Thesis Project
Picture this – users choose their favorite color-coded route, acting as their friendly guide through the bustling city streets. This playful twist not only adds a dash of fun to their journey but also ignites their curiosity to explore new culinary delights around every corner. Whether it's a cozy cafe or a trendy bistro, users have the freedom to decide in the moment whether to follow a recommendation or continue their leisurely stroll. After all, the journey is just as important as the destination.
Bold colours and playful UI elements set the tone for a relaxed adventure, mirroring the vibrant energy of the city streets and inviting users to explore at their own pace. By spotlighting local eateries and encouraging foot traffic, our app fosters a sense of connection and community, supporting the heartbeat of each neighborhood it touches.
It was important for me to find a solution that incorporated walking in walkable cities mainly because I am fascinated about the whole concept. There are so many benefits from walking to your destination (health, economic, environmental) so I knew I needed to incorporate walking into my design solution. It was also important for me to find a solution that strengthened my local economy by exploring the city I live in. By combining all these research topics, I found a design solution that has many benefits other than just the pleasure of finding your new favourite restaurant to eat at.
Have you ever went on vacation and visited popular tourist destinations to then come home and think, when was the last time you explored the city you live in? This brings us to the challenge: How might we discover new restaurants in the cities we live in?
The user definition consists of a group of adventurous nomads with the utmost wanderlust. They have a bond based on their desire to explore and travel. They are foodies; They aren’t scared to try new foods and dishes. They love to be active and don’t want to take their car everywhere. They want to find the perfect place to sit down and enjoy each other’s company while also enjoying food.
NUMAD's branding is energetic, urban and motivating. Its fonts and colours reflect Toronto's edgy reputation while also meeting accessibility standards through high readability. Recognizable graphic elements such as the navigation arrow, blue pulsing circle and destination star indicate what state the user is at in finding a restaurant recommendation which improves user experience throughout the user's journey.
NUMAD is a way for new restaurants to prove themselves to the locals and for the locals to find their new favourite place. It’s an app for everyone to enjoy to get them outside discovering the cities they call home.
I hope that NUMAD expands from Toronto and is used in major cities all over the world. I can see the app becoming a tourist app as well. Users could use it in a new city where they are unfamiliar with the restaurants around and need a recommendation. Way in the future, if NUMAD could be so popular that it promotes walking in itself, that would be a dream come true. NUMAD has so much potential, this is only the beginning.
