Accelerating Access Hawaiʻi
Visual Storytelling
Project Overview
ʻUkulele Talk Story is an initiative with the Hawaiʻi State Archives dedicated to preserving Hawaiian music history, with a focus on the ʻukulele’s cultural significance. Through oral histories, performances, and expert insights, it creates an interactive digital repository, making these cultural narratives accessible worldwide.
Contributions
I designed the show's intro and motion graphics, crafting an engaging visual experience. I collaborated with an animator to bring archival photos to life, making history more dynamic. Beyond design, I worked with musicians and historians to ensure authenticity and structure the content effectively.
Integration with Give Big Campaign
For this project, I collaborated closely with an animator to develop subtle motion effects that aligned with the director’s vision of bringing archival subjects to life. Through guided creative direction, we transformed still images into living portraits, evoking breath, presence, and memory to connect modern audiences with the musicians of Hawai‘i’s past.
Accelerating Archive Access Hawai‘i
In 2025, ʻŌlelo was awarded $600,000 in federal funding, by Senator Brian Schatz, to expand Accelerating Archive Access Hawai‘i in partnership with the Hawai‘i State Archives. Building on the foundation of Accelerating Access Hawai‘i, the initiative enhances digitization, staff training, and public access to over 20,000 historic items each year through upgraded equipment, improved storage, and modernized archival systems.
Impact & Takeaways
This project expanded my experience in digital storytelling, motion graphics, and design for outreach. It also highlighted the role of clear communication in supporting cultural preservation and increasing public engagement.
Bringing Hawaiian Music History to Life Through Animation
As part of the Accelerating Access Hawai‘i project, I supported the development of animated segments that brought archival materials to life and highlighted the stories of Hawaiian musicians and performers. Following the director's vision to make these histories feel present and emotionally resonant, I worked closely with the production and animation teams to shape how subtle movements such as blinking, breathing, or ambient motion were used to help viewers connect with the subjects. The result was a thoughtful combination of animation and oral history that reawakened the past for contemporary audiences.