How Busy IS?

How might we help socially anxious users make more confident decisions about visiting public venues by improving visibility into real-time crowd conditions?

How Busy Is...? was a speculative service design concept developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how real-time occupancy data could help people make safer, more informed decisions about visiting public spaces.

The project investigated how existing QR check-in infrastructure could be repurposed into a customer-facing experience that reduced uncertainty around overcrowding, supported people with social anxiety, and helped users better plan trips to shops, venues, and events.

The concept combined UX design, behavioural thinking, and service ecosystem planning to create a platform that balanced public safety, customer confidence, and business participation.

Client / Self Directed

Date / 2021

My Skillset

Service Design

Research & Discovery

Insights & Synthesis

Strategy & Framing

My
Method

This project was approached through a service design lens, focusing on both customer needs and the broader operational ecosystem required to support the experience.

The process involved:

Problem framing around overcrowding anxiety and post-COVID public confidence
Stakeholder analysis across consumers, venues, retailers, and event operators
User-centred research into behaviours, motivations, and pain points surrounding public outings during the pandemic
Development of empathy maps and personas to understand emotional and practical decision-making
Journey mapping to identify friction points before, during, and after visiting venues
Service ecosystem thinking around QR infrastructure, retailer participation, incentives, and data accuracy
Value proposition development to align customer benefits with business adoption
Early-stage prototyping and concept visualisation for the mobile application experience
Feasibility and implementation planning through production, rollout, and marketing considerations

The project explored how digital services can influence behavioural choices while improving both customer confidence and operational transparency.

Insights

Research and concept exploration identified several recurring behavioural and operational themes:

Users wanted greater certainty before travelling to venues or events
Overcrowding created stress for both health-conscious and socially anxious users
Existing QR systems created an opportunity to leverage infrastructure people were already familiar with
People were more likely to attend venues when they felt they had visibility and control over the experience
Businesses could benefit from improved customer confidence and crowd flow transparency
Trust and participation accuracy were critical to the success of the platform
Real-time visibility had value beyond COVID-19, including convenience, planning, and accessibility

Outcomes &
Deliverables

The project resulted in a speculative end-to-end service concept exploring how digital systems could support safer and more informed public experiences during periods of uncertainty.

Deliverables included:

Service concept development
Brand identity and application naming
User personas and empathy mapping
Research planning and interview frameworks
Customer journey mapping
Value proposition development
Service ecosystem planning
Triple bottom line analysis
Production and implementation planning
Mobile application interface concepts
Marketing and rollout strategy documentation

The project demonstrated an early exploration of service design thinking through the integration of customer experience, operational systems, behavioural considerations, and business viability.