How can we incorporate trauma-informed design to create a healing tool?
Menominee Ethnobotany
Designing a tool to support sustainable forest management while honoring and re-seeding Indigenous knowledge.
Client
Menominee Tribal Enterprises
Date
September 2024 - April 2025
Industry
Sustainable Forestry
Scope of work
Experience Design
Design Research
Book Design
Determine Authorship + Content Creation Roles
Finalize Book Structure & Framework
Content Collection & Writing
Publishing Pathways Exploration
INTRODUCTION
THE CHALLENGE
My team collaborated with Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE), a sustainable, Indigenous forestry and lumber company.
As the Menominee people adapted to forced displacement by turning to lumber production, much oral tradition, including vital ethnobotanical knowledge, was lost. Today, forest managers are working to recover and preserve these ancestral practices.
INTRODUCTION
THE CHALLENGE
My team collaborated with Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE), a sustainable, Indigenous forestry and lumber company.
As the Menominee people adapted to forced displacement by turning to lumber production, much oral tradition, including vital ethnobotanical knowledge, was lost. Today, forest managers are working to recover and preserve these ancestral practices.
UNDERSTANDING
MTE SITE VISIT
We visited MTE in the fall of 2024 to meet with forest managers and directors and to learn more about their sustainable forest management practices.
During our visit, we toured the sawmill and lumber yard, gaining a deeper understanding of the company’s operations and the close-knit team dedicated to protecting the forests they steward.
It was during this visit that forest managers shared their challenges—carrying multiple books into the field and losing plant knowledge once passed down through oral tradition.
research & empathy
READING AND WATCHING OUTSIDE SOURCES
In addition to hiking, I began reading books on plant intelligence, listening to podcasts on Indigenous fire management, and watching videos featuring nature walks. Robin Wall Kimmerer deeply influenced my understanding of the connection between plants and Indigenous knowledge, revealing how each plant carries a story or history.
PROTOTYPING
WIREFRAME (1ST ITERATION)
The first iteration of this idea was a simple sketch of an interactive workbook designed to encourage readers to engage with the forest through specimen collection. It also featured Menominee stories about culturally significant plants alongside a plant index, blending traditional knowledge with hands-on exploration.
1923 HURON SMITH ETHNOBOTANY BOOK
I also took a deeper dive into Ethnobotany of the Menominee Indians (1923) by Huron Smith, one of the few books on the subject. While informative, the book reflects a problematic perspective. Smith, a non-native ethnobotanist, positioned himself as the preserver of Indigenous knowledge without addressing the colonial forces—such as assimilation and systemic erasure—that caused its decline.
TRAUMA-INFORMED DESIGN
This led me down a rabbit hole into trauma-informed design—the practice of creating spaces and products that are welcoming and minimize the risk of re-traumatization, recognizing how trauma affects mood, health, and well-being.
The Menominee people have endured collective trauma, from forced removal from their homeland to assimilation policies that sought to erase their culture.
A key principle of trauma-informed design is restoring agency—giving people control over their own narratives.
Therefore, the designed tool should center the Menominee’s voices and stories, written by them, for them.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to design an ethnobotanical tool to help forest managers preserve and access traditional knowledge of the Menominee forest, particularly the relationships between plant communities. This tool would support sustainable forest management while honoring and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge.
PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE
TESTING A BOOKLET
In order to get feedback on the framework of our book, we created a physical prototype in the form of a small booklet. The booklet explains the project, purpose and potential structure of the book.
HANDOFF PLAN
PLANNING NEXT STEPS
Our project’s long-term goal is to support the preservation of Menominee ethnobotanical knowledge through a resource created by and for the Menominee community.
While our team focused on early research, structure, and design exploration, the next phase of this project involves moving toward authorship, content development, and possible publication.
FINAL REFLECTION
GOING BEYOND DIGITAL
This project expanded my understanding of what UX design can look like beyond digital spaces. Our goal wasn’t to design a product — it was to design a structure that could support the Menominee community in preserving and sharing their own ethnobotanical knowledge.
Working closely with Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) challenged me to think about authorship, ownership, and sustainability in new ways. It reinforced that good design is not always about creating something new, it’s about creating systems that empower others to tell their own stories.
This project reminded me that UX design is ultimately about people — their needs, their values, and their voices, and that sometimes the best solution is simply making space for those to shine.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to design an ethnobotanical tool to help forest managers preserve and access traditional knowledge of the Menominee forest, particularly the relationships between plant communities. This tool would support sustainable forest management while honoring and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge.
CONNECTING WITH THE FOREST
Spending time with MTE deepened my understanding of sustainable forest management, inspiring me to explore the UW Arboretum through weekly hikes. These walks became a way to reflect on the importance of healthy forests—what the Menominee are working to protect.
1923 HURON SMITH ETHNOBOTANY BOOK
I also took a deeper dive into Ethnobotany of the Menominee Indians (1923) by Huron Smith, one of the few books on the subject. While informative, the book reflects a problematic perspective. Smith, a non-native ethnobotanist, positioned himself as the preserver of Indigenous knowledge without addressing the colonial forces—such as assimilation and systemic erasure—that caused its decline.
INTRODUCTION
THE CHALLENGE
My team collaborated with Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE), a sustainable, Indigenous forestry and lumber company.
As the Menominee people adapted to forced displacement by turning to lumber production, much oral tradition, including vital ethnobotanical knowledge, was lost. Today, forest managers are working to recover and preserve these ancestral practices.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to design an ethnobotanical tool to help forest managers preserve and access traditional knowledge of the Menominee forest, particularly the relationships between plant communities. This tool would support sustainable forest management while honoring and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge.
UNDERSTANDING
MTE SITE VISIT
We visited MTE in the fall of 2024 to meet with forest managers and directors and to learn more about their sustainable forest management practices.
During our visit, we toured the sawmill and lumber yard, gaining a deeper understanding of the company’s operations and the close-knit team dedicated to protecting the forests they steward.
It was during this visit that forest managers shared their challenges—carrying multiple books into the field and losing plant knowledge once passed down through oral tradition.
CONNECTING WITH THE FOREST
Spending time with MTE deepened my understanding of sustainable forest management, inspiring me to explore the UW Arboretum through weekly hikes. These walks became a way to reflect on the importance of healthy forests—what the Menominee are working to protect.
RESEARCH & EMPATHY
READING AND WATCHING OUTSIDE SOURCES
In addition to hiking, I began reading books on plant intelligence, listening to podcasts on Indigenous fire management, and watching videos featuring nature walks. Robin Wall Kimmerer deeply influenced my understanding of the connection between plants and Indigenous knowledge, revealing how each plant carries a story or history.
1923 HURON SMITH ETHNOBOTANY BOOK
I also took a deeper dive into Ethnobotany of the Menominee Indians (1923) by Huron Smith, one of the few books on the subject. While informative, the book reflects a problematic perspective. Smith, a non-native ethnobotanist, positioned himself as the preserver of Indigenous knowledge without addressing the colonial forces—such as assimilation and systemic erasure—that caused its decline.
TRAUMA-INFORMED DESIGN
This led me down a rabbit hole into trauma-informed design—the practice of creating spaces and products that are welcoming and minimize the risk of re-traumatization, recognizing how trauma affects mood, health, and well-being.
The Menominee people have endured collective trauma, from forced removal from their homeland to assimilation policies that sought to erase their culture.
A key principle of trauma-informed design is restoring agency—giving people control over their own narratives.
Therefore, the designed tool should center the Menominee’s voices and stories, written by them, for them.
WIREFRAME (1ST ITERATION)
The first iteration of this idea was a simple sketch of an interactive workbook designed to encourage readers to engage with the forest through specimen collection. It also featured Menominee stories about culturally significant plants alongside a plant index, blending traditional knowledge with hands-on exploration.
DIGITAL WIREFRAME
From the initial sketch, I transitioned to Figma to create a low-fidelity prototype, maintaining the same features and structure .This prototype was one of the concepts presented to MTE for feedback, along with the idea of incorporating a digital component.
STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK
The response was positive, but they expressed concerns about the tool being fully digital. They emphasized that a physical book (or a hybrid approach) offers greater security and longevity compared to a completely digital format.
Therefore, we decided on a “book-first” approach, prioritizing the development of a physical book as the foundation. In the future, a digital component could serve as a complement, either as an extension of the book or as a tool for updates and ongoing knowledge preservation.
HERBARIUM VISIT
From the initial sketch, I transitioned to Figma to create a low-fidelity prototype, maintaining the same features and structure .This prototype was one of the concepts presented to MTE for feedback, along with the idea of incorporating a digital component.
HERBARIUM VISIT
From the initial sketch, I transitioned to Figma to create a low-fidelity prototype, maintaining the same features and structure .This prototype was one of the concepts presented to MTE for feedback, along with the idea of incorporating a digital component.
MEDIUM FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
The design was further refined prioritizing the most useful information for forest managers and removing the storytelling elements.
The prototype organizes content by habitat type, providing a snapshot of each habitat’s key characteristics. The book includes a dedicated section for notes, allowing forest managers to document observations and reflections as they work. The final section serves as an herbarium journal, where managers can store plant specimens and record additional notes, ensuring the book functions as both a reference and a personal field tool.
The prototype features a built-in plant press at the back, designed for easy specimen preservation. It includes tension straps, weighted paper, and a sturdy wooden cover to naturally press and preserve plants, ensuring a functional and durable tool for field use.
PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE
TESTING A BOOKLET
In order to get feedback on the framework of our book, we created a physical prototype in the form of a small booklet. The booklet explains the project, purpose and potential structure of the book.
HANDOFF PLAN
PLANNING NEXT STEPS
Our project’s long-term goal is to support the preservation of Menominee ethnobotanical knowledge through a published resource created by and for the Menominee community.
While our team focused on early research, structure, and design exploration, the next phase of this project involves moving toward authorship, content development, and eventual publication.
FINAL REFLECTION
GOING BEYOND DIGITAL
This project expanded my understanding of what UX design can look like beyond digital spaces. Our goal wasn’t to design a product — it was to design a structure that could support the Menominee community in preserving and sharing their own ethnobotanical knowledge.
Working closely with Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) challenged me to think about authorship, ownership, and sustainability in new ways. It reinforced that good design is not always about creating something new, it’s about creating systems that empower others to tell their own stories.
This project reminded me that UX design is ultimately about people — their needs, their values, and their voices, and that sometimes the best solution is simply making space for those to shine.
How might we help caregivers more efficiently manage their time?
Curonow
Designing a tool to support sustainable forest management while honoring and re-seeding Indigenous knowledge.
Client
CuroNow
Date
February 2025 - May 2025
Industry
Healthcare
Scope of work
UX/UI Design
UNDERSTANDING
CONNECTING WITH THE FOREST
Spending time with MTE deepened my understanding of sustainable forest management, inspiring me to explore the UW Arboretum through weekly hikes. These walks became a way to reflect on the importance of healthy forests—what the Menominee are working to protect.
PROTOTYPING
DIGITAL WIREFRAME
From the initial sketch, I transitioned to Figma to create a low-fidelity prototype, maintaining the same features and structure .This prototype was one of the concepts presented to MTE for feedback, along with the idea of incorporating a digital component.
PROTOTYPING
STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK
The response was positive, but they expressed concerns about the tool being fully digital. They emphasized that a physical book (or a hybrid approach) offers greater security and longevity compared to a completely digital format.
Therefore, we decided on a “book-first” approach, prioritizing the development of a physical book as the foundation. In the future, a digital component could serve as a complement, either as an extension of the book or as a tool for updates and ongoing knowledge preservation.
PROTOTYPING
HERBARIUM VISIT
Our team visited the UW–Madison Herbarium to learn about plant cataloging, storage, and preservation. We observed the pressing process and examined herbarium journals over 200 years old. This visit also deeply influenced my second prototype iteration.
PROTOTYPING
LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPE (2ND ITERATION)
The plant pressing techniques we were introduced to during the herbarium visit used a simple book-like device to store specimens. This sparked the idea of creating a book that not only shares knowledge but also functions as a physical tool for plant preservation.
PROTOTYPING
MEDIUM-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE (2ND ITERATION)