History Rhymes addresses a key issue in modern news consumption: people engage with fast, fragmented information without context, reflection, or verification. Social media platforms prioritise speed and emotional reactions, leading to shallow understanding and increased misinformation. As a result, people often feel overwhelmed and disconnected, experiencing current events as isolated incidents rather than part of larger historical patterns.
The project reframes this problem by asking whether present-day events have parallels in the past, and how recognising these “rhymes” could create a more meaningful and grounded way of engaging with news. The central idea is that many social and political patterns repeat over time, and connecting these moments can help people better interpret the present.
To address this, History Rhymes proposes a mobile application that integrates historical context directly into the news experience. You paste a news article link into the app, which then analyses its themes and matches it with similar historical events. The app presents these connections and explains how past events unfolded, including their social and economic impacts. This transforms passive scrolling into an active, reflective exploration.
The prototype was designed using Figma, applying foundational principles of mobile interface design such as clarity, intuitive navigation, and user-centred interaction flows. The process involved translating the core concept into simple, step-by-step screens, from onboarding to content interaction, ensuring that the experience remains accessible and engaging. Wireframing and prototyping in Figma allowed for iterative exploration of layout, hierarchy, and user journeys, helping refine how users move from entering a news link to discovering historical parallels.
Overall, the project combines thoughtful interaction design with a strong conceptual foundation, aiming to foster critical thinking, media literacy, and a deeper connection between past and present.
