Culturapp
Designed the entire user experience for Culturapp, a mobile concept born during my master's thesis. I conducted user research, mapped user journeys, structured the information architecture, and created a functional prototype using Balsamiq and Figma. The goal was to combine cultural discovery with intuitive design, accessible on any device.
Year
2021
Role
Product Designer
Project
Culturapp was originally developed as a thesis project at the Academy of Fine Arts, then evolved into a real startup proposal. It addresses a widespread issue in Puglia, Italy: many cultural points of interest are difficult to find, scattered across outdated guides or poorly maintained websites. This limits their visibility and engagement, especially among younger and tech-savvy audiences.
Problem Statement
Travelers interested in culture, history, and food often struggle to plan independent itineraries due to fragmented and outdated information. Tourist portals are often generic or underused, and platforms like Google Maps don’t offer curated paths or context.
Research
Interviewed 50 users and ran a competitor benchmark. Key insights:
People prefer self-guided exploration over pre-made tours;
They rely on Google for info, but find it incomplete or untrustworthy;
There’s growing interest in local stories, food routes, and outdoor culture.
Based on this, I mapped user flows and refined navigation using Balsamiq wireframes. The onboarding was designed to reduce friction and explain how the app works step by step.
Solution
I prototyped a mobile app with:
List and map views for browsing nearby places;
Custom filters by topic, type of experience, or interest;
Short and verified descriptions, with links to official websites;
Curated cultural routes that highlight museums, artworks, and food trails.
The UI is minimalist, designed to work smoothly on mobile, and supports both tourists and locals in rediscovering their region.
Outcome
While not released publicly, Culturapp received strong interest during presentations and is now positioned for funding or public partnership:
Validated need through 50+ interviews;
Structured prototype with clear UX decisions;
Scalable format adaptable to other regions;
Ready for pitch to regional institutions or incubators.
