MonstroCity-Rotterdam
Case Study
Project Information
Product Description:
MonstroCity-Rotterdam is an interactive city exploring game, designed to foster social connection and strengthen community ties through a localized, whimsical story and fun, collaborative play.
- My Role:
Product Designer & Owner,
UI/UX Research, Brand Designer
- Research Methods:
User Interviews, Benchmark (Competence) Analysis, Persona
- Tool: Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
- Period: Oct. 2024 – Nov. 2024
Motivation
During my six years in Rotterdam, I was inspired by the city’s vibrant culture, diverse communities, and creative energy. I wanted to design something that celebrates these qualities, and also create opportunities for social connections. MonstroCity-Rotterdam is my response—a playful, story-driven city adventure that brings together locals and visitors across generations through immersive exploration.
Goal
To foster real-world connection, cultural exploration, and social bonding through an interactive, gamified experience that reimagines Rotterdam as a living storybook filled with curiosity, community, and magic.
Pre-Design Validation
How I confirm potential market fit by asking
1. Is there a market gap in the city experience sector?
2. Do people want playful, social alternatives to traditional tours?
Validation
I did Benchmark (Competence) Analysis to validate the key questions above, and understand the market landscape, including the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities (SWOT) of existing competitors. This helped me identify how to better position the product and differentiate it through unique features, storytelling, and visual branding.
Market Landscape Overview:
1. Puzzle-Based Tours (e.g., Mystery City, Foxtrail, Escape Tours):
Fun and engaging, but often lack deep storytelling, cultural context, or broader social impact.
2. Traditional Guided Tours (e.g., Rotterdam Walks):
Informative but passive, with little participant interaction or creative engagement.
3. Geocaching & Self-Guided Apps:
Encourage exploration, but are typically solo and lack emotional or community-driven storytelling.
Validation by market research:
1. While puzzle-based tours like Mystery City and Escape Tours offer excitement through riddles, they often lack emotional or cultural depth and do not actively promote community-building or intergenerational connection. Traditional guided tours provide valuable information but remain passive and one-directional, with limited participant interaction.
2. Based on the current market landscape, there is a clear gap in city exploration experiences that combine interactive gameplay, cultural storytelling, and real-world social engagement. That is where MonstroCity-Rotterdam can fill up.
Creating Detailed Personas
To design a truly user-centered experience, I developed detailed personas to better understand my audience’s needs, goals, and behavior. This helped define:
1. Where and how to reach and engage the target audience
2. The right level of challenge for different age groups
3. The appropriate tone of voice for in-game instructions and storytelling
4. UX/UI decisions that ensure accessibility and enjoyment across generations
These personas were essential in shaping a product that is not only fun and whimsical, but also meaningful, inclusive, and community-driven.
Grandparents with grandchildren
Families
Culture enthusiasts
User Joruney Mapping
To ensure a playful, social, and meaningful experience, I mapped the complete user journey—identifying what users need at each stage and aligning the design accordingly. This process will help create a flow that is engaging, accessible, and community-focused from start to finish.
1. Awareness & Discovery:
Find a fun interactive city experience that is social, immersive and culturally enriching
2. Consideration & Decision:
Understand how the game works, pricing, and if it suits the user’s interest.
3. Onboarding & Preparation:
Get all materials ready for a smooth and exciting game start.
4. Gameplay & Exploration:
Blend real-world discovery, storytelling, and social interaction at local cafés and cultural spots.
5. Completion & Reflection:
Celebrate their success, share memories, reflect on what they learned.
6. Retention & Advocacy:
Stay engaged and explore new game content.
Ideation & Concept Development
1. I integrated my original MonstroCity illustrations into the game narrative.
2. I visited various Rotterdam neighborhoods to gather inspiration for location-based puzzles and stories.
3. The concept transforms Rotterdam into a whimsical playground, where players solve puzzles, follow clues, and uncover the stories hidden in the city’s architecture, history, and local businesses.
Prototyping & Next Steps
1. Built quick prototypes and visual mockups to collect early feedback and ensure the visual style and story were appealing.
2. Map out a modular puzzle structure and character-driven plot line.
3. Design interactive elements that balance digital tools (smartphones, app) with physical ones (game toolkit).
Further steps
1. Build small-scale prototypes.
2. Conduct user testing across key audience groups.
3. Iterate the design based on feedback.
4. Launch a soft release to test market response and refine experience.
Contact
- Email: Info@chiacreativecommunication.com
- Mobile: 31 - 616 373 970
- Based in Rotterdam
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