Zoo as a digital playground
Designing a mobile learning experience for families at Copenhagen Zoo
Overview
During my master’s degree in Digital Design & Communication at the IT University of Copenhagen, I completed my thesis in collaboration with Copenhagen Zoo. The project explored how a smartphone-based experience could support families in learning about animals during a zoo visit without disrupting the surroundings.
Through on-site research, workshops, and iterative prototyping with families and zoo staff, I developed and tested a concept for a playful, location-aware mobile experience designed to support learning through interaction.
My roleMaster’s thesis projectClientCopenhagen ZooPlatformMobile app conceptFocusUX research · Interaction design · Prototyping · Workshops · UI designOutcomeDeveloped and tested a location-aware mobile concept to support learning and engagement during zoo visits.Year2017
The challenge
Through academic research and contextual inquiry at Copenhagen Zoo, I found that traditional signage often failed to capture the attention of families. This limited opportunities for parents to support their children’s understanding of animals. I also observed that smartphone use during zoo visits was common behaviour. This highlighted an opportunity to design a digital experience that could combine learning, interaction, and entertainment without disrupting the visit.
Concept development
Collaboration was central to the project. I worked closely with zoo staff and families who were regular visitors to understand their needs and expectations throughout the design process. These insights helped shape the concept and define how a mobile experience could fit naturally into the zoo visit.
The concept focused on creating a smartphone experience that supported learning through playful interaction, while maintaining awareness of the physical environment and nearby animals. The goal was to complement the visit rather than distract from it, encouraging curiosity and conversation between parents and children.
Prototyping
Through sketching, I explored the concept and later created two interactive low-fi prototypes, which I tested with families inside the zoo. These prototypes simulated immersive learning experiences tailored for specific popular animals. Families were encouraged to participate in playful knowledge activities, such as ‘competing’ with the animals right beside the animal enclosures. The multitude of smartphone technology features like camera, microphone, and Bluetooth were utilized in combination with iBeacons to diversify the location-based knowledge activities and spark engaging conversations between parents and children about the animals.
The result
Based on insights from the iterative design process, I developed a high-fidelity prototype as a proof of concept. After additional testing with families at the zoo, I presented the concept to Copenhagen Zoo stakeholders. They responded positively to both the concept and the design process, and expressed interest in exploring the idea further if funding becomes available.
