Universal
Studios x
AR
An enhanced Universal Orlando app for international visitors using AR and translation
Universal
Studios x
AR
An enhanced Universal Orlando app for international visitors using AR and translation
Objective
UX Research & Concept Development
Enhance the Universal Orlando app experience for international visitors by integrating AR-based navigation, real-time translation, and world-specific interactions. This project focuses on enhancing accessibility, usability, and immersion by bridging the gap between the digital and physical park experience through intuitive, multilingual design solutions.
My Role
UX Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Interactive Design
Tools
Canva Figma
Duration
Research- 2 weeks
Prototyping- 3 weeks
Team
Esha Macha
Objective
UX Research & Concept
Development
Enhance the Universal Orlando app experience for international visitors by integrating AR-based navigation, real-time translation, and world-specific interactions. This project focuses on enhancing accessibility, usability, and immersion by bridging the gap between the digital and physical park experience through intuitive, multilingual design solutions.
My Role
UX Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Interactive Design
Tools
Canva
Figma
Duration
Research- 8 weeks
Prototyping- Ongoing
Team
Esha Macha
Objective
Enhance the Universal Orlando app experience for international visitors by integrating AR-based navigation, real-time translation, and world-specific interactions. This project focuses on enhancing accessibility, usability, and immersion by bridging the gap between the digital and physical park experience through intuitive, multilingual design solutions.
My Role
UX Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Interactive Design
Tools
Canva
Figma
Duration
Research-
3 weeks
Prototyping-
3 weeks
The Challenge
The Challenge
Who are we solving for?
Our Universal Orlando app experience primarily targets international travelers who visit the park from around the world.
These users often face challenges navigating and engaging with the park due to language barriers and a lack of immersive, localized experiences.
Our Universal Orlando app experience primarily targets international travelers who visit the park from around the world.
These users often face challenges navigating and engaging with the park due to language barriers and a lack of immersive, localized experiences.
what are we solving?
Currently, the app offers limited language support and lacks interactive, world-specific guidance, making it difficult for non-English speakers to explore, understand signage, and connect with the themed environments.
By integrating AR navigation and real-time translation, the experience becomes more accessible, engaging, and seamless for a global audience.
Currently, the app offers limited language support and lacks interactive, world-specific guidance, making it difficult for non-English speakers to explore, understand signage, and connect with the themed environments.
By integrating AR navigation and real-time translation, the experience becomes more accessible, engaging, and seamless for a global audience.
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
How can Universal Studios leverage AR to design an accessible app experience that helps international visitors overcome language barriers, navigate the park more intuitively, and engage seamlessly with attractions, dining, and entertainment?
How can Universal Studios leverage AR to design an accessible app experience that helps international visitors overcome language barriers, navigate the park more intuitively, and engage seamlessly with attractions, dining, and entertainment?
How might we help international visitors navigate Universal Orlando more easily despite language barriers?
Navigation Accessibility
How might we use AR to connect the digital and physical park experience in an engaging, immersive way?
Immersive Park Experience
How might we make the Universal Orlando app more inclusive by offering intuitive, multilingual support for a global audience?
Global Inclusivity
The Solution
The solution is an AR-powered feature within the Universal Orlando app that helps international visitors navigate the park seamlessly. It translates signs, menus, and directions in real time through the user’s camera while preserving the park’s immersive themed design.
Over time, the app adapts to user language preferences and enhances their experience with personalized, interactive elements in each world.
The solution is an AR-powered feature within the Universal Orlando app that helps international visitors navigate the park seamlessly. It translates signs, menus, and directions in real time through the user’s camera while preserving the park’s immersive themed design.
Over time, the app adapts to user language preferences and enhances their experience with personalized, interactive elements in each world.
The solution is an AR-powered feature within the Universal Orlando app that helps international visitors navigate the park seamlessly. It translates signs, menus, and directions in real time through the user’s camera while preserving the park’s immersive themed design.
Over time, the app adapts to user language preferences and enhances their experience with personalized, interactive elements in each world.
The Challenge
Who are we solving for?
Our Universal Orlando app experience primarily targets international travelers who visit the park from around the world.
These users often face challenges navigating and engaging with the park due to language barriers and a lack of immersive, localized experiences.
what are we solving?
Currently, the app offers limited language support and lacks interactive, world-specific guidance, making it difficult for non-English speakers to explore, understand signage, and connect with the themed environments.
By integrating AR navigation and real-time translation, the experience becomes more accessible, engaging, and seamless for a global audience.
what are the end goals?
Make the Universal Orlando app more accessible and intuitive for international visitors through real-time translation and AR navigation.
Create a seamless connection between the digital and physical park experience to enhance immersion and enjoyment.
Key Features
Multilingual Worlds Interface
A redesigned Universal Orlando app interface that lets users easily switch between park “worlds” and instantly translate content into their preferred language, creating a smoother and more inclusive experience for international visitors.
Multilingual Worlds Interface
A redesigned Universal Orlando app interface that lets users easily switch between park “worlds” and instantly translate content into their preferred language, creating a smoother and more inclusive experience for international visitors.
Multilingual Worlds Interface
A redesigned Universal Orlando app interface that lets users easily switch between park “worlds” and instantly translate content into their preferred language, creating a smoother and more inclusive experience for international visitors.
AR Park Experience
An AR map experience that blends real-world navigation with whimsical, world-themed elements. Users can toggle between languages while viewing translated signs and interactive overlays that enhance understanding and immersion within Seuss Landing.
AR Park Experience
An AR map experience that blends real-world navigation with whimsical, world-themed elements. Users can toggle between languages while viewing translated signs and interactive overlays that enhance understanding and immersion within Seuss Landing.
AR Games & Filters
A playful AR feature that invites guests to engage with Seuss-themed selfie filters and mini-games, encouraging park exploration while maintaining language accessibility through real-time translations and universal visual cues.
AR Park Experience
An AR map experience that blends real-world navigation with whimsical, world-themed elements. Users can toggle between languages while viewing translated signs and interactive overlays that enhance understanding and immersion within Seuss Landing.
Guided AR Navigation
An AR-driven navigation system that directs users to attractions like The Cat in the Hat ride with animated arrows and translated signage overlays, helping international visitors move confidently and understand visual information throughout their journey.
Guided AR Navigation
An AR-driven navigation system that directs users to attractions like The Cat in the Hat ride with animated arrows and translated signage overlays, helping international visitors move confidently and understand visual information throughout their journey.
AR Games & Filters
A playful AR feature that invites guests to engage with Seuss-themed selfie filters and mini-games, encouraging park exploration while maintaining language accessibility through real-time translations and universal visual cues.
The Research
The Research
Evaluating the current Universal Orlando app reveals that while it offers a wide range of features and park information, navigation can feel overwhelming and lacks clear localization for international visitors. As a first-time user, it becomes evident that finding world-specific details and understanding on-site information can be confusing, especially for those facing language barriers or unfamiliar with the park’s layout.
Evaluating the current Universal Orlando app reveals that while it offers a wide range of features and park information, navigation can feel overwhelming and lacks clear localization for international visitors. As a first-time user, it becomes evident that finding world-specific details and understanding on-site information can be confusing, especially for those facing language barriers or unfamiliar with the park’s layout.
Evaluating the current Universal Orlando app reveals that while it offers a wide range of features and park information, navigation can feel overwhelming and lacks clear localization for international visitors. As a first-time user, it becomes evident that finding world-specific details and understanding on-site information can be confusing, especially for those facing language barriers or unfamiliar with the park’s layout.
Evaluating the current Universal Orlando app reveals that while it offers a wide range of features and park information, navigation can feel overwhelming and lacks clear localization for international visitors. As a first-time user, it becomes evident that finding world-specific details and understanding on-site information can be confusing, especially for those facing language barriers or unfamiliar with the park’s layout.
Competitor Analysis
I conducted a market study to identify similar theme park and navigation apps, analyzing their features, value propositions, and limitations
While some apps offer immersive AR experiences, none combine real-time translation, multilingual accessibility, and world-specific park guidance in a single, seamless solution for international visitors.
Competitor Analysis
I conducted a market study to identify similar theme park and navigation apps, analyzing their features, value propositions, and limitations
While some apps offer immersive AR experiences, none combine real-time translation, multilingual accessibility, and world-specific park guidance in a single, seamless solution for international visitors.
Competitor Analysis
I conducted a market study to identify similar theme park and navigation apps, analyzing their features, value propositions, and limitations
While some apps offer immersive AR experiences, none combine real-time translation, multilingual accessibility, and world-specific park guidance in a single, seamless solution for international visitors.
Insights
Insights
Current apps lack localized, visual navigation for non-English speakers.
Current apps lack localized, visual navigation for non-English speakers.
Multilingual support exists elsewhere but isn’t immersive or intuitive.
Multilingual support exists elsewhere but isn’t immersive or intuitive.
AR has proven potential to merge exploration, accessibility, and fun.
AR has proven potential to merge exploration, accessibility, and fun.
User
Interview
Meet: Jose Mireles
“Jose, the Design Director at WillowTree for over 5 years, is an avid theme park enthusiast who frequently visits Universal Studios and actively engages with the Universal app. I conducted a user interview with him, as his sharp design perspective and passion for theme parks made him an ideal participant.”
Meet: Jose Mireles
“Jose, the Design Director at WillowTree for over 5 years, is an avid theme park enthusiast who frequently visits Universal Studios and actively engages with the Universal app. I conducted a user interview with him, as his sharp design perspective and passion for theme parks made him an ideal participant.”
Goals
Goals
Have a smooth digital experience that complements the in-park excitement.
Enjoy a well-designed app that feels intuitive and visually consistent.
Have a smooth digital experience that complements the in-park excitement.
Enjoy a well-designed app that feels intuitive and visually consistent.
Have a smooth digital experience that complements the in-park excitement.
Enjoy a well-designed app that feels intuitive and visually consistent.
Challenges
Challenges
Lacks real-time notifications for ride closures and re-openings
Experiences inconsistency between the Universal app and other theme park/location apps he uses.
Lacks real-time notifications for ride closures and re-openings
Experiences inconsistency between the Universal app and other theme park/location apps he uses.
Lacks real-time notifications for ride closures and re-openings
Experiences inconsistency between the Universal app and other theme park/location apps he uses.
Needs
Needs
Consistent app experience aligned with other Universal/location apps.
Maintain intuitive features he already enjoys.
Consistent app experience aligned with other Universal/location apps.
Maintain intuitive features he already enjoys, such as barcode dining, and the map.
Consistent app experience aligned with other Universal/location apps.
Maintain intuitive features he already enjoys.
Opportunity Areas
Opportunity Areas
Opportunity Areas
Create a more inclusive experience for international visitors by integrating real-time translation, localized content, and language personalization across the app and AR features.
Create a more inclusive experience for international visitors by integrating real-time translation, localized content, and language personalization across the app and AR features.
Create a more inclusive experience for international visitors by integrating real-time translation, localized content, and language personalization across the app and AR features.
Use augmented reality to make navigation intuitive and engaging, allowing users to follow themed visual cues, translated signs, and interactive overlays that match each world’s environment.
Bridge the gap between the app and the park experience through world-specific guidance, interactive AR moments, and playful exploration features that encourage visitors to discover and engage with their surroundings.
Use augmented reality to make navigation intuitive and engaging, allowing users to follow themed visual cues, translated signs, and interactive overlays that match each world’s environment.
Use augmented reality to make navigation intuitive and engaging, allowing users to follow themed visual cues, translated signs, and interactive overlays that match each world’s environment.
Bridge the gap between the app and the park experience through world-specific guidance, interactive AR moments, and playful exploration features that encourage visitors to discover and engage with their surroundings.
Bridge the gap between the app and the park experience through world-specific guidance, interactive AR moments, and playful exploration features that encourage visitors to discover and engage with their surroundings.
Low-Fi Prototyping:
Low-fidelity sketches I used to visualize key user flows, information hierarchy, and AR interaction concepts before moving into digital wireframes.
Low-Fi Prototyping:
Low-fidelity sketches I used to visualize key user flows, information hierarchy, and AR interaction concepts before moving into digital wireframes.
Low-Fi Prototyping:
Low-fidelity sketches I used to visualize key user flows, information hierarchy, and AR interaction concepts before moving into digital wireframes.
Wireframes
The following screens illustrate the key features that enhance the Universal Orlando app experience for international visitors, including multilingual support, AR-based navigation, and immersive world interactions.
The wireframes also showcase features such as live translation overlays, language toggles, and interactive AR elements that guide users seamlessly through each themed world.
Wireframes
The following screens illustrate the key features that enhance the Universal Orlando app experience for international visitors, including multilingual support, AR-based navigation, and immersive world interactions.
The wireframes also showcase features such as live translation overlays, language toggles, and interactive AR elements that guide users seamlessly through each themed world.
Reflection
Working on this concept allowed me to rethink how theme park visitors, especially international travelers, experience Universal Orlando through digital tools. I realized how much thoughtful interaction design can influence accessibility, comfort, and immersion in such a dynamic environment. What stood out to me most was how limited the app’s current experience felt for non-English speakers trying to navigate or connect with each world. Moving forward, I want to expand this concept by exploring how AR and localization can continue to make theme park experiences more inclusive and story-driven.
Takeaways:
research guides decision
This project highlighted how Competitor analysis, UX audit, and heuristic evaluation provided insights that shaped informed, user-centered solutions.
This project highlighted how Competitor analysis, UX audit, and heuristic evaluation provided insights that shaped informed, user-centered solutions.
consistency drives usability
Inconsistent fonts, colors, and layouts created friction, and defining a clear system demonstrated the value of visual harmony
Inconsistent fonts, colors, and layouts created friction, and defining a clear system demonstrated the value of visual harmony
simplified navigation
