A mobile application to improve the tourist experience in the Trentino region of Italy. I was responsible for a proof-of-concept case study with elementary school children as well as design and evaluation of pedagogical game elements.

Problem:
There is no one application that brings together the region in an accessible way to tourists. There are very few such applications which engage children as primary users. There is not much understanding of children as tourists and users of mobile applications with which to base these interactions on.

Objective:
Needed to validate the concept that this application is relevant for children by exploring the design space between children’s behaviors, interactions, motivations and the context of tourism, mobile apps, & teaching about trentino. Then I had to figure out how to introduce pedagogical game elements to the children’s part of the application. I needed to derive a list of design suggestions for creating such an application.

My Contribution:
Organized class field trip
Defined modifications to application prototype to suit children
Prepared devices with children’s safety in mind
Accompanied children on trip
Took field notes
Gathered direct feedback
Analyzed the data using grounded analysis and NVIVO10
Used participatory design techniques with children
Conducted a children’s brainstorming session
Organized, created, and conducted a designer workshop
Created storyboards to present scenarios to children
Ran User Evaluations with the children through small focus groups