May 25

May 25 Red Balloon

Contextual Research, User Testing, Persona Development, Business Strategy, Visual Communication

Red Balloon: A Surprise-driven, Location-based Social Network

Red Balloon is a location-based social network that is driven by surprise. The project is product of a team effort in the class Business Innovation and Global Marketing Strategies. The course’s goal was to guide students in the development of an innovative business idea from the initial concept to the business model, user experience and user interface. The first steps required the use of methods such as Blue Ocean Strategies and network analysis to identify possible areas of development and literature such as Marty Neumeier’s Zag: The Number One Strategy of High Performance Brandsand Alexander Osterwalder’s Business Model Generation to better understand and develop business strategies, project scope and design approach.

Concept Exploration

Concept Development

The"Pixar Pitch"

People

"Once upon a time the trend was to hate uncertainty, to plan every path and count every step. Every day people would go through the same places and never see new things even if they were right in front of them. One day they decided to close Google Maps and start wondering. Because of that, they discovered places in the city they had never seen and felt happier and prouder of their environment. Because of that, they became more social with many stories to share but they couldn’t get other to experience it in a similar way. Until finally, Red Balloon allowed them to leave their experience in each place so other’s could see the world through their eyes."

Cities

"Once upon a time the city was a maze of unknown spaces. Every day people would walk around to discover new parks, activities and stores. One day the city map was placed in everyone’s hand. Because of that, people chose exactly were they wanted to go and ignored everything else the city offered. Because of that, they lost the opportunity to discover city and value its qualities. Until finally, Red Balloon offered the city the opportunity to be experienced in an engaging and mutually beneficial way."