Shaping Disney’s Digital Experience in Asia
This was a project done during my time at frog, where I worked with Disney (North America) to conduct a cultural research and discovery sprint across Singapore, China, and India.
Design Research
Localisation
Project Overview
Role: Product Designer / Research Consultant (frog)
Client: Disney
Focus: Discovery, Cultural Research, Digital Strategy
Markets: Singapore, China, India
Overview
As Disney Cruise Line prepared to launch Disney Adventure in Singapore, they wanted to understand how Asian guests’ cultural and digital behaviours would shape expectations around mobile and web experiences.
This project was part of a business development engagement to help Disney define future digital opportunities in Asia.
We delivered a four-week discovery program uncovering country-specific insights, design hypotheses, and strategic recommendations.
The Challenge
Disney’s existing digital ecosystem was largely designed around Western cruise behaviours.
Entering Asia raised key questions:
How do different cultures plan and manage holidays?
What role does mobile play before and during a cruise?
What role does AI play in trip planning?
Without these answers, there was a risk of building a “one-size-fits-all” experience that wouldn’t resonate locally.
My Role
The team made up of 2 consultants based on Singapore, and 3 in India.
I focused on research in China and Singapore.
Research design and synthesis
Interview facilitation
Insight development
Hypothesis framing
Strategic recommendations
Approach
We ran a four-week research sprint combining:
Desk research and market analysis
Competitor benchmarking
Ethnographic interviews
15 participants were interviewed across China, India, and Singapore, using semi-structured sessions, card sorting, and storytelling exercises.
This allowed us to capture both behavioural patterns and emotional drivers.
What we learned
What we learned
🇸🇬 Singapore: Confidence & Participation
Older users feared “breaking” digital systems
Seniors relied heavily on younger family members
Many preferred observing over actively participating in activities
Opportunity:
Design low-friction, confidence-building interfaces and subtle participation nudges.
🇮🇳 India: Trust, Status & Family Coordination
Cruises were seen as high-stakes luxury purchases
Guests sought culturally familiar reassurance
Status and social sharing were key motivators
Families coordinated heavily through WhatsApp
Opportunity:
Embed trust signals, premium moments, and group-planning tools into digital journeys.
🇨🇳 China: Social Proof, Value & Multi-Gen Travel
Travel was strongly linked to “checking in” and sharing
Bargain-hunting reflected distrust of official pricing
Multi-generational travel was the norm
Opportunity:
Create iconic shareable moments, transparent pricing journeys, and family-first tools.
🤖 AI in Trip Planning
AI was used mainly for early inspiration, but trust in AI for detailed planning remains limited
Final decisions relied on social proof and human validation
Conversations around AI flowed better in Singapore and China, whereas in India, old school / traditional research methods are still the norm.
Deliverable Snapshots
Deliverable Snapshots
Impact
Impact
The purpose of this project was to position frog as a strategic partner in Disney’s regional expansion.
This discovery project supported:
Regional product strategy
Future research investment
Business development in Asia
More Works
More Works
Unifying a fragmented banking platform
2025
Design systen
Accessibility
Unifying a fragmented banking platform
2025
Design systen
Accessibility
Designing an amplifier
2023 - 2024
End-to-end design
Product
Designing an amplifier
2023 - 2024
End-to-end design
Product
Professional audio made accessible
2024
UX UI
UX iterations
Professional audio made accessible
2024
UX UI
UX iterations
Tackling abandoned carts in ride hailing
2021
UX UI
User testing
Tackling abandoned carts in ride hailing
2021
UX UI
User testing
Shaping Disney’s Digital Experience in Asia
This was a project done during my time at frog, where I worked with Disney (North America) to conduct a cultural research and discovery sprint across Singapore, China, and India.
Design Research
Localisation
Project Overview
Role: Product Designer / Research Consultant (frog)
Client: Disney
Focus: Discovery, Cultural Research, Digital Strategy
Markets: Singapore, China, India
Overview
As Disney Cruise Line prepared to launch Disney Adventure in Singapore, they wanted to understand how Asian guests’ cultural and digital behaviours would shape expectations around mobile and web experiences.
This project was part of a business development engagement to help Disney define future digital opportunities in Asia.
We delivered a four-week discovery program uncovering country-specific insights, design hypotheses, and strategic recommendations.
The Challenge
Disney’s existing digital ecosystem was largely designed around Western cruise behaviours.
Entering Asia raised key questions:
How do different cultures plan and manage holidays?
What role does mobile play before and during a cruise?
What role does AI play in trip planning?
Without these answers, there was a risk of building a “one-size-fits-all” experience that wouldn’t resonate locally.
My Role
The team made up of 2 consultants based on Singapore, and 3 in India.
I focused on research in China and Singapore.
Research design and synthesis
Interview facilitation
Insight development
Hypothesis framing
Strategic recommendations
Approach
We ran a four-week research sprint combining:
Desk research and market analysis
Competitor benchmarking
Ethnographic interviews
15 participants were interviewed across China, India, and Singapore, using semi-structured sessions, card sorting, and storytelling exercises.
This allowed us to capture both behavioural patterns and emotional drivers.
What we learned
🇸🇬 Singapore: Confidence & Participation
Older users feared “breaking” digital systems
Seniors relied heavily on younger family members
Many preferred observing over actively participating in activities
Opportunity:
Design low-friction, confidence-building interfaces and subtle participation nudges.
🇮🇳 India: Trust, Status & Family Coordination
Cruises were seen as high-stakes luxury purchases
Guests sought culturally familiar reassurance
Status and social sharing were key motivators
Families coordinated heavily through WhatsApp
Opportunity:
Embed trust signals, premium moments, and group-planning tools into digital journeys.
🇨🇳 China: Social Proof, Value & Multi-Gen Travel
Travel was strongly linked to “checking in” and sharing
Bargain-hunting reflected distrust of official pricing
Multi-generational travel was the norm
Opportunity:
Create iconic shareable moments, transparent pricing journeys, and family-first tools.
🤖 AI in Trip Planning
AI was used mainly for early inspiration, but trust in AI for detailed planning remains limited
Final decisions relied on social proof and human validation
Conversations around AI flowed better in Singapore and China, whereas in India, old school / traditional research methods are still the norm.
Deliverable Snapshots
Impact
The purpose of this project was to position frog as a strategic partner in Disney’s regional expansion.
This discovery project supported:
Regional product strategy
Future research investment
Business development in Asia
More Works
Shaping Disney’s Digital Experience in Asia
This was a project done during my time at frog, where I worked with Disney (North America) to conduct a cultural research and discovery sprint across Singapore, China, and India.
Design Research
Localisation
Project Overview
Role: Product Designer / Research Consultant (frog)
Client: Disney
Focus: Discovery, Cultural Research, Digital Strategy
Markets: Singapore, China, India
Overview
As Disney Cruise Line prepared to launch Disney Adventure in Singapore, they wanted to understand how Asian guests’ cultural and digital behaviours would shape expectations around mobile and web experiences.
This project was part of a business development engagement to help Disney define future digital opportunities in Asia.
We delivered a four-week discovery program uncovering country-specific insights, design hypotheses, and strategic recommendations.
The Challenge
Disney’s existing digital ecosystem was largely designed around Western cruise behaviours.
Entering Asia raised key questions:
How do different cultures plan and manage holidays?
What role does mobile play before and during a cruise?
What role does AI play in trip planning?
Without these answers, there was a risk of building a “one-size-fits-all” experience that wouldn’t resonate locally.
My Role
The team made up of 2 consultants based on Singapore, and 3 in India.
I focused on research in China and Singapore.
Research design and synthesis
Interview facilitation
Insight development
Hypothesis framing
Strategic recommendations
Approach
We ran a four-week research sprint combining:
Desk research and market analysis
Competitor benchmarking
Ethnographic interviews
15 participants were interviewed across China, India, and Singapore, using semi-structured sessions, card sorting, and storytelling exercises.
This allowed us to capture both behavioural patterns and emotional drivers.
What we learned
🇸🇬 Singapore: Confidence & Participation
Older users feared “breaking” digital systems
Seniors relied heavily on younger family members
Many preferred observing over actively participating in activities
Opportunity:
Design low-friction, confidence-building interfaces and subtle participation nudges.
🇮🇳 India: Trust, Status & Family Coordination
Cruises were seen as high-stakes luxury purchases
Guests sought culturally familiar reassurance
Status and social sharing were key motivators
Families coordinated heavily through WhatsApp
Opportunity:
Embed trust signals, premium moments, and group-planning tools into digital journeys.
🇨🇳 China: Social Proof, Value & Multi-Gen Travel
Travel was strongly linked to “checking in” and sharing
Bargain-hunting reflected distrust of official pricing
Multi-generational travel was the norm
Opportunity:
Create iconic shareable moments, transparent pricing journeys, and family-first tools.
🤖 AI in Trip Planning
AI was used mainly for early inspiration, but trust in AI for detailed planning remains limited
Final decisions relied on social proof and human validation
Conversations around AI flowed better in Singapore and China, whereas in India, old school / traditional research methods are still the norm.
Deliverable Snapshots
Impact
The purpose of this project was to position frog as a strategic partner in Disney’s regional expansion.
This discovery project supported:
Regional product strategy
Future research investment
Business development in Asia
More Works