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DESIGNATHON 2026 · PROBLEM & SOLUTION

A room number
isn’t the whole journey.

Students need to know where to go, what to expect, and whether a place fits the time they have.

ONE EVERYDAY MOMENT

14:30
MARK101 Tutorial

Room 2.70 · Block 19

Which building?
Which entrance?
Which floor?
Connect the journey
01 / THE PROBLEM

A campus is more than a map.

A timetable can give a student a room number without explaining how to reach it. A campus directory can identify a library without showing its floor. A classroom may have a gap between lectures, but a blank timetable does not establish that it is physically empty or permitted for student use.

For a new student, a class in a separate building adds another transition to figure out. For someone who needs a step-free route, knowing the destination is only useful if the path works too. And “meet at the food court” still leaves the last part of a meeting unclear.

New and visiting students

Build a mental picture of buildings, entrances and floors.

Students between classes

Find a study option that fits a specific gap in the day.

Students with access needs

Understand a lift-based alternative before setting off.

02 / MINI RESEARCH

Grounded in a real campus.
Honest about what we know.

The design connects official campus information, a saved teaching timetable and firsthand campus observations. Together they identify useful destinations and the transitions a student needs to understand.

01

Facilities are distributed across floors and the neighbourhood.

UOWD documents its Ground-floor cafeteria, Level 1 café and lounge area, and Level 2 prayer rooms. It also describes collaborative and quiet library spaces and nearby dining options. This supports connecting indoor destinations with the surrounding campus area.

UOWD · Campus facilities
02

Timetable gaps are useful signals, with limits.

The local analysis of the captured Autumn 2026 timetable counted 1,174 listed sessions and 146 gaps between listed classes within weekday room envelopes. The source contains invalid date ranges, unassigned sessions and combined room labels. These are analytical observations, not confirmed date-specific vacancies or bookable space.

The application therefore uses a separate, consistent sample Monday. It labels a room as having a “Timetable gap” rather than promising real availability or permission.

Read the saved room-gap analysis
03

Student essentials extend beyond the university.

Mediclinic identifies its Al Sufouh clinic in Block 10 and a walking connection from Knowledge Village tram station. The map includes these as neighbourhood destinations alongside food and recreation.

Mediclinic · Location and contact
03 / THE SOLUTION

One place to see how
your campus day fits together.

The interactive miniature campus turns destinations into places you can recognise and explore. The model is the working interface: selecting a class reveals its building and floor; selecting a room connects its schedule with directions.

See beyond the façade

Separate the building’s floors, open a detailed level and inspect a room or amenity.

Look ahead

A small time control changes room states and filters, helping students plan for after class.

Connect indoors and outdoors

Choose your starting place, travel between floors and buildings, and confirm arrival before your next journey.

Choose a step-free path

A lift route changes both the directions and the path drawn through the model.

Meet without constant tracking

Temporary meeting pins have a chosen audience, visible expiry and manual removal. No continuous location is collected.

Choose the view you need

Overview, My Day, Vacant Rooms and Explore organise the same campus around different tasks.

04 / WHY IT MATTERS

Less uncertainty.
More room for student life.

The intended benefit is a clearer decision before moving: where a class actually is, how to reach it, what is scheduled there, and where to meet afterwards. Spatial context can support orientation while time-aware information helps students make use of breaks.

The 3D presentation is purposeful. Floors separate to explain vertical space. A route crosses the neighbourhood to explain a change of building. Room colours always have text equivalents, and the destination lists provide a keyboard-accessible way through the same experience.

WHAT YOU CAN TRY TODAY

A finished experience,
with illustrative data.

Explore every UOWD floor from Ground to Level 6, and Block 19’s Level 2. Find individual printers, chargers and vending machines, report a problem, then choose an available alternative. Parking landmarks and the sports area connect the wider neighbourhood.

Room layouts, furniture, capacities, routes, travel times, schedules, device reports and friend pins are simplified or simulated. The app is an independent DesignAthon submission, not an official UOWD service.

Explore the campusNo sign-up. No GPS. No real friend tracking.