The Governing Body of Suomenlinna

The Suomenlinna Mobile Guide gathers essential information into one service and guides visitors around the World Heritage Site

Suomenlinna is one of Finland's most visited tourist destinations with more than one million annual visitors. Managing visitor flows on the site is challenging, as it is a protected World Heritage Site, which means that the placement of physical signs requires careful consideration. The Suomenlinna Mobile Guide, utilizing new types of technologies, was developed to facilitate smooth people flow and navigation during visits.

The Governing Body of Suomenlinna decided to design the mobile guide together with Tietotalo's experts. The aim was to create a service concept that would provide all relevant service and destination information as well as guidance between destinations in one easy-to-adopt digital service. The end result was a visually impactful and technically verified service concept –– the Suomenlinna Mobile Guide.

Agile working methods, user tests, and listening to key groups produced a functional service concept

The project was implemented as an iterative project according to design thinking principles, alternating between design periods, workshops, user tests, and reviews for about 3 months. From the cornerstones of the service, we first designed wireframe models, then a more detailed visual design once the basic solutions of the concept were established.

During the project, user testing was carried out using wireframe models and visualized models. The tests tested key use cases of the service. The findings of the user tests helped guide the design work. During the project, four separate workshops were organized, in which different Suomenlinna stakeholder groups participated in the ideation and planning of the service concept.

The starting point is service and intelligent navigation at the destination

Serviceability was chosen as the starting point for the concept: when planning the visit and navigation during the visit.

The service concept had to take into account e.g. the fact that 60% of all visitors are foreigners and the basic information about Suomenlinna is very limited in some places. The concept, therefore, communicates destination information well and encourages even reluctant visitors by estimating the duration and length of the visit and also offering ready-made route options.

The service's solutions increase average latency and central purchasing, e.g. making use of location information, such as the presentation of nearby services and historical sites that might not be easy to find yourself. The service also ensures that the visitor makes it back in time to catch the ferry by sending pop-up reminders about the selected ferry time. Ferry schedules are also clearly displayed in the service.

  • Essential destination information and navigation in one service
  • Plan your visit in advance
  • Ferry schedules as an integral part of the service
  • Navigation assistance from one site to another
  • Increases central purchasing through smart service purchases
  • Easy route and easily accessible destinations are clearly identified
  • Improves visitor safety and offers local residents peace of mind
The map view shows all services and destinations on the site map
The map view shows all services and destinations on the site map
Filters can be used to browse different types of destinations and search results on the map
Filters can be used to browse different types of destinations and search results on the map
The user can easily see the ferry service and other services nearby
The user can easily see the ferry service and other services nearby
In the ‘My Plan’ view, you can plan your own Suomenlinna experience and share it
In the ‘My Plan’ view, you can plan your own Suomenlinna experience and share it
Ready-made route templates help you plan your visit
Ready-made route templates help you plan your visit
Info cards offer comprehensive information on all destinations
Info cards offer comprehensive information on all destinations

The best of an online service and mobile app in one package

It was decided to implement the Suomenlinna Mobile Guide as a progressive web application (Progressive Web App or PWA), because unlike traditional applications, a PWA application does not need to be distributed in app stores, but distribution and implementation are as easy as navigating to a standard online service. This technical solution facilitates the marketing, distribution, and deployment of the application. In practice, a PWA is an intelligent web service that utilizes the latest browser features, which enable e.g. data caching and push communications. A PWA combines the best aspects of an online service and a traditional mobile app.

Comment

On behalf of the Governing Body of Suomenlinna, all I can say is that the project was handled from start to finish in a professional manner. It was an exciting way to plan a technical implementation!

Petteri Takkula
Development Manager, The Governing Body of Suomenlinna

Get in touch! I'll be happy to tell you more.

Do you want to hear more about the implementation of our Suomenlinna and other service design projects? Get in touch and let's talk!

Jarno Malaprade

CMO, Service Design

+358 (0)40 546 1110
jarno.malaprade@tietotalo.fi