San Diego Zoo Scavenger Hunts
Reimagining the current San Diego Zoo app by adding a feature that provides children and adults an interactive and engaging new way to experience the zoo.
My role: Research, UX, UI
Duration: 75 hours
Software Used: Figma, FigJam, Miro, Pixton, Canva, Maze
Introduction
Use the map to find challenges near your location or around the zoo.
Complete riddles, scavenger hunts, and zoo mysteries. Choose the appropriate level.
Earn zoo coins to save, spend at the gift shop, or to buy zoo experiences.
Background
There are many benefits of bringing children to the zoo. Being immersed with animals in their habitats encourages learning about conservation and the science of living things. It also helps children develop empathy for creatures big and small. It has been proven that visiting a zoo and working with animals can improve mental and physical health. It is suggested that children as young as 12-18 months can even benefit from what a zoo has to offer. Unfortunately as children grow up, the zoo may become less exciting and desirable, especially if visited often. I decided to create a feature on the San Diego Zoo app that would add a variety of challenges for older children to complete while continuing to learn during a trip to a zoo.
I wanted to discover what challenges families faces while visiting a zoo. Especially if their children's ages spanned a wide range.
Research
Market research
I began by conducting market research so that I had some background information on zoo attendance and patterns.
I learned that zoos in the United States have attracted 183 million yearly visitors. 57% of those visitors are children ages 11 and under (aza.org). Many zoos have very informational websites to bring in visitors and provide them with the information needed for a successful zoo trip. Most zoos also have apps but these are fairly basic in content and design. The San Diego Zoo is one of the top zoos in the United States, so that is where I decided to focus my design.
Competitive analysis
I completed a competitive analysis, exploring two zoo websites and apps, which would be primary competitors. I also explored two secondary competitors which were more focused on the features I was considering, these included scavenger hunts and geocaching. All of these competitors were analyzed in regards to their features, ease of use, strengths, and weaknesses. Click the document to zoom in for specific details.
Competitive analysis findings
Zoo apps lacked a reason to use the app during a visit unless the user wanted a map.
One zoo app made reference to using the app while taking a break, but only provided one option of something to do.
There was a lack of age appropriate learning activities and challenges on the app.
The scavenger hunt app I analyzed promoted team building and networking, but a user was not able to independently challenge themselves to solve riddles, find treasures, or complete challenges.
The geocaching app was purely for entertainment, there was nothing to learn from each treasure. Its goal was to find the caches, experience the outdoors, and leave a mark.
Summary of opportunities
There is a niche that is not being filled by zoos. People enjoy interactive adventures, they have a natural desire for play and competition.
Adding additional features could present a unique way to learn wildlife information and keep children and adults engaged and interested while exploring a zoo. Instead of passively reading, users could actively participate in the learning process.
This idea could bridge the gap between generations, fostering a shared experience and creating lasting memories for families.
It could also be used in marketing to introduce new exhibits or animals the zoo has to offer, motivating the user to explore these new exhibits or habitats.
User interviews
Five interviews were conducted with both male and female participants.
All participants had traveled to a zoo in the past.
Four participants were adults and 1 was a child.
Four participants were from families that bought a annual pass to the zoo, one purchased a day ticket.
Interviews focused on learning about their family experiences with taking trips to the zoo. Focusing on why they went to the zoo, what they enjoyed doing while there, frustrations they may have had at the zoo, and their thoughts on a proposed feature added to a zoo app.
Positive memories were created at the zoo
Participants had a variety of things they love to do at the zoo. Many positive memories were created at the zoo. Favorites included seeing all of the animals, riding trains and carousels, going to the gift shop, feeding the goats and giraffes, playing on the playground, and watching childrens’ expressions as they see new animals.
Desire to learn and explore
Participants want their children to be entertained but also to learn about the animals and habitats while they are at the zoo.
Prefer to make the most of their time and money
Participants want to be able to see the animals that they came to see and do the activities that they enjoy. They don’t want to spend time stuck in crowds or having difficulties finding their way around. They would like to maximize their time and money.
Keep a zoo trip fun and interesting for everyone
Participants want to keep everyone engaged and interested as they are moving around the zoo. They want new things to do and see if they are going often.
POV
I'd like to explore ideas to help families create positive zoo memories because as children grow up, they tend to lose their interest in the zoo.
How might we...
- engage children and adults in fun learning opportunities as they explore the zoo?
- entertain zoo attendees as they move from exhibit to exhibit?
- help families with multiple age children keep all of their children interested in the zoo experience?
- help zoo attendees continue to learn and explore new parts of the zoo?
- provide zoo attendees with tools they need to find where they are wanting to go?
- help families make positive memories at the zoo?
Define
Problem
Zoo patrons have stated that most children over the age of 10 are not as interested, as they once were, in the experiences a zoo has to offer.
Families that go to the zoo regularly often follow the same routine and don’t always notice new exhibits and different features.
Solution
My solution is to create an app feature that will keep zoo patrons learning and exploring through completing interactive challenges.
- One challenge idea is scavenger hunts that start at different exhibits within the zoo.
- These hunts could include trivia challenges, riddles to solve, opinion questions, find and take pictures, find and take videos, all which would help children and adults move around an exhibit and learn something new.
- The feature would allow them to earn zoo coins which they could save or spend on small trinkets at the gift shop or for special experiences.
Storyboard
Identifying the user
Taking what I learned from my market research, my competitive analysis, and my user interviews, I created two user personas that represented the audience I wanted to target. Meet our zoo attendees, Emma and Corey!
Empathy map - primary persona
Sitemap
Building upon my current ideas, my next step was to explore the potential integration of this proposed feature.
San Diego Zoo app sitemap
I developed a sitemap to show the structure and hierarchy of the current San Diego Zoo app. I also noticed that the app did not have an account option or an onboarding process. I decided to create this as well so that users would have an account to save their progress, itineraries, and coins.
User and task flows
Following the development of the sitemap, user flows and task flows were crafted to map out the user’s journey through the app’s functionalities.
User flow 1
User flows were developed to map out the experience a user would have when utilizing the app. This first flow highlights how a user would locate a scavenger hunt within the app.
User flow 2
The second flow emphasizes the user’s journey of completing a task on the scavenger hunt.
Task flow 1
Task flows were created to illustrate the steps a user would follow to achieve their goals on the app. This first task flow shows the process of finding a scavenger hunt for an 11 year old.
Task flow 2
The second task flow displays how a user could interact with a scavenger hunt challenge.
Design
Low and mid-fidelity wireframes
After thinking through the app architecture, deciding where this proposed feature could fit into the current San Diego Zoo app, and mapping how users would utilize the feature, my initial design exploration began with sketching ideas. I prioritized the onboarding since the app did not have a procedure in place for creating accounts and saving information. I then focused on my user flows and task flows and mapped out all of the screens and features that would be needed to complete these flows. Multiple iterations of key screens were developed, such as the scavenger hunt task page, to consider the diverse needs of children and adults. When I felt I had my ideas refined and the low-fidelity sketches ready, I transitioned to the development of the mid-fidelity wireframes.
Click designs to expand
Low-fidelity wireframes
Mid-fidelity wireframes
Low and mid-fidelity wireframes
After thinking through the app architecture, deciding where this proposed feature could fit into the current San Diego Zoo app, and mapping how users would utilize the feature, my initial design exploration began with sketching ideas. I prioritized the onboarding since the app did not have a procedure in place for creating accounts and saving information. I then focused on my user flows and task flows and mapped out all of the screens and features that would be needed to complete these flows. Multiple iterations of key screens were developed, such as the scavenger hunt task page, to consider the diverse needs of children and adults. When I felt I had my ideas refined and the low-fidelity sketches ready, I transitioned to the development of the mid-fidelity wireframes.
Click designs to expand
Low-fidelity wireframes
Mid-fidelity wireframes
Low and mid-fidelity wireframes
After thinking through the app architecture, deciding where this proposed feature could fit into the current San Diego Zoo app, and mapping how users would utilize the feature, my initial design exploration began with sketching ideas. I prioritized the onboarding since the app did not have a procedure in place for creating accounts and saving information. I then focused on my user flows and task flows and mapped out all of the screens and features that would be needed to complete these flows. Multiple iterations of key screens were developed, such as the scavenger hunt task page, to consider the diverse needs of children and adults. When I felt I had my ideas refined and the low-fidelity sketches ready, I transitioned to the development of the mid-fidelity wireframes.
Click designs to expand
Low-fidelity wireframes
Mid-fidelity wireframes
San Diego Zoo brand
Logo
Colors
To ensure brand consistency, the color palette was chosen based on the San Diego Zoo’s current design system for app, logo, and website.
Typography
A clean san serif font, Proxima Nova, was chosen for the body text of the website and headings. This was chosen to maintain the visual coherence. The website uses GT Classic but this font was only found on the map screen in the app.
High-fidelity wireframes
Following an in-depth analysis of the current zoo app and website, I incorporated their branding elements and began to develop the high-fidelity wireframes. This alignment ensured visual consistency throughout the new screens on the app. I kept navigation as close as possible to the current San Diego Zoo app even when alternative ideas were considered. I also kept a very minimalistic aesthetic to the app screens to mirror their current app design.
Click designs to expand
High-fidelity wireframes
Following an in-depth analysis of the current zoo app and website, I incorporated their branding elements and began to develop the high-fidelity wireframes. This alignment ensured visual consistency throughout the new screens on the app. I kept navigation as close as possible to the current San Diego Zoo app even when alternative ideas were considered. I also kept a very minimalistic aesthetic to the app screens to mirror their current app design.
Click designs to expand
Prototype
Usability testing and insights
My prototype was ready to be tested. I was able to conduct a combination of in-person, moderated virtual, and unmoderated virtual usability tests. Five former zoo patrons, representing a mix of genders and age groups, were recruited to navigate through the 4 different task flows.
The first task flow tested was the onboarding process of exploring the zoo app features, enabling location services, and successfully signin up for an account.
Users initially demonstrated some hesitation on the first screen of the onboarding process. However, they quickly adapted and were able to swipe through the screens after the realization of what to do. All participants were able to successfully complete the signup process, with an average task completion time of 31 seconds.
To address the initial user hesitation observed in usability testing, a few changes were made. These changes aimed to improve user clarity. I adjusted the first screen by adding text to draw the users’ eyes down. The page indicators were moved up, and an arrow was added to indicate there were more screens to the right.
The task flow of finding a scavenger hunt near the Northern Frontier exhibit was tested next.
All participants were able to successfully complete this task. Although, diverse approaches were taken to find a scavenger hunt. While the majority of participants chose to navigate through the map view, both the filter and list view were also utilized.
No changes were made based on feedback from this task.
The next usability test evaluated the task flow of completing a scavenger hunt challenge using a hint. All participants successfully found the task, accessed the hint, captured a picture, and submitted their progress as if they were at the zoo. One user expressed hesitation on the submit button and mentioned having 3 buttons with the same style might confuse users. I adjusted the visual hierarchy by modifying the secondary buttons and changing them to a neutral tone, keeping the simple icons.
The final usability test was to assess a different style of scavenger hunt challenge, a trivia task. All participants were able to complete the task (not all correctly due to not having the information nearby). The average completion time for this flow was 23 seconds. Users thought this was an easy task. They appreciated the ability to revise their answers before submitting, acknowledging they might accidentally click a different answer if on the move or when children are involved. Users expressed enthusiasm for the reward of earning coins that could be redeemed at the gift shop. Others liked the idea of different difficulty levels and saving their coins. No design modifications were made on these screens.
During the usability testing, one user expressed concern that the scavenger hunt task details displayed on the main page might reveal too much information, discouraging them from exploring further. In response, I shortened up the clues on the list page and added the three dots referencing that there is more to see.
Users thought that interactive elements of the next scavenger hunt challenge moving up, and the other going to completed was nice. Some participants didn’t immediately grasp the functionality of tapping on the completed and remaining challenges. To address this, I aligned the visual design with the previously explored trivia task where users seamlessly clicked back and forth between answers. I also added a subtle animation in the prototype showcasing the transition that would happen when the tasks and numbers change. This enhanced clarity and encouraged user engagement.
Final task flows and prototype
Task 1: Imagine you are preparing for a trip to San Diego and are planning to go to the zoo. You download the zoo app. Go through the onboarding process to see what the app includes, enable your location, and sign up for an account.
Task 2: You are now on your trip to the zoo and your 11 year old daughter is getting bored. Find a scavenger hunt near the Northern Frontier that she could do while her younger sister watches the animals.
Task 3: You are now intrigued with the scavenger hunt and are trying to complete a photo challenge. You aren’t sure what they are asking so you get a hint. Oh, the lynx! You and your daughter head over the the Canadian Lynx exhibit and take a picture.
Task 4: Now you are onto the next scavenger hunt task. You find the polar bear exhibit and use the information around you to help you answer the next question about polar bears.
Reflect
If I had more time I would:
Travel to the zoo to directly experience the exhibits, develop engaging questions, clues, and picture content for the interactive challenges. This would ensure authenticity, accuracy, and relevance.
Define and design multiple ways that users could redeem zoo coins on the app or as different levels are reached. For example, the user can acquire and care for a virtual zoo pet, purchasing accessories and customizations with their zoo coins.
Implement engaging animations on the first onboarding screen (animal prints) and the success screen to celebrate (coins falling).
Expand and diversify the interactive challenges. Developing all of the scavenger hunts in the different zoo exhibits and developmentally appropriate questions for the different age levels.
Develop other types of challenges that could go along with scavenger hunts. Zoo mysteries, riddles to entertain the user while walking from exhibit to exhibit, and treasure hunts to find hidden things.
Enhance specific questions or zoo mysteries by incorporating augmented reality.
What I learned:
This project has challenged me to focus on the user and their needs. Through an in-depth investigation of user interests, their frustrations, and pain points, I gained valuable insights. It challenged me to analyze the existing app design utilizing my findings to make informed design decisions. By actively listening, empathizing, and observing, I was able to develop an effective and engaging user experience that fits seamlessly into the current San Diego Zoo app.
Overall, I found this project both challenging and rewarding. I was able to bring my ideas to life and hone in on my research and design skills, while creating a solution that has the potential to enhance the zoo experience for children, parents, an families visiting the zoo.
Final thoughts:
This project demonstrates the potential of integrating interactive challenges into various apps. It could extend to many zoo, aquarium, museum, and city tourism apps creating opportunities to encourage exploration, gamify experiences, and enhance learning. By focusing on the user and their diverse needs, an app feature like this could significantly increase engagement and enjoyment for many visitors.
Sources
About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. (n.d.). https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/
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