Abstract

Malaysia is a fast-paced developing nation with relatively low computer-Internet penetration, and high mobile network growth. Undeniably, the advancement of mobile communication technologies has created a new form of social network for communities to communicate and share similar interests via the mobile platform. With many such developing nations around in the world, it is inevitable that some social, communal and public support aspects may be left behind in the process of national and economic development. This paper looks at a case study on designing a mobile social network user interface for the deaf community in Malaysia, namely DHearT. DHearT is a mobile community design attempts to address the local digital divide and also to bridge the communal and communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities via the locally expanding mobile networks. In this paper, we also describe the form of partnership and challenges between a design institution, a telecommunication company and NGOs.