Peoria Zoo Wayfinding App

Brief

For this project, the objective was to design a UX/UI friendly phone app that navigates the user around the Peoria Zoo. The main focus should be on the wayfinding aspect since it guides the user throughout the zoo to everything from animal exhibits to amenities to the entrances and exits. There also needs to be some way of maintaining an ongoing connection between the user and app beyond them just using them at the zoo. The target audience includes parents and adults, but if a child were to use the app they should be able to easily navigate it.

I researched other zoo apps that utilized a wayfinding system to understand how an interface should look and also what features were possible to use. The Peoria Zoo website contained a lot of information that could be used within the app such as information on the different amenities, dates and times, and information on all the animals and exhibits. I sketched out the design of each screen on paper before proceeding to digital. When I began working in Adobe Illustrator, I kept the color scheme consistent with what was used in the Peoria Zoo map.

Process

Concept

With this app, users will be able to easily navigate the zoo through the use of a map which gives the user the choice between simple navigation or augmented reality guide navigation. Since the zoo allows people to purchase memberships, those memberships are extended to the app allowing members to access all the normal benefits they receive plus in-app exclusive ones such as games and rewards. These games, rewards, and benefits act as incentives to purchase a zoo membership and continue to use the app even when not visiting the zoo. The app also supports augmented reality as part of the wayfinding system.