The Perfect Match
An Interactive Platform for Exploring Israeli Culture Through Music and Historical Events
About this Project
In 2022, following the outbreak of war, Israel welcomed a significant influx of repatriates from the former Soviet Union. Some came by choice, others by chance, but most found themselves in a new country with no knowledge of the language, culture, or mentality.
The Main Challenge
Young adult repatriates frequently arrive in Israel with minimal understanding of its rich culture. This unfamiliarity with Israel’s historical, cultural, and political landscape significantly hinders their ability to integrate, connect with others, and engage fully in daily life.
Solution
I developed an engaging interactive cultural learning system for iPads, tailored specifically for language courses known as Ulpan. The platform allows users to explore Israeli music and cultural milestones, organized by decade.
Key features
01
Users explore Israeli history through music across time — the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s.
02
Each era features three major historical or cultural events.
03
Each event is paired with a meaningful Israeli song, complete background context.
04
Contextual explanations about events like Yom Kippur War, Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, or Yom HaZikaron.
JBTD
01
Discover key historical events through associated songs.
02
Understand what makes Israeli society emotionally and culturally unique.
From my View
I came to Israel as a teenager through a student program. I had the time, structure, and support of the school system to help me gradually understand local traditions, holidays, music, and mentality. But adult repatriates don’t have this framework. They need to learn Hebrew quickly and find a job, leaving little room for cultural immersion.
I started thinking about the challenges they face: stress, difficulty adapting, and the feeling of being an outsider in a new environment. I asked myself what I could do to help minimize these gaps and make the adaptation process not only easier but also engaging and meaningful.This project is my way of offering them a different approach to involve them to Israeli culture, interactive way that fits into their busy lives.
My Classmates and I on our first Masa Israeli experience
Goal
To empower new repatriates to break free from their cultural bubble, ignite their curiosity, and foster a deeper sense of belonging in Israeli society through the engaging mediums of music, history, and culturally rich content.
User Research
I conducted six in-depth interviews with new repatriates aged 21 to 26, all of whom had been in Israel for less than a year. I wanted to better understand their knowledge gaps, perceptions, and interests regarding Israeli culture.
I explored which aspects of Israeli culture piqued their curiosity the most.
60%
Said that they wanted to know more about Israeli identity.
20%
Were interested in Israeli music.
20%
Mentioned historical events.
Key Observations
01
Many participants shared that their understanding of Israel was largely shaped by stereotypes.
02
Several individuals voiced feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cultural information, unsure of where to begin their exploration.
03
The old Israeli songs felt boring or irrelevant to them, while the cultural holidays and memorial days didn’t emotionally resonate -they simply didn’t understand them.
Says
I want to learn more about Israeli culture.
I’m very interested in pop music.
When I listen to songs in Hebrew, I feel like I’m part of everyone else.
I want to learn the language, so music will help me.
I want to understand why this reminds me of something.
Thinks
Why do I need to know the old singers?
What are they singing about ?
What are they singing about ?
How is this relevant to me?
Why was Israeli music so different back then compared to now?
What is the difference between music styles
Feels
Confused
Scattered
Curious
Disconnected
Openminded
Stressed
Does
Browses through different styles in the app
Listens to music to see if he understands anything
Tries to learn about the various genres
Tries to analyze the song lyrics
#1 Look and Feel
#2 Look and Feel
Google Maps
Topographic Maps
War Maps
Final Graphic Language
Onboarding
Home Screen and Menu
Challenges & Insights
01
It was challenging to decide which songs and events to include, it required careful research and sensitivity.
02
I recognized the importance of presenting information in a digestible manner to avoid overwhelming users.
03
It was challenging to find a unified graphic language that could visually connect all the different time periods from the 60s to today.
04
I aspire to integrate my project concept into an official program for new immigrants, enhancing their cultural transition.
What Did I Learn ?
The project aimed to showcase my diverse visual design abilities, leading me to adopt a free and experimental approach that fosters originality and innovation.
To align the project more closely with reality, I plan to incorporate additional cultural content: for example, information about traditional food of different ethnic groups in Israel, local slang, characteristics of different cultures and details about cities in the country. The original goal was to bring new immigrants closer to Israeli culture through music and events, but I would expand this to include broader and deeper aspects of life in Israel.
Stay tuned for the upcoming mobile version! 💪
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