AR Zoo Companion App

AR Zoo
Companion App

July - September 2023

Overview

Over 181 million people visit zoos and aquariums every year.

Zoofari AR aims to enhance wildlife conservation efforts and improve educational information provided to visitors.

Utilizing augmented reality (AR) and geolocation technology, we bring animals to life on visitors' screens as they explore, receive notifications in specific areas, and unveil virtual zoo animals sharing additional information about themselves and their habitats for an immersive multi-sensory experience.

Role

UX Designer

Tools

Figma, Protopie, Audacity, Notion, Google Forms, Google Sheets,

Background

Working as the sole designer on the project, I embraced the challenge leveraging design thinking, exploring contextual inquiries, and prototyping with Protopie

Research

Contextual Inquiry

Affinity Mapping

Identifying Key Elements

Research

Contextual Inquiry

Affinity Mapping

Identifying Key Elements

Reviewing Existing Research

The development of Zoofari AR stemmed from a recognition of limited access to information due to static exhibits and heavy reliance on informational signs.

Moreover, there is a recognized shortage of resources for volunteers, docents, and guides to verbally convey educational information to the public.

Collecting Primary Research

I collected surveys from zoo visitors to learn their primary objective in visiting the zoo for the day.

I also conducted a contextual inquiry, observing visitor interactions and behaviors in nine different locations within my local zoo. This allowed me to assess the relevance of my primary research within my immediate environment.

16

people surveyed

25%

visited to learn

62%

visited for a day of fun

16

people surveyed

25%

visited to learn

62%

visited for a day of fun

Key Contextual Inquiry Observations

0%

Visitors read the signs in?

90%

Spanish Speaking Visitors

100%

Engagement when PhotoOps

0%

Visitors read the signs in?

90%

Spanish Speaking Visitors

100%

Engagement when PhotoOps

0%

Visitors read the signs in?

90%

Spanish Speaking Visitors

100%

Engagement when PhotoOps

Why is NO ONE reading the signs?

Disinterest?

Text Heavy?

Photo Ops > Signs

Disinterest?

Text Heavy?

Photo Ops > Signs

Understanding Visitor Motivations

16

people surveyed

25%

visited to learn

62%

visited for a day of fun

"How might we create engaging and accessible educational information that capture the attention of zoo attendees, while recognizing that traditional signage may not effectively meet their needs?"

Creating an Insight Focused MVP

The majority of visitors gravitated towards photo opportunities.

As a result, I have decided to prioritize the camera feature into a scavenger like game where the user is notified something is near and can open the app for the animal and their storyline to appear.

Must Have

educational information
audio
augmented reality
camera/ video recording
English / Spanish Language

Nice to Have

multiple languages
gamification
zoo stamp rally

Conceptualizing User Flows

Prototype 1

20 Second Demo

User Insights

"The color scheme is distracting and makes it hard to read." - Sean, age 29

"The color scheme is distracting and makes it hard to read."

- Sean, age 29

- Nora, age 62

"I don't know what to do first" - Nora, age 62

"I don't know what to do first"

- Evelyn, age 7

"WOW, It's like the rainforest" - Evelyn, age 7

"WOW, It's like the rainforest"

Before and After

Implementing User Insights

Changed the color scheme

• took away the gradient

• improved color contrast

Created button hierarchy

• increased size of primary action

• decreased size of secondary actions

Implementing User Insights

Changed the color scheme

• took away the gradient

• improved color contrast

Created button hierarchy

• increased size of primary action

• decreased size of secondary actions

Before and After

What I Learned:

Contextual Inquiries

Conducting a contextual inquiry helped me observe how people interact with different activities, environments, and objects. Leading to actionable insights that helped shape the MVP.

Focus on the MVP

Time constraints require sticking to an MVP. Chances are you will be tempted into going in a different direction, and want to add additional features that were not a part of the original plan. Having a clear MVP will help you achieve your goals.

New Technology

This was my first project utilizing Protopie. It was fun to see people's face light up when the camera and audio functions worked during testing.

claudjankowski@gmail.com

Learning through Observation

Conducting a contextual inquiry helped me observe how people interact with different activities, environments, and objects. Leading to actionable insights that helped shape the MVP.

Focus on the MVP

Time constraints require sticking to an MVP. Chances are you will be tempted and swayed into going in a different direction than originally planned. Having a clear MVP will help you achieve your goals.