Considerations for an online cultural exchange product

1. Latency is still real — but now it’s a design lever, not an enemy

Because these are scheduled, intentional exchanges, you can design around latency more confidently.

Better-fit approaches

• Call-and-response across classes
• “You play → we respond” musical conversations
• Shared tempo grids where each class hears the other slightly delayed
• Layered composition (each class adds a layer)
• Conductor-teacher–led cues (“Class A plays now”)

Key shift

You’re not simulating a band — you’re facilitating a musical dialogue.

That framing helps teachers and kids intuitively accept delay.

2. Classroom-to-classroom UX (group-first, not individual-first)

You’re designing for two rooms full of kids, not two kids on laptops.

Consider

• One shared screen per classroom (projector / smartboard)
• One or a few audio inputs per class, not 25
• Whole-class interactions:
  • Vote-based choices
  • Section-based playing
  • Teacher-triggered actions