Introduction
Recently in class, we explored User Experience Research and Design and its role as the foundation of every successful product. The key lesson I took away is that UX isn’t just part of the design process, it is the design. It determines how our product will be perceived. It can make or break our product.
In the workshops with Steph and Chris, we went step by step on how to conduct UX research, where to start, how to ask the right questions, and most importantly, how to keep users at the center of every decision. Since we’re designing for them anyway, their needs, frustrations, and goals should drive the entire process. The research phase helps us streamline and focus, ensuring we’re solving real problems rather than creating solutions looking for problems.
One thing Steph mentioned in class that really stuck with me was theres a difference between designing the right thing and designing the thing right. And what we really want to do is design the thing right which is the essence of UX research.
We covered various UXD techniques that are essential for a good design: questions, user personas, empathy maps, journey maps, wireframing, testing phases etc.
This article outlines how I will apply the User Experience Design techniques and insights I have learned to the development of my Major Project.
Project Overview
My Major Project concept is an interactive, story-driven website inspired by Nigerian Yoruba mythology, focusing on the gods Sango (thunder), Ogun (iron), and Oya (wind and transformation), who they are and their connection. Instead of presenting their stories in the typical academic way, I plan to modernize the experience by bringing humor, personality, drama, and visual energy into the storytelling by having sections like ‘The Love Triangle’.
I want to treat these deities as fully realized characters rather than distant historical figures. Their rivalries, relationships, and the famous love triangle that connects them. By framing their stories in a dramatic, character-driven way, I aim to create an experience that feels closer to a modern series rather than an academic write up.
The core idea behind this project is to make Yoruba mythology feel alive again. Many young people can easily name Greek gods like Zeus or Athena, largely because those myths have been adapted into modern media through games, films, and interactive platforms. Yoruba mythology, despite being just as rich and powerful, does not receive the same visibility.
My project aims to challenge that imbalance by presenting Yoruba deities in a way that feels contemporary, engaging, and culturally respectful.
The Problem
In class, I learned that before designing any product, it is essential to clearly identify the problem im trying to solve for. This is important because understanding the problem helps guide my design decisions and ensures the solution is user-focused.
Through my research, I identified a core issue that my project aims to solve: many young audiences are disconnected from Yoruba mythology due to a lack of engaging and modern content.
This disconnection isn’t about a lack of interest in mythology generally because there are lots of young people who consume Greek and Norse mythology often through games, books, and films.
The problem is specifically about how Yoruba mythology is presented online. Existing resources for Yoruba deities are often academic, text-heavy, or visually dated, making them feel like homework rather than entertainment.
Understanding these problems is essential because UXD is fundamentally about solving real user needs. These issues directly inform why my project needs to exist and what kind of experience it should provide.
Competitor Analysis
I researched how Yoruba mythology is currently presented online to understand what young audiences are encountering. The reality is Yoruba gods are almost invisible in modern digital spaces compared to their Greek, Norse, and Egyptian counterparts.
Greek mythology dominate youth engagement. Percy Jackson wikis, games like Hades and God of War, and sites like Theoi.com have passionate young audiences because they make mythology feel alive through character drama, stunning visuals, and interactive experiences.
In contrast, Yoruba mythology has far fewer comparable platforms aimed at younger, digital-native users.
Target Audience
Identifying a clear target audience helps focus the research process and ensures that design decisions are relevant and meaningful. For my project, the primary target audience is young adults and Gen Z users aged 18–35.
I am designing for young individuals, both locally and in diaspora, who are either new to Yoruba mythology or curious about cultural narratives. This audience also includes those who enjoy mythology more broadly, value interactive digital experiences, and are drawn to storytelling that feels modern, engaging, and visually driven.
Project Goal
My project aims to make Yoruba mythology fun, relatable and accessible for Gen Z and young adults who might scroll past traditional cultural content. I want to modernize how Yoruba mythology is presented online without losing its cultural depth and authenticity, creating something that honors these deities while making them feel relevant to contemporary digital experiences.
“How Might I” Questions
To translate the problem into a design opportunity, I formulated some “How Might I” questions. This approach helps reframe the challenge of engaging young audiences with Yoruba mythology into a clear, actionable question that guides my design decisions.
The Solution
My proposed solution is an interactive storytelling website that presents Yoruba deities as dynamic characters rather than historical figures. Through modern UX design, visual storytelling, and scroll-based interactions, the site explores the relationships and conflicts between Sango, Ogun, and Oya, making Yoruba mythology engaging, accessible, and appealing to young audiences.
UXD techniques
In this section, I have broken down how i will use the various UXD technicues for my project. It will guide every stage of my project, ensuring that my design decisions center on the users’ needs and experiences.
User Personas
I created three personas to represent different ways users might engage with Yoruba mythology: entertainment-led discovery, cultural reconnection, and deep mythological exploration. Using multiple personas prevents me from designing for a vague or generalized “young user” and instead keeps my focus on specific needs, behaviors, and expectations throughout the design process.
Each persona highlights different motivations and frustrations that influence my design decisions. For example, Dami represents users who are easily drawn in by strong visuals and dramatic storytelling but may quickly disengage if content feels too text-heavy or slow. Her persona pushes me to prioritize bold visuals, short narrative segments, and immediate engagement hooks.
Donald represents diaspora users who care deeply about cultural representation and authenticity. Designing for him ensures that modernization never feels disrespectful or superficial. Sam represents mythology enthusiasts who enjoy complexity and depth. His persona encourages me to include layered narratives.
By consistently referencing these personas, I can evaluate whether my design choices serve real user needs rather than my own assumptions.
Empathy Mapping
I plan to use empathy mapping to deepen my understanding of each persona by exploring what users think, feel, say, and do when interacting with cultural content online. This approach helps me move beyond surface-level demographics and focus on the emotional and psychological experience of my users.
For instance, some users may initially think, “Is this culturally accurate?” Others may feel curiosity. These emotional responses can strongly influence whether users continue exploring or leave the site. By identifying these potential concerns early, I can design experiences that build trust.
Empathy mapping allows me to anticipate barriers to engagement and design interactions that feel welcoming, exciting, and emotionally resonant rather than intimidating or confusing.
User Journey Mapping
User journey mapping helps me understand how users move through the site from their first point of contact to the end of their experience. Because my project is centered on interactive storytelling, this process is especially important for managing pacing, structure, and emotional flow.
I will map each persona’s journey, considering different entry points such as discovering the site through social media or research on myths. This allows me to identify moments where curiosity peaks, such as when users discover the love triangle, as well as points where confusion or disengagement might occur. Mapping these journeys helps me decide when to introduce complex narrative elements and when to give users space to explore individual characters.
By visualizing the full user journey, I can ensure that the experience feels coherent, immersive, and rewarding, balancing entertainment with cultural depth.
Wireframes
I sketched paper wireframes for the homepage, deity pages, and love triange page to plan layout, navigation, and content structure. These rough drafts help me visualize user flow, and I intend to use them as a foundation for future digital prototypes, testing whether my design decisions support an enjoyable experience.
Testing Plan
Testing is a crucial part of the design process because it allows me to engage directly with the users I am designing for and gather first-hand feedback.
In class, I learned the importance of conducting testing across multiple phases, from early concept development through to final implementation. This helps me shape my idea in tune with my users so we are in alignment.
As a result, I have structured my testing approach to include different sets of questions at each stage of my design journey, ensuring that user feedback continuously informs my decisions.
Concept Testing (Interviews & Surveys)
This will happen early in my design process, before I even start designing, to validate whether my core idea resonates with potential users. This phase is about testing the idea itself rather than the functionality of a finished product. I plan to engage 8-10 users representing my personas through short interviews and surveys to understand their initial reactions and get feedback early on.
Questions like “What’s your first reaction to this concept?”, “Does combining mythology with modern storytelling make sense?” ,”On a scale of 1-5, how excited are you about this?”
Wireframe & Prototype Testing
Once I have wireframes and a clickable prototype in Figma, I will test the site’s structure and flow with users. Participants will complete tasks while I observe where they struggle and gather feedback. The goal is to see if users can navigate easily, whether the story flow makes sense, and if interactive elements work as intended.
Questions like “What do you expect to happen when you click ‘here’?”, “Is anything missing that you’d expect to see?” ,”What do you think of the navigation?”
Usability Testing
After developing a functional prototype, I will conduct usability testing to evaluate how effectively users can interact with the site and engage with the stories. Participants representing my personas will complete key tasks, such as exploring a deity’s page or following the narrative of the love triangle.
Questions like “How easy was it to navigate the site?”, “What was the most frustrating part of your experience?” ,”Was there anything confusing or unclear?”
Accessibility Testing
Throughout this course(Web Design and Content Planning), accessibility has been a consistently emphasized area and a critical design consideration. Ive learned that as designers, we must ensure that our websites are usable by all users, regardless of how, where, or by whom they are accessed. This means designing inclusive experiences that accommodate different abilities, devices, and contexts of use.
I’ll test inclusivity by checking keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, color contrast, text readability, and motion controls, ensuring the site meets WCAG standards. Ensuring my site is accessible to anyone who care to read irrespective of thier condition
By integrating interviews, surveys, observation, and usability testing, I aim to create a site that is intuitive, immersive, and culturally authentic while giving Yoruba mythology visibility and engagement among my target audience.
Conclusion
This article outlines how I plan to apply User Experience Design principles to my Major Project. By using UXD tools I learned in my class workshop such as personas, empathy mapping, journey mapping, wireframing, and testing, I intend to design a culturally rich and engaging experience rooted in real user needs.
UXD will guide every stage of my project, from early concept validation to final usability testing. By taking a user-centered, reflective approach, I aim to create an experience that makes Yoruba mythology feel fresh, relatable, and memorable for a new generation of users.
References
Nielsen Norman Group (2020) Usability Testing 101. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-testing-101/
UXtweak (2025) 15 Real-Life User Journey Map Examples to Learn From. Available at: https://www.uxtweak.com/user-journey-map/examples/
Webflow (2025) Empathy Mapping: What It Is + How to Do It. Available at: https://webflow.com/blog/empathy-mapping
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