WATCH ALL CITIES FROM YOUR SCREEN
A PLATFORM WHERE USERS CAN JOIN VIRTUAL WALKING TOURS GUIDED BY REAL PEOPLE, IN REAL LOCATIONS, IN REAL TIME. BUT IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT SIGNSEEING. IT’S ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. SEEING CITIES FROM THE GROUND UP, THROUGH DIVERSE, AUTHENTIC, HUMAN STORIES.
IT’S A WHOLE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
Reimagining Digital Strolls with Purpose, Perspective & People in Mind
Client: Internal project (acquired)
Scope: UX research · UI/UX design · Web development · Interactive storytelling
Deliverables: Web platform · Custom map interface · Campaign-specific features
Tech Stack: HTML · SCSS · JavaScript · Leaflet.js · Custom CMS
Special Collaboration: LUX x UN Women – “Walk Her Walk” gender equality campaign
Project Status: Successfully sold
💡 The Idea
Citywalks.live began as a quiet idea during lockdowns:
What if we could experience cities through the eyes of locals — in real time, and with real stories?
But what started as a concept for digital urban exploration quickly evolved into something far deeper:
A tool for walking in someone else’s shoes. Literally and metaphorically.
👣 The Experience We Designed
At its core, Citywalks.live is a platform where users can join virtual walking tours, guided by real people, in real locations, in real time.
But it’s not just about sightseeing.
It’s about perspective — seeing cities from the ground up, through diverse, authentic, human stories.
🎯 Our Design Goals
We knew from day one that this wasn’t going to be a standard travel platform or content aggregator. The design and UX had to support:
- Immersion – make the user feel like they’re walking right behind the guide
- Simplicity – nothing should distract from the experience
- Scalability – add new cities, guides, and themes without friction
- Social impact – create space for campaigns, movements, and global conversations
🔍 User-Centered Design
We shaped our UX around two primary personas:
👟 The Explorer
Curious, empathetic, eager to see the world beyond tourist filters.
🎤 The Local Guide
A storyteller, activist, or artist sharing their reality — from hidden neighborhoods to historic landmarks.
Our job was to connect them in a way that felt fluid, meaningful, and emotionally engaging.
🎨 UI + UX Design
🗺️ Interactive City Map
- Users land on a minimalist map that shows all available walks in a soft, neutral color palette.
- Pins animate gently, encouraging clicks without overwhelming.
- Each walk is tagged by theme, duration, and city.
📺 Walk Interface
- Every walk opens in a clean, full-screen view with video + route sync.
- Optional captions, audio-only mode, and accessibility toggles included.
- Floating timeline with key story moments and optional live chat for events.
🧭 Navigation Flow
- Discover walks by location, topic, or featured guides.
- Campaign pages (like LUX’s) are integrated seamlessly into the core experience.
🧩 Development Features
✨ Real-Time Streaming Support
We integrated seamless livestream capabilities using lightweight, latency-sensitive protocols — optimized for mobile viewers.
🗂️ Custom CMS
We built a tailored CMS to:
- Upload, tag, and publish new walks
- Assign themes, routes, and collaborators
- Schedule live streams and embed interactive campaigns
📲 Mobile-First Design
Given the global audience, the mobile experience was critical.
The entire UI is responsive, with intuitive gesture-based interactions and simplified touchpoints.
🗺️ Map Engine
We used Leaflet.js and custom tile layers to:
- Represent each city uniquely
- Support walk “routes” and live GPS markers
- Embed geolocated stories along the route
💜 The LUX x UN Women Collaboration
One of the most impactful moments in the platform’s journey was our collaboration with LUX, in partnership with UN Women, for the #WalkHerWalk campaign.
🎥 The Mission
To let users walk through global cities from a woman’s perspective, experiencing street harassment, gender bias, and social barriers firsthand, through audio and visual storytelling.
🌍 Walks Took Place In:
- Mumbai
- São Paulo
- London
- Cairo
👩💼 Our Role
- Worked closely with LUX’s creative team to craft custom walk flows and branded campaign pages
- Developed special features like interactive overlays, testimonials, and live events
- Ensured that the tone and design respected the seriousness of the issue, while still feeling empowering and personal
🎯 Outcome
The campaign had massive global reach — both online and on the ground — and Citywalks.live became a case study in how digital platforms can create empathy, provoke thought, and spark conversation.
🌱 From Side Project to Sale
What started as a small in-house project quickly grew, gaining media coverage, campaign collaborations, and interest from cultural organizations.
Eventually, Citywalks.live was acquired by a team looking to expand the platform globally, validating both our design thinking and technical architecture.
💬 Why It Reflects Our Studio’s Ethos
Citywalks.live is a perfect example of how we work:
- 🌍 We build with impact — designing platforms that create conversation and connection
- 🧭 We put users first — crafting experiences that feel intuitive, meaningful, and memorable
- 🛠️ We think modularly — building products that can grow, shift, and adapt with purpose
- 🎯 We collaborate deeply — working hand-in-hand with organizations like LUX to co-create powerful outcomes
It’s one of our proudest projects, not just because of how it looked or functioned, but because of what it made possible.
👋 Let’s Walk New Paths Together
We love building products that have meaning, whether cultural, playful, or social.
If your project needs thoughtful UX, smart development, and a team that knows how to turn ideas into impactful digital spaces, we’re always up for a walk.
