Overview
critter safARi
Conceptualizing a mobile app to boost zoo impact.
This project began as a self-led student team project that I directed and it evolved into a 1-week, AI-assisted solo design sprint. Ultimately, this project is an exploration of how we could better leverage zoo visits to drive impact on people and the planet.
Role
Project
Duration
Outcome
Proof-of-Concept Prototype
Team (Phase 1)
Jayne Leggatt (UX/UI, Branding)
Brendan Lazar (3D Design and Animation)
Supervisor (Phase 1)
Michael Corrin (Director, Biomedical Communications, University of Toronto)
Tools
Phase 1
Our cross-functional team built a working AR prototype that excited our faculty & early testers.
My contributions included:
Pitched the challenge and user pain points
Managed the project by roadmapping
Developed low- to high-fi Unity prototypes
Advised UX & conducted lightweight A/B tests
Established collaborative 3D pipelines
Phase 2 Kickoff
I evolved this project independently in 1-week — with the assistance of AI tools — starting off with deeper research.
Competitive analysis and AI-simulated focus groups pointed to opportunities in wayfinding, education, and marketing.
During research, I experimented with Figma AI (Jambot) and ChatGPT. Manually reviewing inputs and outputs, I identified several insights overlooked by AI extrapolations.
"How Might We"
Deepen knowledge about wildlife and build connection
Increase financial support for efforts like conservation
Boost zoo revisits
Guerilla Testing
On the 3rd day of the sprint, I tested this prototype with 5 potential users via think-aloud.
I integrated visual assets that I generated using AI so that interface intentions were clear to testers.
Testing Insights
Seasonal collectibles and changing cast of AR critters
Shareable selfie option with AR critters
Reduce interactions in route selection screen
Hypothesized Effects
Gamification that encourages zoo revisits
Improves social media marketing influence
Minimizes interaction cost
Visual Identity
While I developed most of the visual branding traditionally, I found Midjourney helpful for exploring color palettes.
Final Prototype
The final features aim to support learning and personalization for users, and scalability and viability for businesses.
A chatbot that provide personalized routes solves the common user challenge of zoo navigation.
As adults visit primarily due to social media influences, shareable digital mementos and optional event reminders could attract new visitors.
A library system makes discovering critters and items across the seasons at the zoo more meaningful.
Success Metrics
I would use metrics like retention, ARPU, page exit rate, session length, and more to gauge success over time and identify areas for improvement.
Reflections
A rapid design sprint allowed me to sharpen my core design process and explore using AI as a creative partner.
In a real-world context, I would work with stakeholders to determine MVP roadmap. Given more resources, I'd also consider a B2B version of the app for zoos to easily make updates and track engagement.