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

Phase 1: UX Advisor, Team Lead, Unity Dev
Phase 2: Product Designer

Phase 1: UX Advisor, Team Lead, Unity Dev · Phase 2: Product Designer

Project

Phase 1: Self-Led Student Team Project
Phase 2: Personal Design Sprint

Phase 1: Self-Led Student Team Project · Phase 2: Personal Design Sprint

Duration

Phase 1: 6 Weeks (Part-Time)
Phase 2: 1 Week (Full-Time)

Phase 1: 6 Weeks (Part-Time) · Phase 2: 1 Week (Full-Time)

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: Unity, Xcode, GitHub, Blender
Phase 2: Figma (including Figma AI), ChatGPT, Midjourney

Phase 1: Unity, Xcode, GitHub, Blender · Phase 2: Figma (including Figma AI), ChatGPT, Midjourney

Phase 1

Our cross-functional team built a working AR prototype that excited our faculty & early testers.

My contributions included:

  • Pitched the challenge

  • Managed the project by roadmapping

  • Developed low- to high-fi Unity prototypes

  • Advised UX & conducted guerrilla user testing

  • 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

Recommendations

Recommen-dations

Recommendations

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.

Scalability (→)

Zoo-specific QR codes allow this app to partner with multiple zoos.

GPS-Based AR (→)

Location-specific AR anchors the animal in front of the user and avoids overcrowding near AR markers.

Deepen Learning (→)

Wildlife education that nurtures deeper connection with nature.

Scalability (→)

Scalability

Scalability

Zoo-specific QR codes allow this app to partner with multiple zoos.

(←) AI-Powered Navigation

AI-Powered Navigation

AI-Powered Navigation

A chatbot that provide personalized routes solves the common user challenge of zoo navigation.

GPS-Based AR (→)

GPS-Based AR

GPS-Based AR

Location-specific AR anchors the animal in front of the user and avoids overcrowding near AR markers.

(←) Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy

As adults visit primarily due to social media influences, shareable digital mementos and optional event reminders could attract new visitors.

Deepen Learning (→)

Deepen Learning

Deepen Learning

Wildlife education that nurtures deeper connection with nature.

(←) Gamifying Critter Collection

Gamifying Critter Collection

Gamifying Critter Collection

A library system makes discovering critters and items across the seasons at the zoo more meaningful.

Subscription Services

Subscription Services

Subscription Services

Subscription Services

A membership tier unlocks insider updates and other exclusive content.

(←) Subscription Services

A membership tier unlocks insider updates and other exclusive content.

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.

Designed and built by Remi (Ling Yan) Gao | 2025 | It's great to see you here!

Designed and built by Remi (Ling Yan) Gao | 2025 | It's great to see you here!

Designed and built by Remi (Ling Yan) Gao | 2025
It's great to see you here!

Designed and built by Remi (Ling Yan) Gao | 2025 | It's great to see you here!

Designed and built by Remi (Ling Yan) Gao | 2025 | It's great to see you here!