Vogaĝi

We give voice to forgotten cities
Survey
Initial Version
Wireframe

“Travel is to know the world.” But… have you ever wondered **which part* of the world?*

That question changed everything for me. Because if you look closely, most people travel to the same places: the most famous, the most “Instagrammable.” And while those places are crowded with tourists, many small towns remain invisible, even though they hold cultural treasures.

And that’s how Vogaĝi was born. The word means “to travel” in Esperanto, a language created to connect the world, and even if it never fully took off, our idea definitely did.

Inspiration

Vogaĝi grew from the frustration of seeing heritage being forgotten.

I wanted to give a voice to small towns that deserve attention.
I wanted to make history feel like a game, not like homework.
I wanted to build something that supports local communities while inspiring people to travel sustainably.

I used Design Thinking to guide: understanding travelers, mapping their needs, and analyzing why heritage remains invisible. Then came the brainstorming, DAFO analysis, and a survey with 60+ participants.

The results spoke loud and clear:

92% believed an app like Vogaĝi could improve cultural tourism.
80% thought the invisibility of heritage is a serious problem.
70%+ highlighted gastronomy and history as the best parts of a trip.

That data told me I wasn’t alone. People were waiting for something like Vogaĝi.

What it does

Vogaĝi is an app designed for families, students, and travelers who want more than a postcard picture.

It offers interactive maps, routes with cultural challenges, and gamification to make exploration fun.
It includes community-created content, so locals can share stories, traditions, and hidden spots.
It even allows filtering by air quality, accessible itineraries, and in the future, will include a cultural calendar of festivals and traditions.

Our motto: “Make the invisible visible.” Because every forgotten city hides a story worth telling.

How I built it

I used Thunkable to create the prototype, which was a big challenge because I had never programmed with it before. Also, Canva to create the initial visual prototypes and tests to see what the aesthetics would look like. I additionally designed the concept, user flow, and visuals of the app. To validate the idea, I launched a survey with more than 60 responses, which helped me understand what travelers really want.

Social Impact

Vogaĝi is designed to empower small communities by redirecting tourism flows to places often overlooked. According to our initial survey (60+ participants):

78% of respondents said they would be more motivated to visit small towns if experiences were gamified.
65% indicated they would use their points in local shops, creating a direct economic impact.
70% highlighted that sustainability was important in their travel choices.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Designing my very first complete app prototype.
Collecting real data from over 60 people to shape the app.
Creating a concept that combines technology, culture, and sustainability.
Building a project that has the potential to leave a real impact.

Who it helps

Young travelers and families: discover history in a fun, interactive way.
Local communities: gain visibility, support for small businesses, and renewed interest in their heritage.
Educators and students: access educational experiences outside the classroom.

Why it matters

Small towns often get overlooked in tourism, losing both cultural relevance and economic opportunity. Vogaĝi helps preserve heritage, promotes sustainable travel, and ensures that cultural knowledge reaches the next generation. It transforms travel into a meaningful, educational, and responsible experience.

What I learned

Listen first. Surveys and feedback shaped the app more than my initial ideas.
Small details matter. From button sizes to accessibility filters, design is about people.
Technology is a teacher. Every bug forced me to learn faster than any tutorial.
Heritage has layers. It’s not just monuments, it’s food, stories, festivals, and people.
Building is about sharing. Presenting Vogaĝi taught me that innovation isn’t real until others believe in it too.

Challenges I ran into

Balancing fun and education: making sure it wasn’t too academic, but not too trivial either.
Thunkable limitations: we had to find creative workarounds for features we imagined.
Bug fixing: the infamous “goldfish memory” counter that forgot points until we cracked it with global variables.
Prioritization: with so many ideas (AR, AI, sustainability filters), focusing on what mattered most for the MVP.
Pitching the vision: many people don’t see the value of gamified heritage until they actually try it.

What’s next for Vogaĝi

This is just the beginning. Next steps include:

Augmented Reality → point your phone and see how a monument looked 200 years ago.
Artificial Intelligence → personalized recommendations based on interests.
Community quests → locals and historians creating routes themselves.
Impact dashboards → towns can measure cultural and economic benefits.
Expansion of accessibility → multilingual, audio-friendly routes, and inclusive filters.

And always aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 4 - Quality Education (cultural learning fun and accessible).
SDG 8 - Decent Work & Economic Growth (supporting local shops and tourism).
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities & Communities (revitalizing heritage).
SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption & Production (promoting conscious travel).

P.S.: The link to the Deck is in the Canva link. In order to view the app correctly, you will need to register with Thunkable. Registration will allow you to test the app and view the code.