Locale
Tourist and navigation mobile app which helps people walking around the city discover local places and sights — even offline.
Overview
Tourists explore on foot, but roaming data, dead batteries and generic guides get in the way. Locale packs downloadable city maps, curated sights and walking routes into one lightweight app.
I designed the map experience, the offline library and the sight-detail pages, working closely with two iOS engineers from prototype to TestFlight.
The challenge
Maps are the hardest screen in product design: dozens of competing signals in a tiny viewport, used while walking in bright sunlight. Clarity had to win over feature count.
The app also needed to feel delightful — travel is emotional — without sacrificing the split-second readability of a navigation tool.
Process
- 1Research
Walk-along interviews with 18 tourists in three European old towns; mapped when people pull out their phones.
- 2Map simplification
A strict visual hierarchy: route first, sights second, everything else hidden until needed.
- 3Offline-first design
Download flows with honest file sizes, plus sight cards that work with zero connectivity.
- 4Field testing
Guerrilla tests on sunny streets; contrast and tap-target sizes were tuned until one-handed use felt safe.
From the city
Urban inspiration and field references gathered while designing Locale.
Outcome
Routes and sights readable at a glance, mid-stride.
Full city packs downloadable before the trip.
Curated cards written with local historians, not scraped.