Migrant Compass.

Real-time guidance for migrants

Problem-solving
Teamwork

Role: UX research & design
Timeline: Sep – Nov 2025
Team: IDEA Lab @ Fletcher: researchers, engineers, developers
Tools: Figma

At the IDEA Lab @ Fletcher, our team built Migrant Compass, a mobile platform that gives migrants safety updates, guidance and real-time resources.

The context

What is the IDEA Lab?

The IDEA Lab @ Fletcher is a student-run initiative at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. Interdisciplinary student teams take on global problems, from refugee data security to water quality.

Our team of researchers, engineers and developers took on migrant navigation.

MCMigrant CompassOur project · migrant navigationHow can people on the move find safe, trustworthy help, even without signal?

Problem

Migrants make high-stakes decisions with patchy signal, rumors on social media and no way to know who to trust.

How might we

give migrants verified, location-based help that still works offline and keeps them safe?

Solution

Location-based, verified information on food, shelter and aid that also works offline.

Result

A Figma prototype shaped by a persona, task analysis and the whole team’s ideas.

Who we designed for

For migrants traveling alone or with families, and the aid workers and volunteers who support them.

María, 30

Single mother of two (ages 5 & 8)

“Every day is uncertain, but I can’t stop. My kids depend on me.”

Journey: From Puebla, traveling through Mexico toward Tijuana
Tech: Android; WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Maps
Personality: Protective · Resilient · Hopeful · Pragmatic

Needs

Real-time updates on shelters, checkpoints, aid
Offline maps and emergency contacts
Verified legal info on rights and asylum
Simple Spanish guidance, icons, voice

Frustrations

Misinformation on social media
Limited internet and charging
Fear of scams
Keeping her kids safe

Problem → solution

Every feature started as a specific problem María would face on the road.

Problem

How we solved it

Limited internet and charging on the road

Offline access for low-connectivity areas

Misinformation spreads on social media

Verified sources and protected community information

Conditions change fast and safety is uncertain

Real-time risk alerts and route-safety scoring

Travelers speak many different languages

Language choice at first launch: English, Español, العربية, Français, 中文, Português

Sharing location can put people at risk

Choose live tracking or manual input; location stays encrypted and is never shared without consent

Users have different abilities and literacy levels

Adjustable text size, high contrast, screen reader and voice navigation

Task analysis

01Choose languageFirst step, before anything else
02Location accessLive tracking, last known or manual
03ConsentExplicit choice before sharing
04ProfileOptional, for tailored help
05ResourcesWater, food, legal aid, medicine, shelter, news, hazards

Mapping the flow first showed where privacy decisions had to happen, so consent comes before any data is shared.

Mood board, built together

Everyone on the team pitched in. Each person explored one area and brought options with notes, then we compared them and agreed on one direction.

Team mood board: color and font, accessibility features, icons and layout — Our shared mood board

Color & typePalettes like “Winter chill” and “Under the moonlight”; Open Sans, Rubik and Poppins
AccessibilityTen ideas, from language choice and an SOS button to offline safety guides
IconsSimple, universal symbols gathered and adjusted to fit the app
LayoutA clear, card-based screen structure