City Adventures
Developing a unique experience for young travellers to explore cities.
City Adventures
Developing a unique experience for young travellers to explore cities.
City Adventures
Developing a unique experience for young travellers to explore cities.
Context
Client
Master thesis at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Client
Master thesis at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Client
Master thesis at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Role
Research, prototyping, service design, UX, UI
Role
Research, prototyping, service design, UX, UI
Role
Research, prototyping, service design, UX, UI
Duration
8 weeks (2019)
Duration
8 weeks (2019)
Duration
8 weeks (2019)
Team
Individual project
Team
Individual project
Team
Individual project
Brief
We were free to pick a topic ourselves. I decided to look into different ways of exploring a city and the impact of today's technology on it.
Brief
We were free to pick a topic ourselves. I decided to look into different ways of exploring a city and the impact of today's technology on it.
Brief
We were free to pick a topic ourselves. I decided to look into different ways of exploring a city and the impact of today's technology on it.
Solution
From my interviews with 20 to 30-year-old travellers, I learned that the fear of missing out creates pressure to visit attractions rather than have fun, especially during short stays. Guided tours are one way to achieve peace of mind, but they can also be frustrating due to their inflexible routes and walking pace. Activities like treasure hunts are another option, but their high engagement often leads to a lower focus on the surroundings.
That's why I wanted to design an experience that allows you to have fun and explore the city at the same time. The result is City Adventures, a platform offering story-led audio tours targeted to young travellers.
Each city features a range of contextual stories in various genres to choose from. Thy are divided into short chapters, allowing you to take breaks in between and continue exploring on your own.
After selecting a story, you listen to it while strolling to the city. Following in the footsteps of the main character, you can actively influence the story and route. Unlike conventional tours, you are encouraged to follow your own pace and make small detours, which might even lead to discovering side stories.
City Adventures comes with an app that handles planning, ticketing, and navigation, allowing you to fully immerse yourself. The experiences include means of transport, local businesses, puzzles, and admissions to relevant sights, ensuring a hassle-free and profound experience.
At the end of your journey, you receive a summary of your experience, including photos you took, further recommendations, and a review of your decisions and achievements, which you can compare with other travellers.
The following video shows a compilation of the user tests I ran.
Solution
From my interviews with 20 to 30-year-old travellers, I learned that the fear of missing out creates pressure to visit attractions rather than have fun, especially during short stays. Guided tours are one way to achieve peace of mind, but they can also be frustrating due to their inflexible routes and walking pace. Activities like treasure hunts are another option, but their high engagement often leads to a lower focus on the surroundings.
That's why I wanted to design an experience that allows you to have fun and explore the city at the same time. The result is City Adventures, a platform offering story-led audio tours targeted to young travellers.
Each city features a range of contextual stories in various genres to choose from. Thy are divided into short chapters, allowing you to take breaks in between and continue exploring on your own.
After selecting a story, you listen to it while strolling to the city. Following in the footsteps of the main character, you can actively influence the story and route. Unlike conventional tours, you are encouraged to follow your own pace and make small detours, which might even lead to discovering side stories.
City Adventures comes with an app that handles planning, ticketing, and navigation, allowing you to fully immerse yourself. The experiences include means of transport, local businesses, puzzles, and admissions to relevant sights, ensuring a hassle-free and profound experience.
At the end of your journey, you receive a summary of your experience, including photos you took, further recommendations, and a review of your decisions and achievements, which you can compare with other travellers.
The following video shows a compilation of the user tests I ran.
Solution
From my interviews with 20 to 30-year-old travellers, I learned that the fear of missing out creates pressure to visit attractions rather than have fun, especially during short stays. Guided tours are one way to achieve peace of mind, but they can also be frustrating due to their inflexible routes and walking pace. Activities like treasure hunts are another option, but their high engagement often leads to a lower focus on the surroundings.
That's why I wanted to design an experience that allows you to have fun and explore the city at the same time. The result is City Adventures, a platform offering story-led audio tours targeted to young travellers.
Each city features a range of contextual stories in various genres to choose from. Thy are divided into short chapters, allowing you to take breaks in between and continue exploring on your own.
After selecting a story, you listen to it while strolling to the city. Following in the footsteps of the main character, you can actively influence the story and route. Unlike conventional tours, you are encouraged to follow your own pace and make small detours, which might even lead to discovering side stories.
City Adventures comes with an app that handles planning, ticketing, and navigation, allowing you to fully immerse yourself. The experiences include means of transport, local businesses, puzzles, and admissions to relevant sights, ensuring a hassle-free and profound experience.
At the end of your journey, you receive a summary of your experience, including photos you took, further recommendations, and a review of your decisions and achievements, which you can compare with other travellers.
The following video shows a compilation of the user tests I ran.
Results
Testing the service helped me identify which mechanisms were crucial for the experience, and which optional. Based on that, I shaped a value proposition in order to differentiate the service from competitors:
Edutaining: Seamlessly combines interactive adventure, historical knowledge, and contemporary sightseeing.
Flexible: Allows you to shape the story with your decisions and enjoy it at your own pace, alone or with others.
Hassle-free: Takes care of planning, ticketing, and navigating so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Memorable: Creates an unforgettable memory to keep for yourself and share with others.
Results
Testing the service helped me identify which mechanisms were crucial for the experience, and which optional. Based on that, I shaped a value proposition in order to differentiate the service from competitors:
Edutaining: Seamlessly combines interactive adventure, historical knowledge, and contemporary sightseeing.
Flexible: Allows you to shape the story with your decisions and enjoy it at your own pace, alone or with others.
Hassle-free: Takes care of planning, ticketing, and navigating so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Memorable: Creates an unforgettable memory to keep for yourself and share with others.
Results
Testing the service helped me identify which mechanisms were crucial for the experience, and which optional. Based on that, I shaped a value proposition in order to differentiate the service from competitors:
Edutaining: Seamlessly combines interactive adventure, historical knowledge, and contemporary sightseeing.
Flexible: Allows you to shape the story with your decisions and enjoy it at your own pace, alone or with others.
Hassle-free: Takes care of planning, ticketing, and navigating so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Memorable: Creates an unforgettable memory to keep for yourself and share with others.
Process
1. Research
In addition to desk research, I conducted 13 interviews, for which I created 2 interview tools and 9 sacrificial concepts. In addition to that, I launched a series of 9 experiments, from trying out existing solutions to breaking navigation habits through randomisation. The insights from my research led me to 5 opportunity areas.
2. Ideation
I facilitated a brainstorming session where we ideated on three opportunities in the form of "How might we" questions.
After the ideation, I clustered and synthesised the ideas into four cohesive concepts. I then conducted a co-creation session with my target audience. Based on their feedback, I decided to move forward with the concept of story-led audio tours, as it seemed to be the most novel direction.
3. Design principles
Before I started refining the concept, I defined 8 design principles based on the insights from my research.
4. Ingredients
With the help of the design principles, I came up with different elements for such tours. These can be combined in different ways to generate a variety of tours.
5. Story & route
In order to test my concept, I needed a story and a route. I ended up writing a fictional detective story about the crown of Christian IV, which is displayed at the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. Writing the story and deciding on the route went hand in hand and came along with detailed research on the city.
6. Experience prototyping
Once the story and route were ready, I ran 4 big tests with increasing fidelity. As a start, I followed the participants and played the audio tracks manually on their Bluetooth headphones. Later on, I introduced high-fidelity prototypes of the app which were made with Origami Studio and Principle. The feedback was continuously incorporated.
7. Presentation & exhibition
The project was presented to a jury consisting of three experts from the industry, to the faculty and the fellow students. The day after, it was displayed at the final exhibition at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, where it met with excellent response from the public.
Process
1. Research
In addition to desk research, I conducted 13 interviews, for which I created 2 interview tools and 9 sacrificial concepts. In addition to that, I launched a series of 9 experiments, from trying out existing solutions to breaking navigation habits through randomisation. The insights from my research led me to 5 opportunity areas.
2. Ideation
I facilitated a brainstorming session where we ideated on three opportunities in the form of "How might we" questions.
After the ideation, I clustered and synthesised the ideas into four cohesive concepts. I then conducted a co-creation session with my target audience. Based on their feedback, I decided to move forward with the concept of story-led audio tours, as it seemed to be the most novel direction.
3. Design principles
Before I started refining the concept, I defined 8 design principles based on the insights from my research.
4. Ingredients
With the help of the design principles, I came up with different elements for such tours. These can be combined in different ways to generate a variety of tours.
5. Story & route
In order to test my concept, I needed a story and a route. I ended up writing a fictional detective story about the crown of Christian IV, which is displayed at the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. Writing the story and deciding on the route went hand in hand and came along with detailed research on the city.
6. Experience prototyping
Once the story and route were ready, I ran 4 big tests with increasing fidelity. As a start, I followed the participants and played the audio tracks manually on their Bluetooth headphones. Later on, I introduced high-fidelity prototypes of the app which were made with Origami Studio and Principle. The feedback was continuously incorporated.
7. Presentation & exhibition
The project was presented to a jury consisting of three experts from the industry, to the faculty and the fellow students. The day after, it was displayed at the final exhibition at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, where it met with excellent response from the public.
Process
1. Research
In addition to desk research, I conducted 13 interviews, for which I created 2 interview tools and 9 sacrificial concepts. In addition to that, I launched a series of 9 experiments, from trying out existing solutions to breaking navigation habits through randomisation. The insights from my research led me to 5 opportunity areas.
2. Ideation
I facilitated a brainstorming session where we ideated on three opportunities in the form of "How might we" questions.
After the ideation, I clustered and synthesised the ideas into four cohesive concepts. I then conducted a co-creation session with my target audience. Based on their feedback, I decided to move forward with the concept of story-led audio tours, as it seemed to be the most novel direction.
3. Design principles
Before I started refining the concept, I defined 8 design principles based on the insights from my research.
4. Ingredients
With the help of the design principles, I came up with different elements for such tours. These can be combined in different ways to generate a variety of tours.
5. Story & route
In order to test my concept, I needed a story and a route. I ended up writing a fictional detective story about the crown of Christian IV, which is displayed at the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. Writing the story and deciding on the route went hand in hand and came along with detailed research on the city.
6. Experience prototyping
Once the story and route were ready, I ran 4 big tests with increasing fidelity. As a start, I followed the participants and played the audio tracks manually on their Bluetooth headphones. Later on, I introduced high-fidelity prototypes of the app which were made with Origami Studio and Principle. The feedback was continuously incorporated.
7. Presentation & exhibition
The project was presented to a jury consisting of three experts from the industry, to the faculty and the fellow students. The day after, it was displayed at the final exhibition at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, where it met with excellent response from the public.
More information
Special thanks to my advisor Luke Sturgeon who checked in with me on a weekly basis.
More information
Special thanks to my advisor Luke Sturgeon who checked in with me on a weekly basis.
More information
Special thanks to my advisor Luke Sturgeon who checked in with me on a weekly basis.