Many young adults struggle to find meaningful ways to spend their free time after transitioning from student life to full-time work. This project explores how design and community can inspire them to step outside their comfort zone, discover new passions, and make their free time more fulfilling.
Project overview
MirrorMuse is an interactive, hybrid experience designed for young adults (20–30) in transition after graduating, helping them find meaning and creative inspiration as they enter working life. The project addresses the common challenge that many recent graduates struggle to spend their newfound free time meaningfully and seek new interests or creative outlets but hesitate due to uncertainty or a lack of encouragement.
Developed for Abby, a creative venue, the solution combines a physical mirror installation with a digital platform. The physical installation (MirrorMuse) features personal stories and works of local, accessible creators not professionals aimed at fostering recognition, community, and inspiration. Visitors are encouraged to take small, creative steps themselves, prompted by stories and challenges encountered in the installation and continued through the app.
How it works
A young professional unsure how to spend her free time, visits Abby, she’s drawn to the mirrored installation covered with inspiring quotes. Curiosity leads her inside, where she discovers stories from local creators sharing their creative journeys. Feeling seen and encouraged, Nora receives a personalized creative challenge tailored to her interests. Motivated, she takes her first small step a quick drawing, inspired by what she heard. Later, the MirrorMuse app prompts Nora to share her work, join a beginner workshop, and connect with others like her. What began as a quiet moment of reflection becomes the start of a new creative habit, supported by relatable stories and a positive community.
Research
Our research for MirrorMuse started with street interviews and surveys, aiming to understand why young adults struggle to fill their free time meaningfully after graduating. We found that uncertainty, social barriers, and lack of motivation often keep people from exploring creative interests, even when they crave inspiration and connection.
To deeply address these obstacles, we mapped user journeys, developed personas, and clustered insights from direct interviews and questionnaires. Testing early concepts and prototypes with real users provided critical feedback, helping us shape features that foster recognition, emotional safety, and accessible participation in creativity both in person and via the app
Insights
Persona's
Low - Mid Fidelity
For this project, we were asked to develop two different concepts. After presenting both, the client selected one to move forward with. I worked on the ABBY Community Passport a physical passport designed to help visitors connect and network within Abby. With this passport, users could document their creative encounters and relationships, almost like a LinkedIn for the Abby community. The passport encourages meaningful interactions and serves as a personal log of inspiration, learning, and community building.
High Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype for MirrorMuse was designed to closely reflect the final app experience. It features a visually engaging, intuitive interface where users can explore creative challenges, join workshops, and connect with other creators. Improvements included clear color-coded labels, accessible navigation, and a focus on visual storytelling, which testers found easy to use and motivating. Feedback led to more concise texts and pop-up guides, helping users navigate and participate without confusion. The prototype also strengthened the link between the physical installation and the digital app, ensuring a seamless creative journey for visitors.
The digital community
The MirrorMuse in ABBY
The MirrorMuse installation in the museum is a striking, interactive space designed to spark curiosity and self-reflection. Its mirrored exterior draws people in with recognizable quotes, while the interior features immersive digital projections of local creators and their stories. Visitors can select an artwork and are guided through a multimedia journey, combining video and audio to showcase the creator’s process and inspiration.
After exploring several stories, each visitor receives a personalized creative challenge inspired by their favorite artwork, encouraging them to take their first step in creativity themselves. The experience doesn’t end there visitors are invited to connect further with the Abby community through the accompanying app, where they can share their work, join workshops, and continue to grow creatively beyond the museum visit.
The inside
User testing
User testing for MirrorMuse focused on both the app and the physical installation, using interviews, test scenarios, and interactive prototypes to gather feedback from both creators and visitors. Through these tests, key improvements were identified, like simplifying instructions, enhancing visual storytelling, and strengthening the link between the physical and digital experiences. Many testers valued the intuitive design and the motivating challenges, while some wanted even more guidance and visual variety. This feedback played a major role in refining the final concept and ensuring a seamless, inspiring experience for all users.
t’s really motivating to see stories from people like me I don’t feel so alone starting something new"
I couldn’t always tell what to do at first. Short, clear prompts would help a lot.”
The challenges make it feel worthwhile otherwise I might just browse and leave.”
“I love how easy it is to keep track of workshops and my progress.”
Reflection
Personal Growth
Through this project, stepping outside of my comfort zone taught me a lot, especially when collaborating internationally and communicating in English. I learned to take initiative, adapt to new situations, and value feedback as a means for improvement.
Design Process Insights
I realized the power of combining physical and digital experiences, using personal stories to build community and engagement. The iterative process and testing sessions underlined the need to design for accessibility and clarity, especially for users who may feel uncertain or hesitant
Teamwork & Challenges
Though there were moments when collaboration felt difficult or direction was unclear, it pushed me to communicate more clearly and take more responsibility. Balancing different roles and integrating diverse perspectives helped me grow as a designer and led to a stronger concept overall
