Client
Mandai Group - App
Year
2024 - 2025
Role
Design Director
Team
Design Director
UX Designer
UX Writer
Focus
Strategy, Vision & Direction
UX Reviews & Guidance
User Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
With Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s new branding and direction, they sought to enhance their flagship app—primarily used by visitors within the parks—by integrating new features to improve the experience.
With these additions, a reorganization of the app was inevitable. I led the team to go beyond the immediate requests, crafting a long-term vision for the client.
Through audits and competitor analysis, we developed a strategic roadmap that not only incorporated the new features but also set the foundation for future enhancements.
Vision & Strategy
Enhancing the MFA required more than just adding new features—it needed a strategic overhaul. As Design Director, I led a strategic UX audit and competitor analysis to redefine the user journey, seamlessly integrating new functionalities while ensuring long-term scalability.
With the launch of Mandai Wildlife Resort (stay) and Rainforest Wild Asia (park), I focused on future-proofing the experience, aligning both short-term needs and long-term goals. This meant rethinking architecture, optimizing navigation, and crafting a roadmap that balanced immediate improvements with sustainable, forward-looking solutions.
The overview above outlines the restructured user journey, incorporating both current and future features alongside potential enhancements. This strategic framework served as a foundation, guiding the direction of the project.
Competitor studies and user research provided key insights into the overall app experience, shaping our approach to enhancing usability.
With Mandai Group’s shift towards positioning itself as a holistic destination—encompassing the Wildlife Resort and Rainforest Wild Asia—it became essential to reevaluate the MFA’s information architecture to ensure a seamless, future-ready experience.
The 'Transport' feature launched in February 2025.
Originally, my team sought to integrate it with the existing in-park map for a seamless wayfinding experience. However, due to client constraints, we refined the approach—simplifying the feature while ensuring smooth navigation across the reserve to maintain a cohesive user journey.
The visuals above illustrate a user's journey through the app, from arrival at MWR to exploring within and eventually departing.
As part of the client handover, we developed guidelines to maintain UI consistency. Without access to their design system or components, we crafted them from scratch, ensuring the new features seamlessly matched the existing app’s look and feel.
While the Quick Access bar update may seem subtle, it marks the first step toward a more user-centric design—prioritizing visitor needs over MWR’s offerings.
As part of the effort to unify the user journey and information hierarchy across MWR platforms, the integration of Dine and Shop aligns seamlessly with the overall direction, similar to MWR Website's new information architecture.