RANDONAUTICA

2020 - 2022

During the first part of the COVID-19 lockdown, I sought out the creators of Randonautica after finding videos about their app on the video streaming app, TikTok. To my delight, they responded to my comments on their TikToks, and we began work on transforming the brand as an experience. We started off with developing a new logo, and it quickly snowballed into coming up with a whole new identity.

After TikTok helped connect a huge new audience with Randonautica, the app’s interface was addressed. The classic user experience was functional and hooked thousands of people on the concept, but I saw ways to simplify the design in order to provide an easy to use, cohesive experience to Randonauts all over the world. As a globally located team, we. started thinking critically about what would make the process easier to understand and more fun to pursue. We even developed an in app social media program in order to let people share their findings with each other no matter what part of the world they are in.

what is randonautica?

Randonautica is a tool created to enhance the human experience with novelty by mindfully exploring the world, the interconnectivity of the universe and to test the hypothesis that human consciousness can influence the distribution of random numbers through Mind Matter Interaction (MMI).

​Developed by the global movement, The Randonauts and based on the theories stemming from the Fatum Project, the Randonautica app was created to encourage people to venture outside of their day-to-day routine by using a quantum random number generator to derive a truly random coordinate to journey to. The phenomenon has taken the world by storm and there are millions of Randonauts exploring their surroundings in nearly every country. (Description courtesy of Randonautica.com)

SCROLL DOWN TO TRY THE INTERFACE

beginnings

Everything started off with the logo. I left comments on the Randonautica TikTok account asking if they would consider a logo redesign, and was thrilled to hear back that they wanted to get in touch. I initially started off wanting to make the old logo friendlier for the vast new audience that the experience was drawing in. The original logo depicts an owl turning its neck to look the viewer. The thing that worried me about this logo was that it did not read well at small sizes, so I wanted translate the same owl concept into something a bit more scaleable.

I also really wanted to create a solid color scheme for the brand. Initially, everything was displayed in varying shades of grey, black, &. gold with some blue patterned backgrounds. There was a bit of a dark misconception about the app and the intention behind it when it started, which I wanted to help alleviate by creating a bright and welcoming design scheme in the reworking of Randonautica. I took inspiration. from. this when creating a new palette, which can be seen above. This would come to form the main theme for the app as well.

new logo concepts

I came up with a variety of different logomarks for the brand, and was combining the combination of the owl mascot with the app’s premise of seeking out new locations. I chose to continue on with the concept in the middle due to the fact that it was simple, and could easily solve my initial motivation of being simple & scalable.

first draft of new app concepts

After coming up with a logo, I went ahead and started designing a new version of the app to send to the Randonautica team to see if they would be interested in releasing a new version. They told me later on that some people were hesitant to change the app and allow me on the team permanently, but one member pushed for them to see what I was working on, and then they decided to go forward with it.

Initially, the design was very bubbly and bright. I wanted it to feel very gameified, and welcoming to the user. I didn’t want it to feel like most other apps out there, because it truly is not conceptually. Though there were many in favor for this design, we ultimately decided to go forward with a more streamlined, easier to code version of Randonautica, which is when I really dug into the color scheme and typography that we would end up using permanently throughout time.

This version will always intrigue me, and I keep it in the back of my mind at times. Perhaps it will be able to find its way into another design elsewhere along the way.

development

As a worldwide team, we have thought critically about an app that is used worldwide to break people out of their day to day lives. Once existing as a messaging bot that would spit out a set of coordinates and an address, it has blossomed into a one-stop shop for all things adventure, offering the user different in app interactions the whole way. We have celebrated through the app as well, creating themed material based around holidays and specific cultural celebrations, giving users a way to tie their daily lives into the app.

interface

There area few different sections within the Randonautica app, which are all accessible through the menu in the top left corner.

The main section is what is used as Point Generator. They can choose an Attractor, Power, or Void Anomaly, or a Quantum or Pseudo Random Blind Spot. After choosing ones direction, the user will be taken to a tracking screen where they have the option to either outsource the address of the point into a maps app, or use the in app tracker to find their way. Users also have the option to save the points that they travel to in the Bookmarks section, as well as share them with the community.

This brings us to the Discover part of the app, which is an in-app social media of sorts. Randonauts can share their findings at the points they are sent to with an image, description, the type of point, and some tags to describe what the journey & findings consisted of. People all over the world utilize this feature to connect with each other and see others’ findings.

In order for the Randonautica team to get in contact with the users, there is also a News section of the app, where blasts can be sent out regarding events happening, and any updates that users should be aware of.

There are certain add ons that one can also purchase in app in the Shop section. Users can purchase more of the in app currency, Owl Tokens (OT for short), which allows them to generate more points. They can also buy other add ons such as eliminating the possibility to generate points on the water, extending the radius of where points can be generated, as well as other more specific additions.