Working with two other team members, I completed a semester-long project focusing on a travel-related challenge. Applying the UX process to respond to the project brief, my team and I designed a mobile application for the DUMBO Improvement District in Brooklyn, NY. Through primary and secondary research, including interviews with DUMBO locals, tourists, and business owners, we found that the neighborhood faces severe tourism-related challenges, including overcrowding, rising living costs, and the loss of local character due to increased commercialization. Additionally, tourism in DUMBO is primarily centered around only a few streets offering popular photo spots and access to Brooklyn Bridge Park. These streets not only draw large crowds, resulting in congestion and noise, but take business away from lesser-known areas in the neighborhood, ultimately, impacting not only the neighborhood’s affordability and quality of life for both residents and local businesses but also the experience of tourists.
Course: User Experience Design and Prototyping
Parsons School of Design
Spring 2025
Project brief: How can we reimagine an idea or model that moves from a traditional to an alternative tourism model that is inclusive, self-aware and can be remade into an ethical/immersive travel experience?
Individual responsibilities included conducting ethnographic interviews and designing wireframes, low-fidelity prototypes, and high-fidelity user flows, shown below.
Software used: Figma
Our solution reimagines the DUMBO Improvement District's current website as a mobile application, offering greater accessibility to tourists on-the-go. While retaining the existing features, our solution is delivered through the new "Get Planning!" button. Through this button, tourists can access two features: a live map and a DUMBO AI chatbot. The live map shows estimated crowd sizes in popular streets as well as a past log, allowing tourists to plan their trip accordingly to avoid crowds. The DUMBO AI chatbot provides answers to any questions a tourist might have, such as local restaurant and shopping recommendations, more affordable options, or a full-day itinerary including activities in lesser-visited spots. Local residents and business owners also have the opportunity to co-design by working on the back-end, creating a solution that makes travel more sustainable for all stakeholders involved.
