CicLAvia Traveling Map
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Sponsored Academic Project
Timeline
3.5 months
Role
UX Researcher & Product Designer
Stakeholder
Project Challenge
Identify, create, and design ways to get community members excited about the event and see it as an opportunity to activate their space.
Brief
A mobile map that gets participants excited about the CicLAvia event while activitating and increasing community engagement.
Observations
Problem
Visitors tend to only scratch the surface of the exhibit’s narrative by physically being there. One day, let alone a few hours, is simply not enough to fully explore and experience the Meow Wolf exhibits. And considering the limited locations, these exhibits are not easy for people to visit or revisit, especially those who do not live nearby.
Insights
Our primary audience are the established Meow Wolf fans who continue to show support even after the visit and like to collect memorabilia. We also want to target users who have not been to the exhibits but are interested in experiencing Meow Wolf from their location and at their own pace and time.
Solution
Our solution was to design a traveling map to increase engagement between participants at the event and the community.
We have found from interviews that the unusual physical layout and the non-linear storyline of the exhibits cause confusion and disappointment for some visitors.
Interviews
Asked the questions we prepared
Stakeholder Kickoff Meeting
https://app.mural.co/t/dfcc5201/m/dfcc5201/1663162228556/6dcf4b99d86df1da6fd2d897066230d64795fa36?sender=b5abc187-42b4-4e6a-af73-02a35092e444
OBJECTIVE: As designers, it is rare that we are assigned to work on projects that reflect our own passions. Instead, we are often tasked with designing for others—and that's a good thing! In this exercise, we are asked to bring our own curiosity to this project. Curiosity allows us to emotionally connect with a project, and in turn, raise our level of awareness and interest in the brief.
9/14 What are you curious about with this project?
https://app.mural.co/t/dfcc5201/m/dfcc5201/1663163025850/817afe10f8df1060d612955e02cc06077252c872?sender=ee385a4d-f37d-441d-8235-ea0e2735db4b
OBJECTIVE: There is an old saying that to “assume” makes an “ass out of you and me.” In this exercise, we're going to share all our assumptions of the project. The group will then pick a specific direction, and talk about it's positive and negative implications of that direction.
9/29 What Are Your Assumptions About With This Project?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1USVJzLdsBb4AUq04govXLlOU-aqmPJn0aGYIm2C6QmA/edit
OBJECTIVE: "Research plans keep the entire team focused on an outcome and provide an easy reference to keep “need-to-know” stakeholders in the know. They prevent everyone from getting bogged down in the details and from switching the goal of the research in the middle by mistake. Most importantly, they allow researchers (or whoever is doing the research) to ensure the objectives of the research plan will be answered in the most effective and efficient way possible by the end of the project. We want to make sure we are actually answering the questions we set out to uncover, and research plans enable us to do so." - Nikki Anderson
9/21 Create a Research Plan
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1USVJzLdsBb4AUq04govXLlOU-aqmPJn0aGYIm2C6QmA/edit
https://uxdesign.cc/user-research-plans-who-cares-and-how-to-write-one-with-template-63c8684d8842
OBJECTIVE: "Research plans keep the entire team focused on an outcome and provide an easy reference to keep “need-to-know” stakeholders in the know. They prevent everyone from getting bogged down in the details and from switching the goal of the research in the middle by mistake. Most importantly, they allow researchers (or whoever is doing the research) to ensure the objectives of the research plan will be answered in the most effective and efficient way possible by the end of the project. We want to make sure we are actually answering the questions we set out to uncover, and research plans enable us to do so." - Nikki Anderson
9/21 Create a Research Plan
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t68UPSuMV0rq4q5IEdlsu2yOO7jgGhl-/view
https://uxdesign.cc/user-research-plans-who-cares-and-how-to-write-one-with-template-63c8684d8842
OBJECTIVE: When you first start a project, the project scope is often SO BROAD you might not know how to get started. Choosing the right research methodologies will help narrow the focus of you work.
9/21 Mood Board
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t68UPSuMV0rq4q5IEdlsu2yOO7jgGhl-/view
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RRMUiXH30J5IEP28v14lTwmMEESDWKh_idk19BxGLzM/edit#heading=h.w37nu5m6796n
10/5 Interview a Subject Matter Expert (SME)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16LGRvFoE-AF_guVeNXiDPBTIfcWso5-BTZUeLyDQ4TE/edit#heading=h.w37nu5m6796n
OBJECTIVE: In addition to a survey, each student will be asked to collect qualitative data at next week’s event. This data should be specific to your team’s project lens, with the goal of advancing your projects forward.
10/5 Roles + Responsibilities
https://app.mural.co/t/dfcc5201/m/dfcc5201/1665578315228/6e382f154a5b16dbc0c93cfaa786ab6c1a270369?sender=09878588-e92b-4894-a090-b81186af29e4
OBJECTIVE: Now that you've all attended a CicLAvia, brainstorm potential event partners. This could be direct or indirect.
10/12 Partnership Brainstorm (Direct + Indirect)
https://app.mural.co/t/dfcc5201/m/dfcc5201/1665578265437/3e87d0563fd7efc28544ddb0d5355c58af10f121?sender=efc465f9-a244-4371-a39a-cccd24556408
OBJECTIVE: In preparation for you midterm review, complete the following in-class exercises to help you synthesize and define your solution.
10/12 Mural synthesis
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vnj3QCEgThtXSBzhPTqeHP3OXhYWEwTlNBnX-zsIAHs/edit#slide=id.g15e15f42ec7_0_0
OBJECTIVE: Re-focus research to be informed by the types of design deliverables you ultimately desire to share with client.
10/19 Informed Design Inspiration
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFPu73o_-Q/EKJchYq2SBpsAaz9YDaMqA/edit?utm_content=DAFPu73o_-Q&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
10/30 Midterm
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFPu73o_-Q/EKJchYq2SBpsAaz9YDaMqA/edit?utm_content=DAFPu73o_-Q&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
10/30 Midterm
Bill of Materials
Sheet metal: $9.24
Book pages: $2.03
Cardboard cover: $0.36
Printing and binding: $4.34
Manufacturing: $30.00
General tools: $3.92
Estimated Total: $49.89 per book
Design System
Final Proposal
Tools & Methods
Figma, Photoshop, Google Drive, Canva
Primary and secondary research, netnography, concept sketching, ux design
Reflection
Studio 22 ✨
This project has shown how important a strong foundation in research can guide a project towards the goal of a design challenge. Tasked to develop an interactive user experience focused on the Convergence Station, we brought our individual strengths to the table.
Sam was able to bring her in-person experience and field research from visiting a Meow Wolf exhibit, Omega Mart, located in Las Vegas. Tess was able to interview her sister who visited the Meow Wolf exhibit, Convergence Station, located in Denver. Jiashi examined other existing products and services that ties the physical and digital world. Noelle researched the design trends that influence Meow Wolf’s look. And I, analyzed the Meow Wolf subreddit community to gather insights what the users’ needs and pain points were.
Beyond what each of us had found through our research phase, we combined all of our design skills in the product design process as well, from UI design, prototyping, video editing, animation, orthographics, down to the details of the bill of materials. Collaboration and time management was key to this excellent group experience and kept our team ahead of schedule.
We had fun and all hands were on deck with the high performance we dedicated to develop an immersive user-centered product. Studio 22 was a very memorable experience and it was an honor to have worked on this team.