Sepia-toned portrait of Marion Deichmann and her mother

Keeping the Past Alive Through Interactive Conversation

We partnered with Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center to bring survivor stories to life through an immersive digital experience where audiences can explore life journeys and ask survivors questions in their own words.

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center preserves the legacy of the Holocaust and other genocides through exhibitions and education that advance human rights and help eliminate genocide.

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Non Profit

Challenge

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center needed a new digital home for its interactive survivor stories and journeys. The site had to incorporate two separate iFrame tools with different visual styles and functionality, while still feeling cohesive and immersive for users.

Goals

Create a cohesive, mission-driven digital experience with modern design, seamless UX, and flexible storytelling components.
Share survivor stories with audiences worldwide for education, research, and outreach.
Support students, educators, and the public with an accessible design across devices.
Enable ongoing measurement and improvement through analytics and engagement tracking.

Approach

Engaged a cross-disciplinary team across UX, UI, and product strategy to explore, prototype, and validate multiple directions.
Immersed the team in the Museum’s physical environment through a site visit to understand tone, mission, and visitor mindset.
Tested key concepts through usability studies to improve clarity, reduce friction, and strengthen confidence in the interactive interview journey.
Leveraged AI and rapid prototyping (including vibe coding) to visualize complex ideas early and accelerate collaboration across teams.

Solution

Designed a cohesive storytelling framework that helps users navigate survivor conversations alongside interactive features like maps and timelines.
Created a prompt library that helps visitors start meaningful conversations with confidence, especially when engaging with sensitive topics.
Developed a flexible pattern library for survivor timelines to support unique stories, varied image formats, and video while maintaining consistency and scalability

Archival photograph of Kizito D. Kalima sitting on the hood of a station wagon, holding a basketball in a residential driveway.

Research

Testing With Learners to Increase Confidence

We conducted usability sessions to understand how students, educators, and the public interpreted the site, then used findings to improve clarity, guidance, and engagement.

Innovation

Custom Map Experience Through AI-Assisted Prototyping

We used AI and vibe coding to prototype a layered map that lets users explore each survivor’s journey alongside key moments in the war.

Content Strategy

Prompt Library to Start a Conversation

Inspired by the Museum’s in-person prompt sheet, we designed a prompt library that lowers the barrier to asking a first question and supports respectful dialogue.

Archival photograph of Fritzie Fritzshall crouching on a lawn, smiling and reaching toward a seated baby during playtime.

Insights

Rapid Prototyping to Align on a Shared Vision

The team used rapid prototyping techniques to make complex interactive ideas tangible early, supporting stronger collaboration with the Museum and development partners.

Keeping the Past Alive Through Interactive Conversation

Rapid Prototyping to Align on a Shared Vision

Let’s build meaningful experiences together