Tapestry
Digital archival mobile platform
〰️
Digital archival mobile platform 〰️
Overview
Roles
UX designer Sound Designer
Time taken
4 months
Key Research Points
Digital documentation, Anthropology, Archival platforms, Cultural Heritage
Thesis project
Tapestry is a mobile-first digital archive for preserving cultural heritage. It allows users to share personal stories and upload artifacts. While stories are open to all, artifacts are reviewed by community experts to ensure authenticity.
Problem statement
Globalization has widened preservation gaps between the Global North and South—how can communities sustainably and ethically document their heritage using digital tools?
Who is it for ?
Tapestry is for individuals, communities, and cultural experts who want to document, access, and protect cultural traditions in a respectful and inclusive way.
Research Questions
How can communities maintain authenticity in documentation?
What systems support ethical moderation and constructive discourse?
Methodology
Expert Interviews: Anthropologist (Katie Nowinski), Reddit moderators
Case Studies: Wikipedia, Reddit, Europeana
Literature Review: UNESCO, digital archives, metadata, preservation challenges
Key findings
Authenticity is dynamic and community-defined
Moderation needs cultural sensitivity and decentralized leadership
UX Design affects inclusivity, access, and archival sustainability
core idea - two ways to share
From Research to Reality: Design Principles
Archival Library
This schema demonstrates how cultural assets—ranging from Individual terms to digital-only objects—are connected across persons, collections, and institutions. Each node supports layered metadata (archive, museum, library) for interoperability and reuse.
