Recommendations for Online Support Group Platforms in China

Klingensmith, Nathaniel J.; Olson, Noah V.; Neidig, Lonna Y.; Coughlin, Devin J.

Student Work

Recommendations for Online Support Group Platforms in China Public

In China, support groups are rare and have the potential to become a more commonplace resource for people in need. The Xin Foundation, a non-governmental non-profit organization in Hangzhou, is interested in how the United States’ approach to online support groups could be actualized in China. This report explores the success of support groups in the U.S., how they have been adapted to online environments, and how they can be transformed to fit China’s cultural landscape. By conducting interviews, surveys, feature analysis, and user observation, we discovered new ways to innovate online support groups in China. We conclude this report with a list of recommendations for future online support group platforms and a series of mockups for a platform in China.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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