Mobile App for new students in a city!
This case study outlines the research and design process of "Glasgo", a mobile app created for Glasgow City Council to enhance the student experience for over 50,000 new students arriving annually. By offering curated information on events, dining, entertainment, and student deals—along with gamification features to encourage city exploration—this app aims to make Glasgow feel like home for all international students.
Problem Statement
New students in Glasgow often struggle with limited knowledge of the city’s layout, social venues, and affordable options, impacting their integration. The Glasgo app addresses this by providing a centralised, accessible guide to help students connect with and enjoy Glasgow’s vibrant community.
Proposed Solution
Design Process
The project followed the Double Diamond model: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. Research provided insights, leading to a defined problem and solution, iterative design testing, and a high-fidelity prototype in the final stage.
Discover
The research aimed to understand Glasgow students' needs by analysing existing resources and gathering stakeholder insights. A competitor analysis assessed navigation, search, and interface design. Key pain points and moments of delight were identified to guide a more intuitive, student-centered design, enhancing accessibility and ease of use.
Target Demographics
The app targets students aged 18-30, primarily from Generation Z, who are digitally connected and seek quick, reliable information on Glasgow’s social & cultural offerings.
Competitor Analysis
Define
Empathy Map
User Persona
User Persona
KANO - MoSCoW Model
The Kano and MoSCoW models helped prioritize features by distinguishing essential elements from optional enhancements. This approach ensured the app focused on must-have functionalities for a seamless and engaging student experience.
Prposed Features
Develop
Low Fidelity Screens
Initial hand-drawn sketches were created to explore a variety of solutions to the project’s challenges. Multiple ideas were sketched quickly for each screen to capture different approaches without overcommitting to any single concept. From these sketches, the most effective elements were selected and refined to create the main wireframes, which served as the foundation for prototyping and testing. Here are a few examples:
Information Architecture
Mid Fidelity Screens
Transforming paper sketches into digital wireframes, here are some low-fidelity screens that were prototyped and used for user testing:
Style Guide
Before designing high-fidelity screens, a style guide to ensure consistent design and establish a visual language for "Glasgo". The logo combines green, reflecting Glasgow’s lush landscapes, with an arrow to symbolise navigation—capturing the app’s purpose of connecting students to the city and helping them feel at home.
Deliver
The outcome of a project reflects the collaboration of every stage, coming together to solve real user needs effectively. Below are some final screens that highlight the deliverables, serving as a snapshot of this evolving UX journey.
Onboarding and Sign up screens
Onboarding screens to welcome users to the application.
Gamification as Unique Selling Point (USP)
The app’s unique feature uses gamification to boost engagement, allowing users to earn points by checking in at city locations via the interactive map. Points are reflected on a leaderboard, encouraging exploration and friendly competition among students.
Home, places, food and activities
Explore top spots, popular foods, activities, and easily order food—all within the app.
Community & Engagement
The app helps students connect through groups, stay updated with story highlights, and engage in activities. Integrated messaging lets users chat with peers, fostering interaction and connection.
Settings & Accessibility Features
For accessibility considerations, the settings screens allows users to change preferred languages and adjust the font sizes. Users can also switch between light and dark mode. There is also a separate profile screen that takes the user to several features within the application.
