01
Problem
Visiting a university can be intimidating and getting lost is common when there are no maps nearby. Even current college students who may not be familiar with buildings outside their major get confused with where events are located, resulting in students not participating in events they were interested in attending.
UIUC Psychology Student, Senior
“Other side of campus I do not normally go to”
RIT Biomedical Science Student, Freshman
“I skipped orientation week so I had to rely on the physical map that hasn't been updated since the ‘90s”
UCLA Nursing Student, Junior
“I'm a commuter and I'm not as aware of events happening because they aren’t send out on newsletters”
CMU Computer Science Student, Sophomore
“CMU is built on hills and “ground floor”. Where you enter isn’t level 1, it is level 4/5 and then there’s a maze where paths abruptly end or don’t connect”
02
Goal and Solution
The goal of Roam is to make a mobile friendly application that will allow all within a campus setting to become more involved. I established three components for Roam to focus on:
Augmented Reality
Users can navigate to the destination with AR rather than having to rely on a physical map if they are unsure of where the event is located.
Real Connections
Allow users to connect with the event organizers to ask questions about the event.
Instant Scanning
Let users quickly add events on the go once they notice something they are interested in: saving them time typing and searching.
03
Interaction Flow
04
Design
When we think about maps, we imagine lines and arrows guiding us. I found using visuals that are 3-dimensional to be stronger than flat maps because it’s easier for the eye to read. Blue and purple have since traditionally been recognized to be a color representing colleges for intelligence. Red represents trustworthiness and reliability and it is a bright color that allows users to clearly identify the target location.
05
Sign in & Finding your university
After signing in or signing up for the first time on a new mobile phone, Roam will request access to your location. Once the user accepts, Roam will locate the nearest university based on your current location. Visitors also have the option to type the name of the university if the result is incorrect or if they are not within the university area.
06
Home Page
Roam's home page deploys all the events taking place at the university for that month. User's can freely scroll to view the most popular events happening on-campus, quickly add events to their favorites.
​
Users can also tap on the subcategories to view specific events to narrow down their search: Sports, Music, Visual Arts, Social Groups, and Volunteering.
Users also have the option of typing the event or using keywords to search.
07
Events
Learn about the events happening on campus, the number of attendees planning on attending, and the organization hosting the event.
As the event is taking place, updates will occur throughout from the event hosts that will notify all attendees through app notifications who have RSVPed for the event. Users can ask questions about the event in the comment section and add events to their favorites. Users can also get instant directions to the event location, which will automatically trigger the map, and even share the event though social media.
​
If a user is interested in attending the event, all they will need to do is tap on the RSVP button, and Roam will let the user purchase their ticket. The cost of the event varies.
08
Purchasing
Roam makes it easy to purchase events. Free events do not require users to add their credit card information and the tabs will be blocked. Events that require the users credit card information is needed in order to purchase a ticket. The user also has an option to save their credit card information to quickly purchase events again in the future without needing to type their information down each time.
​
Once the ticket has been purchased, Roam will send the user the event ticket that will need to be shown during the day of the event. The user has an option to navigate to the event, or go back to the home page.
09
Profile
The user's profile will show all the events they have RSVPed and liked. The profile is also where the user will be able to view their purchased ticket. Past events the user has have attended will show as well.
10
Augmented Reality Map
roam provides a map feature that will show a preview of the event location along with a duration of how long it will take for the user to walk to the event. The flat navigation is ideal to save on battery life. The augmented reality navigation provides a visual guide to take the user to their destination swiftly. Roam will let the user know when they have arrived to their destination.
11
Scan Events
College walls are always filled with posters from organizations advertising events. Using the scan feature, roam allows users to scan the event's QR code shown on the event posters to view and quickly save events.
Takeaways
My goal throughout my Senior Capstone was to challenge myself in a field I was interested in. Creating roam taught me the importance of wayfinding and creating a mobile application for a wide audience. As roam is meant to be an application that students would be using throughout the semester and would be used by visiting attendees, I would like to include a feature that will allow users to view events taking place throughout the semester so they will be able to view and purchase events months in advance.