Bengaluru's lakes are under strain, many are polluted or drying up. Bellandur, the city's largest lake, receives over 520 million litres of waste daily. Once numbering around 280, only about 80 lakes remain today.

Amid this, active citizen groups have stepped up, leading rejuvenation efforts and fostering lake awareness. Mira was created to support them through shared digital tools and science-based learning resources. The initiative was led by CSEI, ATREE, Biome, and Friends of Lakes, with support from Akamai and Oracle.

Problem

How might we help the citizens of Bengaluru transform their lake visits from passive recreation into meaningful, educational, and participatory experiences that contribute to lake conservation? Existing information about the lakes is scattered and often inaccessible to visitors, limiting their ability to connect with the ecological and community efforts taking place.

Goal

To design an end-to-end minimum viable product (MVP) that transforms Bengaluru's lakes into community-driven learning spaces through digital tools and accessible, science-based insights.

What I accomplished

Foundations of the Mira Initiative

The Mira app is part of a larger effort to build an engaged community around Bengaluru's lakes. The project evolved in two phases.

On-site research

We conducted field visits to three lakes identified for the initial app launch. Our goal was to understand the existing on-ground experience, signage, information displays, and walking tracks. During these visits, we observed that many signs were hidden, damaged, or missing altogether. We also noted efforts by local lake groups and governing bodies to create dedicated spaces such as butterfly gardens and biodiversity zones.

How Research Reframed the Opportunity

• Conducted online interviews with lake groups and individual stakeholders to understand how digital tools could improve the lake experience.
• Initially assumed visitors mainly needed access to information about the lakes.
• Research revealed a deeper need for storytelling, contextual learning, and opportunities for citizens to actively contribute.
• This shifted the direction of the app from purely informational to an engaging, educational platform enabling community participation.

User personas

Based on our research insights, we identified three key user personas that represent different levels of engagement with their local lakes.

User stories

User journey maps

To understand how citizens might experience Mira during their lake visits, we mapped a sample user journey. This visualization captures the steps, emotions, and touchpoints that guide users as they explore, learn, and connect more deeply with their local lakes.

Information Architecture

We devised the information architecture to meticulously map out the user's journey within the app. The objective was to optimise their navigation through the 4 key features, creating a seamless experience while ensuring all information is easily comprehensible.

Iconography that shapes a unique navigation experience

Using simple iconography and well-defined navigation states, we designed a friendly button-based system that acts as a virtual guide. Lottie animations add motion feedback and interactivity, turning navigation into a gentle storytelling experience.

Colour Palette

The palette draws from layered shades of green inspired by Bengaluru's legacy as a 'green city,' echoing lake surfaces and tree reflections, punctuated with contrasting highlight colours to create clarity and visual hierarchy.

Typography & Language

Clean as well as versatile, Noto Sans was chosen to ensure readability across scripts. The interface was optimised for seamless translation in English and Kannada, maintaining hierarchy and consistency to support multilingual accessibility.

Home Screen Breakdown

The virtual assistant located at the bottom becomes active with user interactions. Users can also view their live location and easily navigate around the lake to explore different spots.

Onboarding flow

Designed to guide users through their initial experience with the app. After selecting their preferred language, users are systematically introduced to all the features the app has to offer.

Tour onboarding flow

Introducing the concept of a nature tour was innovative, prompting the creation of an onboarding experience for first-time users. This ensures users become familiar with the various elements on the screen, preventing any feelings of being overwhelmed.

Biodiversity tour flow

The design aims to notify users upon reaching each milestone and engaging in a related activity. These milestones are strategically aligned with the lake's design, offering activities such as bird spotting, listening to their sounds using the audio guide or identifying the trees.

Lake data flow

The lake authorities conduct measurements of various water quality aspects, including nitrate levels and dissolved oxygen. Recognizing that these values may be challenging for lake visitors or enthusiasts to comprehend, we developed user-friendly cards that serve as a simplified guide.

Micro Interactions and Lottie animation

Numerous micro-animations were used to accentuate key app functions, enhancing the Mira virtual assistant's presence with lively, interactive feedback.

Inclusive design with support for multiple regional languages allows users to select options that suit their preferences. Visual icons, images, and Lottie animations guide attention and enhance accessibility, improving the overall user experience.