As digital platforms evolve, many designers explore how technology can support meaningful social interaction. For Yichen Wang, a communication designer with a background in visual systems and user-centered research, this inquiry became a central design question: How can co-creation foster empathy among people who don’t know each other? To explore this, Wang developed a drawing-based storytelling game—an experiment in emotional connection, creative play, and collective authorship
The project began with a simple prompt: invite a small group of participants to co-create a story through drawing, using images as the primary medium. Using paper sketchbooks passed from one person to the next, Wang created a framework in which each participant illustrated a single page in response to the one before, without knowing what would happen next. Some included short lines of dialogue or narration, while others stayed purely visual. Over several days, these silent exchanges formed a story that reflected not only shared imagination, but also a kind of emotional negotiation—responding, adapting, and gently pushing the story forward in new directions.
In one of the earliest sessions, a penguin waiting in line at Starbucks discovered his favorite coffee was sold out. He turned around and locked eyes with another penguin who also loved classic black coffee. They fell for each other instantly and decided to search for another Starbucks, only to run into a robbery. Elsewhere, a jealous dog dove headfirst into a fishbowl. An elephant learned to love his long nose, and a lonely owl king tried to make friends by pretending not to be royalty, only to lose his dignity after becoming too popular. Though the characters were invented by different people, they remained emotionally consistent. Each participant added their page without knowing how the shared protagonist’s fate would unfold—only that they had all grown attached to the story they were building together.
Wang observed how people grew more confident as fictional relationships developed on the page. With fewer limitations and four main characters reappearing across sessions, the stories began to resemble group memories. One participant remarked, “I’m so curious who drew that plot,” reflecting a sense of connection and curiosity about fellow collaborators.
As the project evolved, Wang began experimenting with real-time interaction. In the second phase, strangers who had never met were given 20 minutes to draw together. With minimal instruction, they quickly found a rhythm—continuing the adventures of characters like Mr. Penguin and Elephant Zuo. The plot took unexpected turns: a robbery twist became magical, and a cosmetic decision led to regret and hospitalization. No one knew how the story would unfold, yet everyone shaped the fate of a shared protagonist.
In the third phase, Wang tested asynchronous digital interaction by hosting the game on Slack. Separate channels were used to organize different storylines. Some users were hesitant to draw, unsure of their skill. To accommodate this, Wang introduced low-pressure ways to participate, such as emoji reactions, supportive messages, and small prompts. As engagement grew, participants began creating spin-off stories. Some who had only observed at first eventually joined in with drawings of their own.
Wang’s intention is not to offer a cure for loneliness, but to explore how connection can emerge through shared moments. This philosophy runs through her broader portfolio, including O’friends, a mobile app that helps maintain friendships through algorithmic reconnection. While O’friends supports long-term relationships, the drawing game invites momentary connection—short, creative exchanges that are meaningful even if they fade afterward.
Much of Wang’s strength as a designer lies in how she pays attention. She notices not only how people interact with a product, but also how they hesitate, where they disengage, and what quietly brings them back. Her systems don’t demand constant engagement; instead, they provide cues that feel personal, optional, and emotionally resonant. Whether through a sketchbook passed among friends or a light-touch prompt inside a digital space, Wang treats human behavior and emotional nuance as core design material—something to shape with care, subtlety, and precision.
