Client → Port de Barcelona
[Best Thesis 2017 // IED Barcelona]
Service → Experience Design & Brand Strategy
Duration → 9 months
Team members → 2
Before the celebration fo the Olympic Games in 1992 (Barcelona) an important budget allocation was made to the expansion and construction of the artificial Harbour. The goal was to design a future touristic hub which could accommodate a wide selection of entertaining activities: from restaurants to water sports and private clubs.
In 2017 new permits have been granted to keep expanding the area close to the W Hotel, adding a new dock and a cultural centre. However, the area is lacking the infrastructure to fulfil the transport needs of the tourists and locals. Currently there is only one road communicating the city with the harbour area, which needs to host: public transport, taxis, bicycles and private vehicles (cars and scooters).
1 | The Challenge
How might we design an innovative and sustainable transport experience in order to stabilise the flows of passengers by reducing peak hours and at the same time improve the positioning of Port de Barcelona as a Smart Port?
The two points to be connected were already established by the Port of Barcelona: the Columbus statue and the W Hotel.
2 | Insights
→ The better the service is integrated within the circular economy, the better will be the positioning of the Port of Barcelona as Smart Port.
→ The modularity of the vehicle makes it possible to test the nature of the service and the most desired route.
→ The efficiency of the service derives from the correct implementation of an integral wayfinding system, the boat design, the support of the ticket, and the validation mechanism.
→ The communication strategy and positioning will be the key to the success.
3 | The Service
The delivery of the project aimed to communicate the constituents of service experience. We designed several installations to showcase the final strategy.
Through the journey, Port de Barcelona obtained a haptic overview of the brand strategy and the key elements of the system, as well as the constituents of a great experience. Nonetheless, interactive iterative prototypes were displayed as storytelling of the process followed.
In order to visualise the experience we mapped the journey of all the possible "personas" or main target groups emphaising their particular needs and main appreciation points.
