Entry Denied
An interactive storytelling piece exploring the identity crises of second-generation Kiwis.
Personal Project • Interactive Storytelling • 2022
Client
Media Design School
My Role
- UX Design
- Interaction Design
- Front-end Development
- Narrative Development
Timeframe
August — November 2022 (12 Weeks)
Overview
Entry Denied is an interactive storytelling piece that reveals the lived experience of a fictional second-generation immigrant as he comes to terms with his Kiwi identity.
In the form of a scrolling website, the piece utilises storytelling and interactive elements to communicate themes of liminality and paralysis, giving a voice to immigrants-alike who experience this unique identity crisis.
Research Question
How might an interactive story about the second-gen experience empower young immigrants to reclaim their own Kiwi identity?
The Challenge
Growing up as a second-generation Indonesian-Kiwi, I know how it feels to be marginalised and excluded from mainstream society.
Second-generation immigrants are often excluded from the Kiwi identity, at times the only one they know of. Growing up accustomed to New Zealand culture and potentially losing connections to their ethnic roots may lead to suffocating identity crises.
Background Research
To understand this issue, I had many informal conversations with fellow second-generation immigrants along with some surveys, discussing how they feel about their place in New Zealand culture and their relationship with Kiwi identity.
Many actually self-identified as Kiwi to a degree but didn’t proclaim it to others because of this identity gatekeeping.
Academic readings found that casual racism fuelled cultural disconnect for young Kiwi immigrants (Cunningham & King, 2018), and storytelling about these marginalised experiences was an effective way to start discussions and drive awareness (Kim, 2021). I put these findings to use in the development of the interactive story.
The goal was to amplify people's voices and to make the submission process fun
Storytelling
Storytelling was at the heart of the project. I anchored the story on the metaphor of an airport terminal.
Much like the identity crisis of many second-generation immigrants, being stuck in a terminal is liminal and constraining. It symbolises the external conflict between immigrants and mainstream society, essentially stuck between two worlds that won’t accept you.
Drawing from the experiences of my survey participants and myself, I drafted numerous short stories and memoirs for the website. I experimented with different story structures to see which one would best deliver my core message, with Freytag's Pyramid being the easiest for readers to understand.
Interactivity
In terms of interactivity, I opted for a single-page layout for the user to scroll through. Early paper and digital prototypes experimented with click-through interactions through separate pages, similar to an e-book.
User testing showed that scrolling was simpler and allowed for a natural reading flow, uninterrupted by separated pages.
User Flow
Visuals
The visual treatment of the story was built as a frame-by-frame animation. Combined with the scroll interaction, this resulted in a unique and choppy flipbook-like experience.
Personalisation
After the interactive story, viewers can claim their own Kiwi identity through the passport-style takeaway and make their mark as Kiwis. Viewers will first customise it with their photo and bio, then share it on Instagram.
Outcome
Evaluation
Entry Denied was displayed at the Bachelor of Media Design’s 2022 Exhibition for a public audience. Several viewers came up to me after viewing the story and told me how strongly they related to the struggles in the story, which was truly touching to me.
Working on this project brought me a deeper understanding of my own identity as a second-generation immigrant, and I feel like I’ve truly taken my identity as a Kiwi back.
The Good Stuff