Concepting & user research · School project with KEA Copenhagen · 2018
An AR guide that helps tourists cycle through a new city with confidence
My role
Team project with six students, together with students from KEA in Copenhagen. We did the research in both cities, and designed and tested the concept together.
Design challenge
How can we use an interactive digital product to make it easier for cycling city trippers to adapt to the cycling ways of both Amsterdam and Copenhagen?
The project
2
cities researched, Amsterdam and Copenhagen
6
insights from our research
3
concepts, one chosen and tested
From our final report
Interview
“Honestly, I’m really scared to leave Vondelpark.”
Tourist on a rented bike
Methods
Interviews
Observations
Empathy mapping
Ability mapping
Bike tours
Video prototype
User testing
Who we designed for
Tourists who rent a bike to explore the city, but don’t know the traffic rules and feel scared in the busy traffic.
The concept: a route in your vision
The full story
01
The challenge
01
The challenge
At the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, we investigated tourists on bikes in Amsterdam: how they use their bikes in a city full of traffic. How do they get from their starting point to their final destination without any problems? Are they familiar with the traffic rules and the local people?
We did our research in both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and focused on different stakeholders: locals, tourists, bike rentals and deliverers.
02
Research: how we got there
02
Research: how we got there
Interviews, empathy mapping, ability mapping, quick & dirty observations and two bike tours, in both Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Based on this research we set up our insights.
01
Observations
Quick & dirty, at busy crossings and in Vondelpark
02
Interviews
Tourists, locals, a bike rental service and a deliverer
03
Empathy maps
Tourists, locals and bike rental shops
04
Bike tours
One in Amsterdam, one in Copenhagen
05
Video prototype
The AR route on real cycling footage
06
User testing
With tourist cyclists in Vondelpark
03
Key insights
03
Key insights
Tourists lack confidence
They think it’s scary to ride a bike in Amsterdam. They stop in the middle of the road, don’t know where to go and are confused about Dutch traffic rules.
Locals seem aggressive
Locals curse at tourists and give a general aggressive impression. Every large group gets framed as tourists.
Bikes are too easy to rent
Tourists don’t get any information before renting a bike. Tourists, locals and a bike rental service all said so.
04
Design decisions: what we found, and what we did with it
04
Design decisions: what we found, and what we did with it
Insight
Tourists lack confidence and don’t know where to go. We found this in both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, so we chose it as our main insight.
Research in both cities
Decision
Choose the AR guide out of three concepts
We made three concepts: a smart bike that gives feedback on your cycling, a VR intro guide and an AR guide. We chose the AR guide: tourists see a line that shows the way they have to bike to get to their destination.
Insight
Traffic in Amsterdam is confusing for tourists: everyone cycles and walks through each other, tram rails are an adventure, and they don’t know who has the right of way.
Interviews with tourists and locals
Decision
Warn about what you might overlook
The guide helps with difficult road crossings and traffic-light situations you might be unfamiliar with. It warns you about a road that could be overlooked, so you won’t be surprised by someone else in traffic.
Insight
In the first prototype, testers didn’t notice the signs at first because they were too far away in the corner. You tend to look too far away, and there’s a chance you lose control.
User test in Vondelpark
Decision
Put the indicators in one set place
We made a clear indicator in a set location, so people don’t get distracted by warnings. In the new video, an orange line also shows another possible route with more traffic. Shown here: the first version, with the signs in the corner.
Testing where our users actually are
We went to Vondelpark to find tourist cyclists, because our research showed that tourists who are insecure about traffic often end up there. The reactions were mainly positive: testers thought the idea was great and said they would actually use it. One tester rated it “12 out of 10”.
05
Result
05
Result
The AR City-guide: a smart-glasses application that helps cycling city trippers adapt to the rules of a new city, with clear instructions and real-time traffic information. You connect your phone to the glasses through Bluetooth, set your route and you’re on your way. The green line shows the best route available.
06
What would have been next
06
What would have been next
“First we would have shot a better 360 video with situations that are really interesting for our concept. Then we would have made an actual prototype, to make sure we could design clear instructions and see what technical difficulties we would run into, and started usability testing towards a final product.”