A UI/UX Case Study

No. 02 — AURORA CENTRE

The Aurora Interaction Ecosystem

Translating architectural landmarks into adaptive spatial software products.

Role

Interaction & UX/UI Designer

Team Context

Group of 4 Architecture Competition

Recognition

2nd Place Winner (P&T Firm Brief)

Chapter 01

Project Description

Software matching physical subterranean geometry.

The Site Reality: A landmark concept connected directly to the Dubai Opera and Dubai Fountain while preserving the park's surface footprint.
The UX Mandate: Turn proposed tech concepts — like proximity wayfinding — into a functional mobile application system.

Project OverviewFig. 01

-15m

Depth below grade

Beacon nodes

Nav modes

80px

Touch target

— Surface · Burj Park

— -15m · Main Concourse

Underground pavilion linked to Dubai Opera & Fountain via beacon mesh.

Chapter 02

Best-in-Class Research

Auditing top physical-to-digital infrastructure spaces.

The Reference Models: Benchmarked the NYC Lowline underground park alongside proximity setups at the Louvre and Cooper Hewitt.
The Core Insight: Ambient, passive data updates outperform intrusive interfaces in crowded physical spaces.

Precedent AuditFig. 02

Precedent

Wayfind

Audio

Ambient

Access

Light

Crowd

NYC Lowline

Louvre Proximity

Cooper Hewitt

Aurora (concept)

Four phygital precedents scored across six interaction criteria.

Chapter 03

Heuristics Evaluation

Preventing navigation failure in underground spaces.

The Environment Constraint: Standard GPS mapping fails underground, introducing spatial disorientation risks at pathway junctions.
The Fix: Shifted interface navigation toward automated proximity triggers and ambient hardware feedback.

Heuristics — RedlineFig. 03

Heuristic

Before

After

Wayfinding clarity

GPS fails -15m

BLE proximity mesh

Sensory load

Loud PA overlays

Personal audio stream

Accessibility

Tiny 28px taps

80px ramp-safe taps

Light adaptation

Static bright UI

Depth-aware theme

Four primary friction points mapped against environmental constraints.

Chapter 04

Service Blueprint

Connecting human steps directly to interface actions.

The Ecosystem Matrix: Aligned physical walking paths with front-stage screens and back-stage proximity hardware loops.
The Interaction Balance: Managed spatial tracking sensors alongside personal audio channels to ensure a fluid experience.

Phygital ChoreographyFig. 04

Physical step (X,Y,Z) → beacon trigger → interface state.

Chapter 05

Stakeholders & Analytics

Adapting interface behavior to environmental realities.

The Urban Constraints: Balanced massive tourist influxes with localized background noise from the Dubai Fountain.
The Audio Strategy: Routed exhibition audio narratives through personal device streams to preserve structural silence inside.

Contextual SynthesisFig. 05

Tourist density62%

Fountain decibels78dB

Shade dwell zones04

Auto-dim triggers12

Walking speed drops ~38% within shaded courtyards — notifications batch until natural rest points.

Tourists, fountain noise & shaded courtyards mapped to interface response.

Chapter 06

Ethnographic Field Study

Timing interface alerts based on pedestrian habits.

The Behavioral Finding: Tracked park users to find that walking speeds drop predictably inside shaded microclimates and courtyards.
The Timing Rule: Programmed application notifications to hold alerts until users naturally slow down within structural rest spots.

Behavioural TimingFig. 06

Pedestrian velocity sampled across 14h park observation window.

Chapter 07

Opportunity Documentation

Grouping abstract concepts into prioritized updates.

The Three Product Tiers: Organized feature roadmaps into ambient navigation, interactive exhibits, and personal exploration logs.
The Input Refinement: Filtered potential features based on crowd patterns, safety layouts, and language accessibility.

Opportunity MatrixFig. 08

High ImpactHigh EffortLow Effort

Proximity Wayfinding

Adaptive Audio Lanes

Ambient Dashboard

Exploration Log

Impact × Effort — Proximity Wayfinding leads the roadmap.

Chapter 08

Vision Concept

The interface as an organic extension of structural paths.

The Screen Style: Avoided traditional menu bars for a gesture-driven dashboard that shifts color based on user depth.
The Exploration Mode: Background services automatically fetch localized scripts and audio logs without requiring manual input.

Vision ConceptFig. 09

The space is the hero.
Interface dissolves into depth.

01Gesture-driven dashboard
02Theme shifts with depth
03Background audio fetch
04Zero-input wayfinding

Interface as organic extension of subterranean circulation.

Chapter 09

Qualitative User Testing

Optimizing automated synchronization for international groups.

The Interaction Barrier: Early testing showed that manual QR entry nodes caused immediate pedestrian line backups.
The Optimization: Expanded Bluetooth beacon range to automate language check-ins, removing physical lines entirely.

Usability ValidationFig. 10

Language check-inQR queue→Auto · 2s

Find exhibit3m 41s→0m 28s

Quiet-zone audioManual mute→Auto-dim

Beacon-based onboarding eliminated queue-forming QR entry.

Chapter 10

User Flows

Connecting layout coordinates directly to interface responses.

The Core Profiles: Mapped separate navigation pathways for open exploration, rapid transit, and low-mobility routing.
The Context Hook: Stepping into specialized chambers reduces display brightness to zero while launching personal audio feeds.

User FlowsFig. 11

Four profile pathways branch from a single beacon handshake.

Chapter 11

Hi-Fi Designs

Synchronizing screen themes with physical site conditions.

The Light Adaptability: The user interface changes from a bright paper layout outdoors to an ink dark mode underground.
The Style Choice: Combined Inter Tight data tables with Instrument Serif headlines to match building textures.