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OVERVIEW
Zikaron is a mobile app for remembering the holocaust and supporting by donations to those who survived, made easy and accessible.
It was the Holocaust Remembrance Day of 2016. My friends and I talked about the situation of Holocaust survivors in Israel, and we were shocked to find out how terrible it is.
We decided to take action and create an app that will support the survivors and expand the awareness of their situation.
ROLE
Co-founder, UI/UX, Branding & Marketing
YEAR
2016 – 2017
WEBSITE
https://zikaron-il.org/
TOOLS
Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Maya
FEATURED IN
WE STARTED BY IDENTIFying PROBLEMS
During our research, we identified a lot of problems in that matter, it all came down to one conclusion –
The Holocaust remembrance didn’t have any technological approach and was not accessible enough to society.
- Holocaust survivors are growing old, and in the coming years, there will be no Holocaust survivors alive.
- Young generations and future generations seek immediate gratification. In order to influence and preserve the memory of the Holocaust, we need to enable an updated and up-to-date method of commemoration other than conventional commemoration methods.
- The digital world is large and wide, and there is still no memorial platform that has successfully harnessed the advantages and possibilities it offers.
- There is no simple, accessible, and convenient way for the public to solidarity and to commemorate immediately and in real-time.
- Most of the donations to Holocaust survivors are raised by large donors, as well as non-profit organizations and they don’t offer a convenient and simple way for anyone interested in contributing and influencing.
OUR SOLUTION
A personal but social app that enables solidarity, expression of support, information and contribution to Holocaust survivors in a simple, convenient and cohesive way.
discovery and creation
I began to research the problem in-depth to understand what associates with the memory of the Holocaust and how it can be digitized.
I surveyed the potential audience who will use the app. One of the most meaningful and resourceful questions was “What is the holocaust for you?”.
The received answers were “lighting a memory candle”, “reading survivors stories,” “standing in the siren”. Those answers made me realize that I had to focus on these things in the overall design and experience of the app.
Also, it made me understand how much the memory of the Holocaust unites and connects the people, therefore it was important for me to emphasize the social aspect.
I asked about the donation procedure and if they ever donated to holocaust survivors, many people indicated that they didn’t donate because they did not feel enough connected and the procedure seemed complicated to them.
After receiving all the answers from the research we continued to characterize the application, and later wireframe it and design it.
Note: Due to a very tight timeline, the process was sped-up and we had to launch without prototype or user-testing.
So, what's inside?
Light a Memory Candle
The memorial candle is in the center of the application. A simple and cohesive action, that allows you to share your memory in the social networks.
Browse The Memory Map
The memory of the Holocaust is universal. In the memory map, you can see all the memory candles that were lit all over the world, and see who from your friends lit a memory candle.
Make a Donation
Contribute directly to the holocaust survivors through one of three leading organizations working night and day for holocaust survivors.
The organizations are well-established and have undergone our extensive examination. Each offering assist in a different way.
The donation process is very simple and intuitive. In a few clicks, you’re able to donate to the organization you like.
Read Fascinating Stories
A collection of captivating personal stories of Holocaust survivors living in Israel.
In the design process, I emphasize each survivor to give him full attention and create maximum empathy.
Between the stories, there are relevant and current statistics about Holocaust survivors around the globe.
Reflection
We learned that the application sparked a lot of debate among the public.
Should a sensitive subject such as the memory of the Holocaust be transformed into something digital?
We heard a wide range of opinions, but in the bottom line – it was very helpful to the welfare of Holocaust survivors. Moreover, it expanded the memory they’re leaving behind.
Over 5,000 memorial candles were lit all over the world in dozens of cities and countries. Thousands of NIS were donated directly to Holocaust survivors. I feel that we have succeeded in changing the public consciousness and making a real contribution to Holocaust survivors.
* Photos of the Holocaust survivors are in courtesy of “The Last Link” project.