Home on replay

💡Problem Identification

When Nigerian students come to Canada, they often describe a loss of cultural connection — especially when it comes to music. Back home, music was a shared background to life, but in Canada, it becomes solitary and personal.

Design Challenge:

How might we transform the music experience for Nigerian students from something solitary and passive into something communal and emotionally grounding?

Introduction

Home on Replay is a cultural and sensory design concept built to help Nigerian students in Canada reconnect with their roots through music. The project reimagines music not just as entertainment, but as a tool for identity, emotional grounding, and communal connection.

🔎 Research Process

I started with a broad question: "How do different people experience music, and how can it be reimagined to better meet their needs?"

Through targeted interviews with Nigerian students at McMaster University—Razaq, Tobe, and Emmanuel—the following insight emerged:

Major Insight:
"Students weren't just missing Nigerian music; they were missing the communal experience that tied music to their identities back home."

These interviews uncovered feelings of nostalgia, disconnection, and longing for cultural belonging.

Razaq became my anchor persona. He’s a second-year student in Hamilton, Ontario, feeling isolated from the vibrant soundscape of Lagos.

🧍🏽‍♂️Persona

Empathy Map

✨Ideation

I brainstormed HMW (How Might We) statements:

How might we help Razaq maintain a sense of cultural connection through music while living far from home?
How might we recreate the communal aspect of Nigerian music for isolated students?

From those, I explored:

A physical music hub on close to campus
A social listening wall
QR codes linking to curated cultural playlists
Live DJ or karaoke nights

Note : A morph chart was used to visually summarize multiple solution ideas before arriving at the most impactful and feasible concepts.

Concept: Afro-Canadian Music hub

The concept that emerged was a hybrid physical and digital space that reimagines music discovery as a communal, immersive, and culturally rich experience.

Core Features:

Storyboard : A Day in the Life of Razaq

Razaq's Before and After Emotions

The concept was tested via a storyboard walkthrough and discussion.

Participants:

4 international students

What Resonated:

Music Wall: "That gave me goosebumps. It feels personal."

Playlist Curation: “I’d love to create my own Afrobeat set.”
Gradual Social Entry: “You don’t have to jump in right away. That’s what makes it comfortable.”

What I Improved:

More focus on emotional pacing — easing the user into community
Added a feature for anonymous reflections to build emotional safety
Shifted "Events Page" to a curated "Live Feed"

Quotes from Feedback:

"The transition from isolation to connection feels authentic but needs gradual emphasis."
"Highlighting features like the Music Discovery Wall creates a powerful emotional hook."

Refinements and Iterations

Emotional Shift: Isolation → Belonging
Design Shift: Generic listening → Community-powered connection

This project helped surface the invisible loss students experience when cultural soundscapes are stripped away, and how design can be used to reintroduce them.

Reflections

Designing this project taught me how:

Storytelling drives user empathy
Music is a powerful connector for identity and community.
Strategies for gradual engagement ensure sustained user interest.
Importance of accessible and emotionally resonant inclusive design.

Final Note

Home on Replay isn't just about music. It's about memory, identity, and community. It’s a reminder that the things we carry from home — especially sound — deserve space, even when we’re far away.