Aquí También

Visibility, Connection, and Collective Action: Bridging Social Bubbles Through Tequio

Project Overview
Aquí También is a mobile app that introduces digital nomads to the Oaxacan tradition of tequio (collective work for the common good) through local grassroots initiatives in Puerto Escondido. It makes community-led efforts visible and accessible through a centralized hub for discovery, connection, and participation.
In response to the growing gap between tourism growth and infrastructure development, grassroots initiatives emerge, but their impact and capacity is often constrained by geographic segregation, social bubbles, and language barriers between permanent and transient residents. Aquí También surfaces community initiatives, translate local needs into actionable opportunities, and fosters meaningful interactions between locals and visitors.
By reimagining tequio for the digital age, the platform transforms digital nomads from passive beneficiaries into active contributors, and strengthens community resilience through collective action and long-term engagement.
Year
2026
Duration
3 Months
Design Type
UI/UX
Responsibilities
Design Research, UI/UX Design, AI-Augmented Design, Interaction Design, User Testing, Project Pitching

Research Insight

The biggest challenge for me to give back to the community is the lack of information for finding out what I can help with and how I can do that.
- Danny (digital nomad)
Barriers Preventing Digital Nomads from Engaging in Local Initiatives
Confined Knowledge
Information about grassroots initiatives is fragmented and largely confined to local networks (primarily shared through Instagram).
Invisibility
Social, financial, and geographic segregation make local challenges invisible to digital nomads.
Awareness & Pathway
Although digital nomads share similar ideas in addressing local challenges, they lack awareness of existing efforts and pathways to contribute meaningfully.
Cultural Appliance - Tequio
Tequio is a traditional form of mandatory community labor in indigenous Oaxaca contexts that strengthens communal bonds, manage territory, and carry out collective projects.
- The Tequio as a Social Practice in the Reforestation Processes of the Mixteca Alta: Santa María Chachoápam, Nochixtlán, Anabell Ortiz Ibarra, Nancy Gabriela Molina Luna, Enrique Martínez Y Ojeda
THE INITIAL DESIGN

Creating Relationship-Centered Entry Points

To test my hypothesis, I used Figma Make to develop an interactive prototype exploring whether shared interests and language compatibility could make community stewards feel like an approachable entry point to tequio events. I tested the concept with four users to identify opportunities for improvement.
4 digital nomads who have been or currently reside in Puerto Escondido
Figma Make
Figma
Design & iteration (1 week)
Testing & synthesize (1.5 weeks)
USER TESTING

Contribution Begins with Connection and Belonging

User testing revealed that contribution is most compelling when it begins with connection. Participants saw Aquí También not simply as a way to help the community, but as a platform for finding belonging through trusted stewards, nomad peers, and shared values. Clear event expectations then help turn that connection into confident participation.
Familiar voices for easier pathways to participation
Community steward of a variety of background can provide digital nomads even easier pathways to get involved - they should not be limited to local residents, but also nomads who were previously involved in the initiatives.
It doesn’t matter who’s passing the message... if you receive the message better from your peer, than we want you to hear from them.
- Jon (Community Initiative Leader)
Shared plans can turn proximity into connection
Digital nomads are often eager to meet others, and co-living and co-working spaces already serve as natural hubs for connection and community building. By leveraging physical proximity, Aquí También can build on these existing social dynamics and gives digital nomads an approachable way to connect and participate together.
If I were at a place and saw that someone else was attending the same event as me, I’d reach out to them.
- Deanna (Digital Nomad of 3 Years)
Shared values for stronger connections
Personal hobbies can help start a conversation, but alignment around causes, such as sustainability, education, or infrastructure, may provide a more meaningful foundation for connection and continued participation.
Seeing someone’s profile say that they are passionate about sustainability projects, I would be more inclined to message them.
- Fred (Digital Nomad of 1 Year)
Clear expectations reduce barriers to participation
Interest alone is not enough to inspire action. Users need clear, easily scannable information (e.g. the activity, location, duration, preparation, and expected impact) to decide whether an event fits their interests and availability.
The big thing for me with volunteering is knowing what’s expected of me and what I should expect.
- Trevor (Digital Nomad of 4 Years)
Design iteration

Better Connection for Bigger Impact

tequio browsing
Information, Better Organized
The redesigned tequio browsing page makes opportunities easier to be discovered and compared at a glance. With clearer visual hierarchy, more scannable information, and stronger filtering by initiative causes, it reduces friction in finding relevant ways to participate and helps users move more naturally from browsing to taking action.
Categoried by Cause
The tequio initiatives are categorized by causes, helping users with specific driven passions to continue their impact.
Social Connection
Each Tequio event surfaces shared interests among attendees, helping users identify potential connections and making participation feel more personal and socially rewarding.
Tequio At-A-Glance
The at-a-glance tequio cards surface the most essential information upfront, helping users quickly assess opportunities and take action on the go.
INITIATIVE DETAILS
Details Reorganized
By improving the information architecture of the tequio detail page, users can more easily understand what each project is, why it matters, what participation involves, and key logistical details. Connection is also made easier with the new option to connect with a fellow digital nomad community steward. The stronger information hierarchy and clearer call to action help users feel informed and confident before deciding to join.
Get Ready Knowing When Where How
The Get Ready card addresses the key information needed to participate - when, where, and how - by grouping essential logistics into a single scannable section that reduces cognitive load and helps users prepare with confidence.
Everyone Can Pass the Message
To lower the barrier of entry, digital nomads can connect with a community steward who’s either a local resident or another digital nomad before the tequio begins, creating an early point of contact that makes joining feel more approachable.
Social Proof with Privacy
Unlike the previous committed-members design, which created confusion and privacy concerns, the new “Committed Neighbors” section highlights second-degree connections through shared communities, such as co-living spaces and personal interests. This makes social proof feel more relevant and familiar without exposing unnecessary personal information.
WHO’S AROUND
From Physical Proximity to Mutual Accountability
The “Who’s Around” feature allows users to see what tequio people in the same physical space are attending. It builds on the social dynamics already forming in co-living and co-working spaces, where digital nomads naturally meet and connect. By leveraging physical proximity, it gives users an approachable way to discover nearby peers, participate together, and build mutual accountability. It is also a simple way for nomads to become a part of the relationship-to-contribution cycle.
Safety and Privacy
The initial “Drop a Note” interaction allowed users to write open-ended messages, which raised privacy and safety concerns. The redesigned flow replaces freeform messaging with pre-prompted notes tied to shared spaces and everyday activities in co-living and co-working environments, reducing ambiguity while encouraging low-pressure, in-person connections.
TEQUIO ORGNIZATION
One Tap to List
For tequio organizers, Aquí También is designed to fit into their existing practice. Since most tequio are shared through Instagram, organizers simply upload a screenshot of their post or story, and AI converts it into a structured tequio listing. By minimizing data entry, the flow expands the tequio organizers’ reach without adding extra work, time, or effort.
Expanded Reach
After creating a Tequio listing, organizers can use AI to instantly generate a shareable poster in either Spanish or English. This turns the platform into a two-way workflow: organizers can bring existing Instagram content into Aquí También, as well as easily bring their new listings back to the channels they already use while reaching both local and international audiences.

Final Thoughts

Aquí También taught me that lowering the barrier to community participation is not just about making information easier to find - it is about designing the social conditions that make people feel comfortable taking the first step. By building on existing behaviors, spaces, and relationships, the platform turns Tequio from something unfamiliar into an approachable, shared practice that connects digital nomads with the communities they temporarily call home.
Key Takeaways:
  • Design for relationships, not just transactions: social connection, peer participation, and mutual accountability can be just as important as clear information in motivating action.
  • Build on existing behaviors: integrating with co-living spaces, Instagram, and existing community networks lowers friction for both participants and organizers.
  • Lower the first-step barrier: small, guided entry points can help users move from awareness to participation without requiring an immediate high level of commitment.
  • Design for both sides of the ecosystem: supporting organizers with low-effort publishing is essential to making opportunities visible and keeping the platform sustainable.
  • Context matters: designing for a transient community required understanding the geographic, social, and language barriers that shape how people engage with Puerto Escondido beyond the nomad bubble.