Pathfinder

THE CHALLENGE

My classmates and I were challenged to create an Augmented Reality concept product that would provide novel capabilities and utilize the space between our phone cameras and the real world as an interface for interaction.

Our Answer

My team and I decided to design an add-on feature to Google Maps that would utilize the cell phone’s camera to provide real-time translation and informational guidance via Augmented Reality technology.

Here's how we did it.

OUTLINING THE OPPORTUNITY

To narrow down our target user group, we conducted user research through interviews with immigrants, international university students, and frequent travelers about their experiences in foreign countries, in order to define the user needs and values surrounding travel and navigation.

Highlighted Quotes

“When I moved to the U.S., I used Google Maps a lot for navigation, but it wasn’t very helpful because I still didn’t know what most of the words and places meant. Getting used to a new country means getting lost and learning after.”

“Back then, we didn’t have phones. I would feel scared in new places and only go to familiar places because I didn’t understand what other places were.”

“I wish there was more navigation in places I travel to! I get overwhelmed when I don’t understand anything around me, but at least I have Google Translate. It’s still a hassle though.”

Research Insights

Through our user research, we concluded that common problems foreigners face in new environments are: traversing a language barrier, facing navigation difficulties, and overcoming cultural shock. All of these obstacles accumulate into an experience of uncertainty and anxiety. The main underlying challenge is dealing with the sudden lack of connection with the context of their environments.

Analyzing Existing Solutions

AR City

AR Navigation
Urban Visual Positioning

Safety Issues
Requires Area Scanning

Virtlo

Countries Database
Simple Viewfinder

Lacks Navigation
Smaller Database

Current existing solutions lack multiplicity; users must switch between multiple apps, services, or tools in order to access all of the functionalities they need to use, such as street-view navigation, translation, and vendor explanation. Current stand-alone apps are lacking the database resources in order to provide adequate navigation.

IDENTIFYING THE USERS

Primary Users

Immigrants in a foreign country who do not speak the local langauge and are not familiar with the local culture.

Secondary Users

Global travelers who do not speak the local lanaguage and are not familiar with the local culture.

Refugees relocating for survival in an unfamiliar area.

User Personas and Needs

Mario, 25

A 25-year-old backpacker who is currently traveling in Korea and needs to pick up some toiletries and other traveling gear but is confused about where to go. He loves to experience new cultures and local cuisines, and he wishes it were easier to navigate all the stores and shops in the big, unfamiliar city.

Li, 19

A 19-year-old international student who moved from China to Seattle for university. She feels intimidated by the language and cultural barriers, but she is also excited and wants to go out and familiarize herself with the area.

Esin, 46

A 46-year-old mother of two who is taking refuge in the U.S. She is anxious about her family adapting to their new home, and wishes she had easier access to the information and resources necessary to make this a smooth transition for her and her family.

User Journeys

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Based on user research, our primary and secondary user groups, their needs and values, market analysis, we devised several central design principles.

Design Principles

Approachable

Intuitive, helpful, and easy to use, avoids confusions or frustrations on the users end

Accessible

Includes features that accounts for people of all abilities, add-on makes it available for a large and diverse audience

Flexible

The product should still be useful to users even when they have adapted to the new environment

Safe

Feature detects speed and angle via gyroscope, only activates when users are in a safe position to use the AR technology

Pathfinder

OVERVIEW

Role

Duration

Team