A mobile app for theme park visitors
to optimize their time at the park
Introduction
Visiting an amusement park is one of the most favored experiences of families and groups of friends.
How do you make the best of your time? How will you know which attractions will you enjoy the most?
Luna is a generic mobile app that can be adapted by any amusement park. It accompanies the visitors and turns visiting the park into an extraordinary experience.
Based on answers to a preliminary questionnaire and AI technology, the app will generate a personalized and enjoyable park itinerary for the different groups of visitors.
Current Problems
Visiting an amusement park can be fun and exciting, but also requires responsible and careful planning.
Unfortunately for the visitors, usually the tools available for this are only a paper map and information brochures, which are rarely updated, are not convenient to use and could easily get ruined.
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Mostly, one of the group members takes on the leading role. They will be responsible for navigating the group members between the different attractions and souvenir shops, without forgetting to include food
and rest breaks.
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The main problems for the group and especially for the leaders are:
Getting lost
Although there are parks that do offer an app,
it is usually an unresponsive version of the paper map, that doesn't allow navigating.
Lack of real-time information
Park brochures doesn't show current attraction wait times and long waits possible by the time you reach queue.
Lack of attraction details
It's a shame to get to an a attraction only to find out that it is not suitable for your group members, due to height restriction etc.
Diverse group members
Group members differ in age, desires, and restrictions. How do you create a plan that accommodates everyone?
Goal
Luna is an application that seeks to answer all these challenges, and make the experience of visiting the park particularly enjoyable. The application is a generic platform for theme parks, which can be adapted to each theme park according to its attractions and its theme branding.
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The application will accompany the users from the planning stage, guide and navigate them easily between the attractions (based on preferences specified in advance), save time and frustration, and help visitors to make
the most of their visit to the park with minimum effort and maximum enjoyment.
My Solution
The Process
1
After understanding the problems and goals, I laid out the list of features of the application as conveyed in the brief.
2
I drew a Customer Journey - a timeline on which I placed the significant events that require consideration in the visitors' journey in the park,
and next to it an empathy map showing their feelings about each
point in time.
3
From the timeline I created a User Flow - the navigation architecture, along side the elements I will later place in each of the screens.
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I made low-fidelity sketches of each of the screens, while looking at the empathy map to make sure that the user's needs were indeed met
as much as possible.
4
According to the sketches, I designed wireframes in Adobe XD,
along with a preliminary prototype, for usability testing.
5
During the usability tests, I examined how different users react to the interface and navigation.
It helped me make sure that my navigation architecture works and users understand how to use the UX design I created.
It also helped me identify what improvements need to be made.
6
After fixing the small issues that came up in the usability tests,
I designed the final mockup.
The Model
The application I designed includes 3 main stages:
1 - Creating an Account
Identifying and creating an account for the leading user in the group.
2 - Preliminary Questionnaire
Use a questionnaire to gather information about the visitors, which will help us later in creating recommended park routes.
3 - Visit At The Park
The application offers 4 main modules:
1. Attractions - All attractions are detailed on a filterable list or a map. Users can see
the details of each attraction and navigate to it.
2. Food Courts - Users can view the food stalls and restaurants, on a map
or a list.
3. Autopilot - The application offers complete planning of the visit.
It tells visitors where to go and when and updates the route on the fly.
4. Settings - Users can always go back and update the group settings.
Final Designs
Creating an Account
The lead user will create a user account or log in with an existing user.
The user is encouraged to log in through social networks in an attempt to shorten the log in process.
Preliminary Questionnaire
At this stage, the lead user answers a short questionnaire in which he will share information about the nature of the visit and the group's. After the group-focused questions, the user will be able to zoom in and fill details about each member of the group.
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I designed an opening page that motivates the user and explains the benefit of filling out the questionnaire.
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By simplifying the screens design to only one question per screen, I improved the overall flow of the process
by making it easier and faster for the user.
The Visit In The Park
At the end of the onboarding, the user reaches the main area - the stay in the park - that allows for planning
the visit or navigating the group in real time, using the options available from the menu:
the attractions, the food courts and the autopilot mode.
Attractions List
On this page the user can see all the attractions available in the park. For each attraction there is the
key info, for example: type, walking distance, and live waiting time. In addition, the user can filter the list
according to their wants and needs at the moment, in a variety of different filters.
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While conducting usability testing, I was happy to discover that users understood the meaning of the various icons and elements, even at their first attempts and at low fidelity.
Attractions Map
Here the user can see all the attractions on a map. Clicking on one of the diamonds will open a small card with key details about the attraction.
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Originally I used Google Maps' design but it came out a bit lifeless. To solve this, I redesigned the map to better match the theme of the park.
Attraction Details
This page displays attraction details, restrictions, media and additional information. To prevent important information from being missed without scrolling, I prioritized sections based on importance.
I added a sticky shelf at the bottom of the screen for easy access to the navigation CTA button.
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I designed the navigation page inspired by Google Maps' navigation to create a familiar and safe feeling, which allows users to trust their intuition. Indeed, usability tests showed users displaying similar navigation gestures
to Google Maps'.
Notifications
The notifications are one of the important reasons for the app's existence. We will tell users what is happening in the park in real time.
A notification pops up when a queue for an attraction that suits the group is getting shorter, when a show is about to start, or during happy hour at the drinks stand.
Conclusion
As the UX designer for this mobile app, I am thrilled to offer visitors a user-friendly solution to optimize
their time and enjoyment at the park.
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With intuitive navigation, personalized recommendations, and real-time information, Luna helps visitors make the most of their theme park experience and enjoy a stress-free and enjoyable days at any park, and there are so many more features that can be added later, such as a digital wallet or "augmented park", which will only enhance the visitors' experience!
