MA Thesis project
by Kateryna Isaikova

Mentors: Claire Reymond, Jinsu Ahn, Arno Schubbach

Index
     
  1. Idea
  2. General research (theory)
  3. Online survey
  4. Scenario Bank
  5. UX Research
  6. Mobile Strategy
  7. Design Concepts (visual)
  8. Final prototype

     About creator

Email: katia.isaikova@gmail.com 
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FHNW Academy of Art and Design
Digital Communication Environments MA

General research (theory)



The starting point for this project was a combination of personal experience and theoretical exploration into the fields of intercultural communication, emotional intelligence, and digital interaction. As an international student, I encountered situations where cultural differences, communication styles, and unspoken social norms shaped the outcome of interactions. These experiences became the initial motivation to investigate how design could create spaces for reflection and dialogue across cultures.

I began by reviewing core theories of intercultural communication, including:
Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory — to understand how values such as individualism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance affect interaction styles.
Edward T. Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Communication Theory — to explore how implicit and explicit communication patterns vary between cultures.

In parallel, I explored concepts from emotional intelligence frameworks, particularly the role of empathy, self-awareness, and emotional regulation in navigating cultural differences. These insights aligned with my belief that successful intercultural encounters require not just factual knowledge, but the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond to emotional cues.
Alongside theory, I conducted practical research into existing tools. I explored a variety of platforms — from language learning apps to AI-powered assistants — to evaluate their potential for cultural adaptation. While many offer structured lessons, vocabulary building, and gamified learning, I identified a clear gap: a lack of real-time cultural adaptation, context-specific examples, and practical communication exercises. This means that even if users learn the language, they are often unprepared for the nuanced, culture-dependent ways in which communication actually unfolds.
Early experiments included prototyping with AI assistants (Character AI) and communication bots (Telegram), which helped me understand the scalability and accessibility of algorithmic systems, but also their limitations. The absence of emotional nuance and the inability to provide contextually relevant human responses confirmed my belief that real human perspectives must remain central to the design.