserve their traditions and pass them down through the use of modern technology. In contrast, the older generation prefers to maintain things as they have always been. This generational divide, combined with centuries of avoiding written documentation of their language, has created an uphill battle for cultural preservation.
Key Objectives
The key objective of this project was to create a mobile application that could be updated by the tribe. The app would be B2C, take approximately 3–4 months to develop, and be accessible only to tribal members. Its core objectives are to educate members about their language and preserve the traditions of the tribe.
Goal
Develop a mobile application for iOS and Android, exclusively for tribal members. The app will educate users about tribal history, language, cooking, dancing, and clan traditions. After conducting extensive user research, it became clear that most of the target demographic learns best through doing and watching. This insight made a mobile application the most effective path forward.
Role: Product Designer
Tools: Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects
Timeline: 3 months
About the Miccosukee Tribe
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the state of Florida. Along with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, it is one of three federally recognized Seminole entities. The Miccosukee have a longstanding distrust of outsiders and the U.S. government, stemming from the forced removal led by Andrew Jackson, who drove them from present-day Georgia to the Everglades in an attempted act of mass genocide. To this day, no formal peace agreement or truce has ever been established between the tribe and the United States government.
Role: Product Designer
Team: 1 Product Designers and 1 Engineer
Methods Used: User Research, Competitor Analysis, User Interviews, Storyboarding, Personas, Agile.
My Role
I served as the sole UI/UX designer on this project, leading the full design process from research through final high-fidelity prototypes. My responsibilities included conducting user research, defining user personas, mapping out user flows, and developing wireframes and interactive prototypes. I also handled the visual design and collaborated closely with the development partner to ensure design feasibility and alignment with cultural values. This project required balancing cultural sensitivity with usability, and I was responsible for both the strategic UX decisions and the detailed UI execution.
Role: Product Designer
Team: 1 Product Designers and 1 Engineer
Methods Used: User Research, Competitor Analysis, User Interviews, Storyboarding, Personas, Agile.
User Research: Extensive interviews and surveys were conducted with over 100 tribal members, presented in front of the Tribal Council.
Market Analysis: A thorough examination of existing apps revealed that while other language applications exist, few—if any—address culture, food, and traditional dances.
Persona Development: Detailed personas were created, including “The Reservation Teacher,” “The Young Student (Reservation School),” and “The Middle School Student (Private School),” each with distinct needs and motivations.
User Testing: Testing included parents who prioritize education, parents who emphasize survival skills, reservation teachers, and children who would be using the application.
83% of respondents indicated that their children frequently use tablets or video games.
All participants expressed a strong desire to pass down their culture and heritage.
There was an equal distribution between participants who prioritized formal education and those who emphasized self-sufficient life skills.
The experience was carefully structured to deliver an intuitive user journey that balances educational content, interactive features, and community engagement.
Initial wireframes evolved into interactive prototypes, which were tested and refined through iterative feedback. This phase was essential for optimizing user flows and interface elements.
Focused on creating a visually appealing and emotionally engaging experience. The design incorporated clan inspired themes, intuitive icons, and an easy-to-navigate layout.
Special attention was given to making the app accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Features like screen reader compatibility, color blindness modes, and scalable text were included.
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👤 User Goals:
Learn the Language and pronunciation of the Miccosukee People
Learn the history of the tribe to give a better understanding of the traditions
Learn the dances and traditional cooking of the tribe
Get an explanation of the clans and the history/where they came from
Get a deeper connection with heritage, and the land
💼 Business Goals:
Create a scalable infrastructure that can be adapted for other languages and tribes, allowing for future licensing opportunities.
🙏 Common Goals:
Deliver an engaging and meaningful learning experience.
Foster pride, development, and preservation of the users' culture for future generations.
Catalog and preserve Creek words, phrases, and language.
Teach the younger generation to carry forward and sustain tribal traditions.
💻 Technical Specifications:
Secure login and account creation functionality.
UI designed to follow iOS Material Design guidelines.
Accessibility and usability across all user groups, including various age ranges and abilities.
Product Feature Priorities:
A gamified learning feature to make language acquisition fun and engaging.
An interactive history feature to educate users about the tribe’s rich heritage.
A podcast section to reinforce auditory learning and cultural storytelling.
A simple, visual breakdown of clan structures with historical explanations.
Video content showcasing traditional dances and food preparation methods.
The launch of the My-Tribe app was strategically introduced at the General Council meeting, allowing us to raise awareness and build anticipation among all tribal members ahead of the official release. By leveraging this early exposure, we ensured strong community engagement from the start. A beta version of the app was distributed to gather critical user feedback, which informed key refinements prior to launch. The rollout was initiated through the reservation school and gradually expanded, maintaining exclusive access for tribal members.
Following the launch, we closely monitored user engagement and app performance to ensure a smooth rollout. The app quickly gained popularity among tribal members. Continuous feedback collection allowed us to release several updates that enhanced the user experience and expanded core functionalities. As a result of its success, the app was featured at the Gathering of the Tribes, where its infrastructure was presented as a potential tool for other Native American communities — opening the door for future licensing opportunities to support cultural preservation across tribes.
The evolution of the My-Tribe app—from concept to a fully realized educational platform—demonstrates the power of user-centered design and agile development. What began as a simple tool has grown into a culturally rich platform that empowers a community to preserve and celebrate its language and traditions. More than just an app, My-Tribe stands as a testament to how thoughtful technology can drive meaningful change. Its inclusion in the Gathering of the Tribes marks a pivotal moment, as the platform is now positioned to support the preservation of countless other Native languages and cultural practices across communities.