Newcomer Essentials Guide
Design a multilingual orientation app that helps newly arrived refugees find trusted local services, understand common processes, and connect safely.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
People arriving in a new country may need housing, health, transport, school, and language information at once. Advice can be outdated, difficult to translate, or unsafe when immigration and identity details are involved.
User context
Samira recently arrived with two children. She has limited mobile data, reads Arabic confidently, and needs to register for school and find a nearby clinic this week.
Product problem
The service must prioritize urgent practical tasks, distinguish official guidance from community tips, and avoid collecting sensitive information unless it is necessary for a chosen service.
Objective
Create a trusted, low-data orientation and service referral experience for a newly arrived family.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Language and immediate-needs setup
- Trusted task guide
- Service finder and appointment preparation
- Community help request
Screens and states
- Needs overview
- Step-by-step service guide
- Verified service detail
- Document checklist
- Offline saved information
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Samira selects a language and urgent needs
- 02
She opens the school registration guide
- 03
She saves a document checklist and service location
- 04
She requests help from a verified local organization
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Show source and update date for guidance
- Offer plain language and audio support
- Allow essential pages to be saved offline
- Explain why any personal detail is requested
- Separate official requirements from optional community advice
Constraints
- Connectivity and device storage are limited
- Policies vary by location and change
- Users may share a device
- The app cannot provide legal advice
Reality check
States worth considering
Ready-to-use content
Mock data
Use this content to test hierarchy and realistic data states. You can expand it when the concept needs more depth.
This week's tasks
- School registration, documents incomplete
- Community clinic, walk-in hours Tuesday 09:00 to 12:00
- Transit card application, guide saved offline
Finish line
What to deliver
- Five mobile-first responsive screens
- A source and freshness system for official and community information
If you want more
Optional extensions
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.
Dancing Script & Josefin Sans
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.
Dancing Script & Josefin Sans
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.