Immigrant parents experience higher levels of loneliness and face challenges like social isolation driven by cultural differences, language barriers, and a lack of local support networks. Many schools, communities and existing technological solutions do not have systems in place to bridge this gap, leaving them disconnected from their new community.

Buddy has been designed as a technological probe-type prototype to investigate design options to support building social connections for immigrant parents. It consists of a mobile application and a physical (kiosk-type) screen that is based at the children's school.