Case Study –
One Nation Governance
Year /
2024 - 2025
One Nation Governance is an organization that supports Indigenous communities in Canada in managing cultural and administrative information in an autonomous and secure way.
One of the main distinctions of this project is that the tools were not built top-down, they were born directly from the needs brought forward by the communities themselves. We listened to their challenges, understood their processes, and co-created solutions together that truly make sense in their daily lives.
Instead of delivering a ready-made product, the process was one of collective building, ensuring that every feature met real needs, respected cultural practices, and strengthened the communities’ digital autonomy.
My role was to contribute to the system’s UX Design, focusing on usability, accessibility, and clarity throughout the user journey.
The Challenge
Many communities faced issues such as:
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Difficulty managing family and member data (genealogy trees, registrations, IDs).
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Dependence on analog methods that caused errors, data loss, and low reliability.
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Limited digital accessibility due to varying levels of digital literacy, unstable internet connections, and multiple languages.
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The need to respect cultural practices in how data is organized and presented.
The main challenge was to create an experience that is simple, intuitive, and culturally respectful, while ensuring security and full control for the communities.
Our approach
ColdSnake is the team responsible for developing the digital platform that powers One Nation Governance. The system was designed to:
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Adapt to different governance models and community structures
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Ensure secure access and storage of sensitive cultural and member data
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Provide visual and intuitive tools for administrators and Elders
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Scale across multiple communities, with customizable modules tailored to their specific needs
Design principles
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Start with listening: every feature was shaped through interviews, collaborative workshops, and continuous feedback loops with the communities.
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Community-owned data: all information remains within the Nation, with robust access controls and security measures.
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Modular structure: each community can choose which tools to activate and how to customize them.
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Simple and intuitive design: built to be easy to use for everyone, from Elders to administrators, regardless of their level of digital literacy.
What we built together
One of the app's main problems, in addition to its rude appearance, was that the user was unable to add more than one product to the cart directly from the dining page. The main changes made focused on solving this problem.
Genealogy tree
The Gitanyow Nation needed a visual and accessible way to represent their families, lineages, and connections, something that reflected not only names but also stories and a sense of belonging, while respecting their traditional matriarchal structure.
Solution
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Intuitive navigation and editing, allowing members to be added or updated easily, even for users with limited digital experience.
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Structure based on a matriarchal system, respecting how the community organizes its lineages.
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Users can select the House they want to view, accessing the genealogy tree for that specific House.
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Detailed member profile: clicking on a person opens a side panel with more information, allowing users to explore individual details without losing the overall view.
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Use of visual symbols to indicate gender, living status (alive or deceased), and whether the member belongs to the selected House or is a spouse.
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Creation of a legend explaining the meaning of each symbol, making the tool accessible to users of all levels.
Identity issuance flow
The Samson Cree Nation wanted to issue their own identities, completely independent from the Canadian government, ensuring that the cards were produced and controlled entirely by the community.
Solution
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Developed a complete information collection flow within the reserve, including essential personal data, photo, and signature.
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Purchased and installed a dedicated printer for producing physical ID cards, allowing the Nation to generate and control their own IDs without relying on third parties.
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Secure and efficient process, ensuring privacy and reliability of community data.
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Intuitive interface and training provided so Samson members can operate the entire system, from data collection to card printing.
Community dashboard
The Gitanyow Nation needed a clear overview of the community, enabling them to understand demographic data, track recent registrations, and identify leaders of each clan.
Solution
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Quickly view total members, recent registrations, and distribution by gender and age.
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Display the Chief of each clan when selecting the corresponding area on the map, providing context on leadership and hierarchy.
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Present simple visual charts and indicators to support quick and informed decision-making.
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Centralize important information in one place, reducing the effort needed to track demographic and administrative data.
Stronger together
We reflected on the real impact of the platform on community life, the lessons learned throughout the process, and the next steps to continue strengthening the Nations’ autonomy.
Impact and results
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Greater autonomy for communities to issue IDs, track lineages, and manage member data.
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Faster onboarding for new administrators, thanks to intuitive flows.
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Increased data reliability compared to spreadsheets or paper-based systems used previously.
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Adoption across multiple Nations, even with different governance models.
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Positive community feedback regarding the cultural respect embedded in the platform.
What I learned on this journey
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Projects in cultural contexts require active listening and constant adaptation.
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Simplicity is a priority: short, clear flows increase adoption, even for users with limited digital literacy.
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Testing early and often prevents creating solutions disconnected from the communities’ reality.
Next steps
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Expand the platform to new communities.
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Improve accessibility, including multilingual support and text-to-speech functionality.