Written by: Antai
Our work for the Neesh project is over this week; it is both challenging and rewarding.
The first impact is from my initial research for the project. Because I didn’t know much about LGBT people before this project, I did much research at the beginning of the project. LGBT people have many struggles worldwide, such as bullying, harassment, abuse, family conflicts, etc. With those inequalities and violence, LGBT people are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and mental health issues.
That’s precisely what Neesh intends to help with, create a place LGBT people can speak freely and seek comfort. Then I dig deeper into it; more data shows that teenagers and people in their 20s suffer the most. The reason is apparent, the concept of LGBT is related to sexual identity and sexual orientation, people during puberty experience many changes and emotions, sometimes conflicts are created, and everything is related together. And I know it is controversial, many people are against it, but I find it makes sense to me, following Sigmund Freud’s opinion. This is not a discussion about whether sexual orientation is congenital or acquired. Freud believes some social and emotional environmental factors can affect someone’s sexual orientation. Because of those factors, I think some people will have doubts about their sexual orientation, I know I had it years ago, and I discussed it with my friends, and it went away. Therefore I decided to create a gamified psychological test, this cannot solve their doubts, but maybe it can help someone by giving them the confidence to seek help from qualified professionals. Also, I planned it to be a gamified feature; I wish it could help, but it is not that serious, which could bring more problems. I’m still frustrated that my team chose a different, more straightforward path. No matter what, it was a good run, I learned how to be an ally to LGBT, and at the queer Diwali party we went to at UBC, we had a good time, made new friends, and learned more about their culture, Hindu and queer.
The second thing is our team conflict. It was based on misunderstandings, still learned a lot; a face-to-face talk can solve problems. And it’s better we had it this semester because we got help, which was appreciated. I heard there are many team conflicts in MDM cohorts during projects, and teachers may be unable to intervene in all of them. Now we have valuable knowledge in stock ready for the future.
My contribution to this project is mainly based on research. My psychological test at the beginning was forfeited. I participated in animal icon design and UI/UX design in Figma. Complete tasks PM assigned to me, user testing plan, interview, and questionnaire. Finally, deliver a conclusion for the final presentation. We finished the avatar system design on time, and that was good. A little bone to pick – there were many “night owls” in my team.
In conclusion, this semester has been excellent. It was the first time I lived alone and abroad. Many difficulties, but I got help from excellent teachers and peers. Learned a lot about the cultures of Canada. I learned that empathy towards sensitive topics in multicultural societies is critical; I’ll stop some at-the-drop-of-a-hat jokes and think more before talking. And also, the multicultural here and the Neesh project broadened my horizon and taught me a lot. Be friendly and understanding and respect everybody’s uniqueness, no better, no less, because no one has been or will ever be exactly the same as another.