App Design for London Public Park
Jan 2026 · User Research · Product Design · AI Prototype
Interactive digital concept to enhance how visitors engage with Duncan Terrace Gardens, a local London park.
This project explored how interactive digital technologies could meaningfully improve the experience of visitors to Duncan Terrace Gardens. Through naturalistic observations, semi-structured interviews, and synthesis methods such as affinity mapping and personas, I identified key visitor needs. This informed a set of design goals and ultimately a concept direction that focused on relaxation, nature engagement, and community connection.
A low screen approach to digital park engagement
By scanning a QR code at the park entrances, visitors can access guided audio tours, relaxation soundscapes, and community information, allowing them to engage with the park while keeping screen use low and attention focused on their nature surroundings.
Key Design Decisions
- Primarily listening interaction to minimize screen use while moving through the park
- Transcripts for every audio experience to support accessibility and no-headphone use
- Recognition over recall through consistent labels, hierarchy, and repeated tour titles
Guided Tours
- Clear categories (Nature / Learn / Kids)
- Duration labels support quick decision-making
- Learn tours highlight art and park history
Geo-located Stops
- Live location directions help users locate tour stops
- Stops describe what’s around you as you move
- Recognizable map icons
- Transcripts support accessibility and no headphone use
Audio Guides
- Learning + relaxation modes
- Listening interaction reduces screen reliance while moving through the park
- Soundscapes help mask city noise and support calm, restorative breaks
- Transcripts enable accessibility and no headphone use
Community Feed
- Park news, community updates, and photo sharing
- Gives park staff a channel to post announcements and events
- Encourages lightweight connection between regular visitors
Interactive prototype in Google AI Studio
After finalizing the concept screens, I created a prototype using Google AI Studio.
View prototype ↗This outcome was shaped by on site observation, direct conversations with park visitors, and iterative design decisions grounded in user research. This was the path I took:
- Naturalistic observation
-
Semi-structured interviews
with park visitors - Synthesizing UXR insights
- Ideation
- Conceptual design
- Detailed design
- Evaluation
After conducting naturalistic observations and semi-structured interviews with park visitors, I synthesized the research through affinity diagramming. I then turned those insights into a representative persona. Because the majority of parkgoers we spoke with were young professionals, we combined the patterns into one cohesive persona: Brian.
Brian
Brian visits Duncan Terrace Gardens during his lunch break to reset, explore nature, and occasionally connect with what's happening locally. He likes to immerse himself in nature and limit his screen time at the park.
Goals
- Relax and decompress during a short break.
- Learn about wildlife, plants, and art installations.
- Stay connected to community happenings.
Pain Points
- Too much screen time breaks the "reset" feeling.
- City noises like traffic and construction around the park.
- Doesn't like digital tools with complex setup.
Behaviors
- Chooses quick, guided experiences when time is tight.
- Responds well to simple cues (audio, short labels, clear icons).
- Prefers passive interaction like listening over browsing while at the park.
Research → Design Goals
| Research insight | Design goal | |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors want to enjoy the park's nature and limit screen time. | Keep interaction low screen and primarily listening based. | |
| Visitors have limited time (often a short break) while at the park. | Make experiences easy to start, with clear progression and shortcuts. | |
| People are curious about the park's art installations, but find them too small and therefore difficult to read. | Provide guided, location based stops that highlight what's around them and content that corresponds with the art installations. | |
| Visitors value connecting with the park regulars and staying up to date on community happenings. | Offer a simple community feed for announcements, events, and posts. |
Concept Design
To move from design goals to ideas, I created How Might We statements. My team and I used those and our persona Brian to run several rounds of Crazy 8s. Ultimately, I chose a "low screen" direction: visitors scan a QR code and engage through short, primarily audio experiences that guide them through the park.
Detailed Design
I defined the core interaction flow (entry → choose experience → geo-located tour or audio guide → optional community actions), then translated it into detailed screens and components.
Geo-located Tour Card
- Duration + short description to support quick decisions
- Image for recognizability
- Audio at each stop
Audio Guide Card
- Duration, description, and category labels
- Color coded by category
Location Aware Behavior
- Uses the user's location to surface stop specific context
- Guides attention to what's around them
Evaluation
I conducted an expert evaluation using Brian via a cognitive walkthrough across four representative tasks, and assessed findings against Nielsen's usability heuristics.
- Update Community labeling (e.g., "Announcements" → "Posts" / "Feed") to better match user mental models.
- Add stronger user control in Guided Tours (include a "Previous stop" / back option, not only "Next stop" or exit).
- Improve error recovery by showing clear inline messages when required fields are missing (e.g., posting without headline/message).
Next Steps
- Implement changes from the expert review
- Use the prototype for initial usability testing with park visitors
- Validate tour categories through card sorting or tree testing