Tbilisi Botanical Garden

A mobile garden guide that helps visitors discover places, choose a walk and find their way through changing terrain.

Tbilisi Botanical Garden

Garden guide home screen
Find your route

A mobile guide
to Tbilisi Botanical Garden

•• 01About project
Project
Tbilisi Botanical Garden Guide
Type
Mobile app
Participation
UX Research and UI Design
Focus
Navigation and route planning
Year
2026

01 Goal

Create a mobile guide to Tbilisi Botanical Garden that helps visitors choose a route and find their way during a walk.

02 Problem solving

The guide brings the garden map, place information and walk planning together. Visitors can compare time, terrain and steps before choosing a route, then adjust their walk, find a rest stop or head to an exit.

Two garden guide screens showing place discovery and walking navigation
•• 02Scope of work

Design Process

Applied the Double Diamond framework to move from research evidence to a testable route and a coherent visual system.

Discover

  • Brief and constraints
  • Desk research
  • 77 visitor reviews
  • Competitive analysis

2 weeks

Define

  • Visitor jobs
  • Scenario hypotheses
  • MVP priorities
  • Information architecture

1 week

Develop

  • User flow
  • Wireframes
  • Screen states
  • Interactive prototype

1 week

Design

  • Visual concept
  • Map presentation
  • UI components
  • Screen design

2 weeks

•• 03Product comparison

Competitive Analysis

I compared six products through the questions that come up during a visit: Where am I? How demanding is this route? Is the path open? What is nearby? Will the guide still work offline? The answers helped define which patterns belong in the garden guide.

Six products compared through visitor questions
Visitor questionSmartGuideBloombergChicagoNYBGKewNPS
01 Where am I?××✓✓×✓
02 How demanding is the route?×✓××✓×
03 Is the path open?××××✓✓
04 What is nearby?✓✓✓✓✓✓
05 Can I use it offline?✓××××✓
06 What changes with the season?××✓✓××
✓ Recorded in the comparison× Not confirmed in the reviewed material
SmartGuide
Digital audio guides
Bloomberg Connects
Arts and culture guides
Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Chicago
Chicago Botanic Garden
NYBG
New York Botanical Garden
NPS
US National Park Service app
•• 04Research synthesis

In-Depth Interviews & Scenarios

77 public Tripadvisor reviews inform four scenarios for future in-depth interviews: entrance choice, climbs, nearby facilities and changing the route. Counts refer to this review sample, not all visitors. The characters and statements are scenario models.

Illustrated character giving a thumbs-up4 scenariosto explore with visitors
Illustrated character behind a laptop6 topicsfor future interviews

13/77

reviews mention time and planning

11/77

mention terrain, climbs or stairs

8/77

mention closures or blocked paths

9/77

amenities · navigation · seasonality
9 mentions for each theme
Bamboo in the botanical garden

SSofia

First visit · 2 hours

“Check the entrance before the climb. A wrong start changes the whole walk.”
Scenario model
Waterfall in the garden

DDaniel

Solo visit · 1.5 hours

“Distance is not enough. Time and elevation change which route I choose.”
Scenario model
Water lilies on the pond

NNino

Local visitor · with a friend

“I need to know what is nearby, how far it is and whether the path is open.”
Scenario model
A shaded garden path with steps

AAlex

With his mother · easy pace

“Show me the next section before the path becomes too steep or tiring.”
Scenario model
•• 05Garden guide

Find your place.
Choose your path.
Know the effort.
Explore the garden.
Adjust your walk.

Walk planner with time and walking preferencesNearby places Choose your routeFind an exitNBGG
•• 06CJM

Journey Mapping

Four key moments from the full visitor journey, from arrival to the exit.
Based on review themes; positive moments and emotions are hypotheses to test.

Four moments in the visitor journey
Entering the gardenChoosing a routeChanging the planFinding an exit
ActionsFind an entrance. Check access and opening information.Choose a place. Compare time, terrain and steps.Pause, change the destination or look for an easier path.Choose an exit. Follow the path back to the city.
GoalsStart the visit without an unnecessary climb.Choose a walk that fits available time and energy.Keep exploring without losing orientation.Leave in time through a suitable exit.
FrictionAn entrance may be closed; its status may be unknown.Distance alone does not explain the effort.Fatigue or a blocked path makes the original plan unsuitable.The nearest exit and remaining walk may be unclear.
Positive moments*The entrance is found and the visit can begin.The next section feels manageable.A clear alternative restores a sense of control.The walk ends without unnecessary detours.
Emotions*AnticipationAnticipationUncertaintyUncertaintyConcernConcernReliefRelief
Active garden walk: satellite map, current position, pause and finish controls
Visitors resting beside a stream in Tbilisi Botanical Garden
Find a placeSee the pathChoose your next step
•• 07Structure

Information Architecture

Four sections connect finding a place, choosing a path and planning a visit.
Selected branches are shown below; shared details and recovery states continue in the full architecture.

Home screen with map, nearby places, walks by time and visitor information

Map

  • Home and map
  • My position
  • Places on the map
  • Entrances and exits

Nearby

  • Places nearby
  • Categories and facilities
  • Filters
  • Open now · no stairs

Route

  • Route options
  • Active walk
  • Change plan
  • Route to an exit
  • Walk complete

Garden

  • Opening hours
  • Visitor guidance
  • Accessibility
  • Offline map
  • Data sources
Place detailsEntrance detailsShared searchGPS & offline states
•• 08Key journey

User Flow

Choose a place, check the path and start walking.
Manual starting points and alternative paths keep the journey moving when location or access changes.

Main journey excerpt · search, offline and recovery branches continue below

Open the app
Home
Location available?
Choose a place
Choose a start manually
Place details
Path available?
Choose a route
Navigation
Another path or another place
Arrive at destination
Pause · resume walkChange planOffline & recoverySearch & filters

Find a place. Check the path.
Make the garden your own.

Walk complete screen
Paused walk and terrain profile
Place search results

Pause when you need to.
Keep exploring at your pace.

•• 10Wireframes

Wireframes

Wireframes define content and actions across search, route selection,
navigation and recovery states.

Home wireframe
Map wireframe
Nearby wireframe
By time wireframe
Place wireframe
Route wireframe
Navigation wireframe
Change route wireframe
Search wireframe
Entrance wireframe
No location wireframe
Offline wireframe
•• 11Map views

Map layers

Read the terrain in satellite view. Find paths and landmarks on the park plan.
Switch between them without losing your selected place.

Satellite & terrain
Satellite and terrain view of the garden map

Open layers

One tap.
Two ways to read the map.

Choose your view

Map layers sheet with satellite and park plan previews

Different view. Same place.

Your point of reference stays on the map.

Park plan
Park plan view of the garden map
•• 12App illustrations

Landmarks

Recognise a place. Discover its details. Find it on the map.

  • Queen Tamar Bridge: ink illustrationQueen Tamar Bridge
  • Bamboo Grove: ink illustrationBamboo Grove
  • Japanese Garden: ink illustrationJapanese Garden
  • Himalayan Cedar: ink illustrationHimalayan Cedar
  • Cherry Blossom: ink illustrationCherry Blossom
  • Garden Waterfall: ink illustrationGarden Waterfall

Six landmarks, one visual language.

Garden highlights screen with six landmark cards
Find a placeIllustrations make places easier to recognise.
•• 13Walking experience

Getting started

Open the guide, get your bearings and explore the garden.
The first visit starts without an account.

A simple way in

Explore nearby places, plan your visit or open the map straight away.

Location is requested when you choose to find yourself on the map.

  1. Welcome screen of the garden guideWelcome
  2. Home screen with search, map entry and walk choicesHome
  3. Garden map with places and a preview cardExplore the map
  4. Place details screen for Queen Tamar BridgePlace details
•• 14Key interactions

Explore your way

Four ways to turn a garden visit into a walk that fits you.

  1. Search results screen with a found place

    Find a place

    Search for a landmark, a plant or an exit. Move from a result to its details without losing your context.

  2. Walk planner with time and path preferences

    Make time for the garden

    Choose how long you have and the kind of path you prefer before you start.

  3. Garden map with places and a preview card

    Explore on the map

    See places in their surroundings. Switch the map view and keep your bearings.

  4. Paused walk with elevation profile and choices

    Adjust your walk

    Pause to check the terrain ahead. Continue, choose another path or find an exit.

•• 15Location states

Your starting point

Locate yourself, or choose a familiar place to start.

Location available
Map with the visitor located in the garden

You are here

Tap your location

Allow location access to find yourself. Or choose a start manually.

Choose manually
Map with a landmark selected as the starting point

A starting point, without live tracking

•• 16Walking flow

A walk from start to finish

Follow, pause, change your route and finish at your own pace.

  1. Navigation screen following the routeFollowing the route
  2. Paused walk with the elevation profilePaused
  3. Confirmation before finishing the walkFinish confirmation
  4. Walk complete screen with time, distance and placesWalk complete

Your walk, your pace

Keep the route while paused. Confirm before finishing, then return to the garden.

Choosing another way with two route options
Compare the optionsRoute values illustrate the concept.
Confirmation sheet before changing the route
Keep current route

Change of plan

A blocked path or a tougher climb. Review an alternative, or choose an exit.

You decide when to continue.

The current route stays in place until you confirm the change.

Tbilisi Botanical Garden: closing composition with the garden waterfall, the paused walk and the search screen

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