Week 6
HI. I did further refinements and collected more opinions and feedback, hopefully gaining more insights to improve.
In this blog, I will be going through the usual progress; sharing my refinement progress, analyzing feedback from advisors and thoughts on improvement.
I started to build up low-fidelity wireframes to have an overview of the user flow. I provided different options to gather more input from my advisor.
First sharing
Landing page
I roughly created 2 layouts for the landing page, my idea was to place the "themed lands" as a secondary hierarchy and the personalization feature as the primary/call-to-action. I decided to place both of these features on the same page for a more simplified flow for users to go through. User's option:
Discovery a place near their location // Explore place that they are interested in
Information page
As for the information page, the different visuals will appear according to the different "themed-land" chosen. In this example:
The add-on feature would be allowing users to learn and access other "themed-land" in-within the assigned location. In this case, users will also learn that the Pitcher's plant can also be found in Kinabalu Park, Sabah.
Quiz personalization (optional)
I tried another way of delivering the personalization feature, instead of a "texty" quiz, I decided to try proposing a more visualized quiz.
This was the content planning of how the quiz works, so each options will be represented by a visual, users will go through all 3 and eventually build up a scene. After the quiz, users will be assigned to a specific location that could align with their customize scene.
Summarize feedback:
- Among the 2 proposed personalization feature, geo-location might be more relevant to users
- Can try thinking adding value to the website, educate users about the ecotourism industry; how it benefits the country or individuals? The current status is not significant enough
- Set a bigger goal for users to achieve, an ultimate goal that this microsite wants users to achieve
My thoughts:
- I agree with the the geo-location feature being more effective and useful compared to the quiz personalization, I just wanted to see how doable the quiz personalization
- I also agree with the aspect of adding value; while providing different locations to users, I have always thought about what could encourage and educate them more, I guess this is the part where the value and significance of the microsite comes in
- I will need to do more reading about the ecotourism industry and the contribution towards the country or even the people
- I will also need to further think about how the geo-location going to work at places that has less density of ecotourism places
Research and readings
I started to proceed with the additional readings first to gain more insight about this industry. There were already some initial research done and it can be seen in my Week2 blog.
I gathered additional reading materials:-
Local economic benefits of ecotourism development in Malaysia: The case of Redang Island Marine Park (2007)
Ecotourism Impacts on the Economy, Society and Environment of Thailand (2017)
The Identification of Criteria for Ecotourism Practice in Peninsular Malaysia (2019)
Egypt launches campaign to promote natural reserves, ecotourism (2020)
Summarize points:-
- Ecotourism = sustainable travel
It benefits the economic well-being of locals
Encourage environmental conservation
- Ecotourism is a conservation tool
Allows people to see the value towards the countries natural resources
It creates a sustainable economic development
Able to see the potential of the economic/exchange value of a area's natural resources
Ecotourism can help compensate the loss of destructive activities revenue
- Bioprospecting activities
Economic use of natural resources
Such as Agroforestry, Non-timber forest products, Ecotourism
Generate income from environmental enterprise by seeing the value of local resources
Locals can undergo economic practices to sustain the local community to develop ecotourism
Ecotourism helps in adapting to population increase, technological modernisation and rapid cultural change
Sustainable enterprises do not negatively impact natural resources for economic incentives
- Value of natural environment
the uniqueness
socio-cultural value
importance of tradition
- Ecotourism is a business
the community resources contributing to the industry
A sustainable economic activity
Attract nature tourists or ecotourists
Nature tourists are people seeking enjoyment in a natural setting
Ecotourists have environmental and cultural understanding, willing and eager to interact with local environment people
- Niche markets in ecotourism
Motivation and commitment to environmental responsibility
Desire for direct interaction with local community or environment
Willingness to face physical challenge
- Operators
Provide services to attractions and activities
Partner with communities
Outbound tour operators: bringing in international tourist
Inbound tour operators: in their own host country
- Egypt promoting ecotourism
promote their natural reserves
raising awareness of sustainable development issues and preserving the nature
encourage community participation
encourage people to learn about the different cultures of the local population
a role to protect the environment and biodiversity
supports the sustainability of natural resources
Develop and manage the natural reserves according to the global system
Preserve the natural reserves while maximizing economically, socially and culturally
Able to revive the national economy
- Tonle Sap, Cambodia
Homestay experience as a sustainable development and able to support the local community
Receiving environmental conservation education from locals while raising awareness and gaining appreciation of the natural landscapes
Profit are contributed back to the locals to conserve the specific allocations
To promote a sustainable industry, conservation towards the environment, empower the locals and cultural immersion, improve community development
- Ecotourism in Malaysia
Malaysia is rich with natural areas
Ecotourism practice help in conserving natural areas, sustaining the economy and benefitting local people
Consider on conservation measures, meaningful community participation and profitable while sustain itself
Minimize ecological and socio-cultural impacts while benefitting the economy
Malaysians have misperception of ecotourism being involve only on heavy/active activities
Malaysia lack of effective and consistent approaches for efficient sustainable management practice
Focus tours are ecotourism attractions, flora and fauna and natural/cultural features
Economic impact on the local populations: Income generation, Employment opportunities and Business opportunities
The revenue helps sustain the places
Conclusion:
Ecotourism is a sustainable economic industry that not only contributes to the national economy but also to the local communities. It profits while conserving and preserving natural areas. It is able to sustain itself from the revenue, a better way to conserve the nature with community participation. Everyone can be contributing to this industry and play a role in sustaining the natural areas.
I did further findings on what could possible motivate and encourage users more. I found out that the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is quite active in organizing events and programs. There are variety of events and programs that educates and enlighten people about nature. Maybe because of the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the events are running online virtually now. I search up their past events before the pandemic and I saw some physical volunteer work.
I think adding a feature where users could sign up to be a member of this society or participate in their events could encourage users more. Introducing users to this society would also help them realized that there are a community out there that is passionate about the environment.
That's all for now, in my next blog, I will be refining further more to prepare for the concept test. I would like to know whether my current idea is really working and hopefully I can quickly have a solid concept and idea to proceed with.
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