The Problem
In August of 2016, I moved into a new apartment community in Austin. Unlike my previous home, navigating this building was nearly impossible without guidance. With 6 entrances, 4 possible parking locations and 8 acres of hallway, there were too many opportunities to get lost. I planned to have a housewarming party, but didn't want to waste time leaving the party each time a friend arrived. The solution? Build a web app with turn-by-turn directions.
A Personal Hackathon
I scanned a building map and traced my steps to find the simplest routes from each door. Since there are 6 possible flows, I connected all of them to the same final 3 steps, eliminating repetition in the interface. I photographed doors, exits and walking paths, and began illustrating.
I added buttons for Google Maps, calling my cell phone, and even an "I can't find a parking spot" button, guiding every visitor through the path of least resistance. So, did it work? I'll let my friends speak for themselves:
