Experimental urban design card game
Hero image — Urban Futures card game box mockup
16/9 — awaiting final asset
Overview
Urban Futures is a gamified urban planning tool developed as part of the Fair Shared City Approach — an exploratory research method focused on collaborative solutions to community challenges. As part of the 1st Urban Lab project in Lagos, the goal was to introduce a playful "breaking the ice" process that actively involves women from low-income communities in urban decision-making.
My Contribution
Led end-to-end UIUX & interaction design across physical and digital phases
Designed paper wireframes and card archetypes for the physical game
Conducted virtual beta testing and iterated based on feedback
Designed hi-fi web app and mobile app including motion design and character rigging
Created sitemap and user flow for the digital version
Developed persona research to define the digital product's target audience
The Challenge
"How might we engage women from diverse backgrounds in the spatial planning and decision-making process of their cities?"
Exclusion of Women in Urban Governance
Women make up a significant portion of urban residents and play vital roles in informal systems (water, food, energy access), yet are systematically excluded from planning and decision-making. Urban environments are predominantly designed by men, for men.
Lack of Participatory Planning
Traditional planning processes are top-down, with minimal or no community input. Decisions are often made by distant policymakers and professionals disconnected from local realities.
Limited Capacity for Implementation
While innovative plans may be developed, there is often a lack of institutional capacity, funding, and political will to implement them effectively.
Research Framework
Researchers from the University of Lagos Department of Urban and Regional Planning and NGO activists used the Fair Shared City framework and the 3Rs — Recognition, Redistribution, and Resilience — to interview women of all ages in low-income communities in Oworonshoki, Lagos.
Fair Shared City framework matrix showing Core Values (Accessibility, Affordability, Co-governance) and Focus Areas (Social Justice, Spatial Justice, Environmental Justice, Digital Equity)
16/7 — awaiting final asset
Phase 01
Physical Design
Why Gamification?
Foster Education
Teach urban planning fundamentals, priority-setting, and stakeholder collaboration through hands-on play.
Build Collaboration
Foster genuine dialogue and teamwork across diverse community groups who may never otherwise meet.
Inspire Innovation
Encourage locally grounded, practical, creative solutions to real urban challenges.
Designing the Card System
The game consists of 5 card types. Guiding principles were established for each and tested for usability and clarity.
Challenge Cards
Real-life urban challenges — flooding, water scarcity, food insecurity — grounding every round in lived experience.
Role Cards
Assigned roles (community leader, urban planner, funder) so participants view challenges from multiple perspectives.
Idea Cards
Prompts for brainstorming innovative solutions — structured enough to guide, open enough to spark creativity.
Stakeholder Cards
External actors (NGOs, government agencies, private organisations) simulating real-world collaboration and negotiation.
Fund Cards
A resource allocation layer requiring participants to work within budget constraints — mirroring actual planning trade-offs.
Paper wireframe sketches of all 5 card types
16/9 — awaiting final asset
Virtual Beta Test
Screenshot of virtual beta test session on video call with research team
16/9 — awaiting final asset
A beta-test was conducted with the research team to gather feedback and refine the game. Instructions were rated as direct and navigation as intuitive.
Community Launch — Oworonshoki
Photos from paper prototype community launch in Oworonshoki, Lagos — participants playing card game at tables with moderators
16/9 — awaiting final asset
The prototype was launched in the community with moderators assigned to each group to explain the game and support participants who could not read. The session was a major success.
Feedback & Impact
90%
Participant attendance
Over 30 women from different parts of Oworonshoki participated in the first urban lab, many meeting each other for the first time.
90%
Satisfaction rate
Participants rated the card game 'Very good' and 'Excellent' and were excited to engage with the team and each other.
5
Working proposals generated
Solutions addressed real, lived challenges. Proposals covered Water, Food, Mobility, Energy and Housing.
Phase 02
Digital Design
Based on the success of the physical game, a digital version was developed to explore urbanisation challenges across developing countries — serving as an educational game for urban design students, NGOs, human rights activists, and design professionals globally.
Target Audience
Roles
- Urban design students
- Urban Design Professionals
- NGOs
- Human rights activists
Demographics
- Women
- Age 13+
- High school certificate and above
- Students, civil servants, creatives
Sitemap & User Flow
High-level sitemap — Landing Page → Lobby → Game Room → Team Room → Win/Loss with card selection nodes (Title, Role, Idea, Stakeholder, Fund cards)
16/7 — awaiting final asset
I planned a high-level sitemap to determine the user flow of the game — detailed enough to iterate on, yet simple enough to communicate to stakeholders.
Web App Wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes for web app: Landing page, Lobby (card selection), Game Room, Team Room, Win/Loss screen
16/9 — awaiting final asset
Mobile App Wireframes
Mobile wireframe flow: Splash screen → Main Menu → Onboarding → Card Reserve → Title Card → Players → Role Description → Leaderboard
9/16 — awaiting final asset
High-Fidelity Web Design
High-fidelity web app — purple/green palette, illustrated characters, landing page with 'Start Game' CTA, city selection, lobby screens
16/9 — awaiting final asset
I worked on the web design, motion design, and character rigging — creating illustrated characters inspired by real community members and leaders in Lagos.
Mobile High-Fidelity
High-fidelity mobile screens: Splash screens (Urban Resilience, Sustainable Design), Onboarding, City Selection, Pick a Role, Card Reserve, Water Scarcity challenge screen, Team Room chat, Player profile
9/16 — awaiting final asset
What I Learned
"Designing for low-literacy users taught me that clarity is not just visual — it is structural. Every card, every interaction had to work without assumptions about reading ability."
"Gamification is a powerful equalizer. Giving women the language and format of a 'game' removed the intimidation of formal governance processes and unlocked genuine participation."
"The transition from physical to digital forced me to think carefully about what makes a tactile experience translate to a screen — especially for mobile-first users in the Global South."
"Community testing is irreplaceable. Watching real participants navigate the prototype in Oworonshoki revealed gaps no desk research could have uncovered."
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