02 — UX / UI · Mobile App
Finding your way in Glasgow.
Glasgo turns an unfamiliar city into somewhere that feels like home — helping the 50,000+ students who arrive in Glasgow each year discover, save and explore with confidence.
The Problem
A new city that's hard to call home.
New students often struggle with the city's layout, social venues and affordable options — which slows their integration in those crucial first weeks. Glasgo answers this with a single, accessible guide that connects students to Glasgow's vibrant community.
Navigation
An unfamiliar layout makes everyday journeys feel daunting.
Belonging
Without local connections, the city stays unfamiliar for too long.
Affordability
Hard to find student-friendly deals scattered across the city.
Slow integration
The crucial first weeks pass before students feel settled.
Discovery
Common thoughts on moving to a new city.
Interviews with new and international students surfaced the same anxieties again and again.
The Solution
One companion for student city life.
Discover, save, explore and connect — with a reason to keep coming back.
Interactive map
Locate popular spots across Glasgow at a glance.
Curated picks
Social venues, dining and cultural attractions.
Student offers
Exclusive discounts that help newcomers save.
Real-time updates
Stay informed about the latest events.
Gamification
Earn rewards for exploring the city.
Accessibility
Clear navigation and high-contrast visuals.
Process
A Double Diamond from research to prototype.
Research-led divergence, evidence-led convergence.
Discover
Research into students, competitors and the city to find the real need.
Define
Empathy maps, personas and POV distil the brief to its emotional core.
Develop
Low-fi sketches, IA and wireframes — iterated and user-tested.
Deliver
A green-led style guide and a high-fidelity prototype.
Process
Research, distilled
The full discovery-to-wireframe trail, for anyone who wants it.
Research Competitor analysis
I compared city, student and discovery apps to find where Glasgo could add unique value — combining trustworthy curation with a reason to return.
Journey Maps Empathy maps, personas & POV
From insight to a focused brief — the emotional core: the need to belong, fast.
Kano and MoSCoW models separated must-have functionality from optional enhancements — keeping Glasgo focused on a seamless, engaging student experience.
Wireframes & Iterations Sketches, IA & mid-fi
Many ideas per screen, then the strongest refined into wireframes.
Information architecture keeps discovery, deals, gamification and community easy to navigate from day one.
Mid-fidelity wireframes — prototyped and tested ahead of visual design.
Deliver · Design System
A green-led visual language.
Teal for Glasgow's landscapes, an arrow for navigation, built around the Nunito typeface.
Typeface — Nunito
Aa Bb Cc
ABCDEFGHIJKLM · abcdefghijklmnop · 1234567890
Palette
Buttons
Iconography
Deliver · The product
Glasgo, in action.
The final, branded experience — screen by screen.
A welcome that feels friendly
Friendly screens that get students set up in moments.
The USP — earn as you explore
Earn points by checking in at city locations.
Food, places and things to do
Explore top spots, popular foods and activities.
Connect, share and belong
Groups, story highlights and messaging to connect.
Accessible by design
Clear navigation and high-contrast visuals for everyone.
Outcome
Designing for belonging, not just utility.
The gamified check-in turned a practical map into a reason to explore, and accessibility was a first-class feature, not an afterthought. Glasgo taught me how much emotion drives adoption in a brand-new environment.
"It would have made the city feel like home so much faster."— International student, Glasgow