Gamified Travel App for Exploring Mumbai
Aamchi Mumbai is a gamified travel app (ongoing project) designed to make exploring Mumbai interactive, educational, and fun. Built for Gen Z and millennials, it combines cutting-edge technology and gamified elements to offer users a unique way to discover Mumbai’s cultural richness, hidden gems, and iconic landmarks. The platform is targeted at both newcomers and locals, offering a fresh perspective on Mumbai’s heritage, transportation, and vibrant lifestyle.
Timeline
September 2024 - Present
Contributions
User Research, Experience Design, Content Development, Wireframing, Accessibility Design
Want to explore Mumbai like never before?
Aamchi Mumbai is a gamified travel app that turns city exploration into an engaging, immersive, and educational experience.
What did I do?
- Conducted UX research with Gen Z and millennials to identify exploration preferences.
- Designed desktop and mobile wireframes in Figma, showcasing interactive maps and gamified elements like badges and leaderboards.
- Worked on integrating augmented reality (AR) using Unity and ARCore for immersive trivia experiences (in progress).
- Developed gamified features leveraging Unity and Python (ongoing).
What did I learn?
- Designing from scratch taught me how to balance user needs with innovative features.
- Adapting to evolving project requirements emphasized the importance of flexibility in implementation.
- Exploring AR integration highlighted the creative potential of immersive technologies for engagement.
Project Overview
Collaborators
- App development team for implementation (ongoing).
- Survey participants, focus groups, and Mumbai locals.
Target Audience
Primary: Gen Z and millennials, including tourists and new residents seeking an engaging way to explore Mumbai’s culture, history, and landmarks.
Secondary: Longtime Mumbaikars looking to rediscover the city through interactive and gamified experiences.
Challenges
- Users struggled with the vast amount of unstructured and repetitive content about Mumbai available online
- Complexities in navigating Mumbai’s transport systems and landmarks made the city daunting for newcomers
- Existing platforms lacked gamification and interactive elements to make city exploration enjoyable
Goals
- Design a gamified, user-friendly platform to make Mumbai exploration educational and fun
- Integrate engaging elements like AR (in progress), interactive maps, and leaderboards to promote learning and community engagement
- Address overwhelm and uncertainity with structured, intuitive design and navigation
Project Goals
Develop an app from scratch that reimagines city exploration through gamification and interactive design
Meet the needs of a tech-savvy audience by integrating immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR)
Provide an engaging platform that blends education and cultural exploration with entertainment
Research Process
- Surveys were distributed to a diverse group of participants to gather quantitative data about user behavior and preferences
- Focus groups provided qualitative insights into challenges faced by tourists, newcomers, and locals exploring Mumbai
- Visual charts and detailed response logs were analyzed to identify patterns and user expectations
Compiled survey analysis and Participant responses
Target Audience
Breaking down the key demographic traits shaping Aamchi Mumbai’s audience
User Personas
Detailed profiles capturing the motivations, challenges, and needs of Aamchi Mumbai’s diverse user base.
Key Findings
- Target Audience Preferences
Gen Z and millennials expressed a strong preference for interactive and gamified experiences that blend learning with entertainment - Challenges Identified
Users highlighted difficulties navigating Mumbai’s transport system, overwhelming amounts of unstructured information, and a lack of engaging resources for cultural exploration - Motivations for Engagement
Features like interactive maps, daily challenges, and rewards (points and badges) were found to drive engagement
Planned Features
- Interactive City Map
A visually engaging map guiding users to explore neighborhoods, landmarks, and hidden gems through quests and challenges - Augmented Reality (AR) (In Progress)
Enable immersive learning experiences where users can discover historical facts and trivia at landmarks via smartphone cameras - Gamification Elements
Incorporate points, badges, and leaderboards to create a rewarding and competitive environment for users - Daily Challenges and Trivia
Offer users new facts, puzzles, and quizzes about Mumbai every day to maintain excitement and learning - Personalized Itineraries
Generate customized travel plans based on user preferences and completed challenges for deeper engagement
User Journey Map
Visualizing the step-by-step experiences of Aamchi Mumbai’s users, highlighting their interactions, challenges, and engagement points.
Sitemap
A clear structure outlining Aamchi Mumbai’s website navigation to ensure seamless access to gamified experiences, cultural resources, and exploration tools.
Wireframes
Responsive wireframes for desktop and mobile, focusing on intuitive navigation, seamless exploration, and engaging gamified user experiences
The Road Ahead
Aamchi Mumbai is in active development, with prototypes being refined and features like interactive maps, gamified challenges, and leaderboards taking shape. Augmented reality (AR) is being integrated to offer immersive cultural experiences at iconic landmarks, enhancing user engagement.
In collaboration with website developers, the focus is on delivering a seamless, feature-rich platform that transforms how users explore Mumbai.