Starting From Scratch
mobile tool to help newcomers build a deeper connection to their city
Aishwarya Bhattbhatt
Project Description
Moving to a new city can feel like stepping into the unknown, making it difficult to develop a sense of belonging. Starting from Scratch is an interactive mobile tool designed to help newcomers build a deeper connection to their city by encouraging urban exploration and reflection. Built with p5.js, a Node.js server, and hosted on Glitch, it is a GPS-enabled, browser-based tool accessible on mobile devices.
The tool overlays the city map with an opaque layer that gradually "scratches off" as users move around the city, revealing explored areas and encouraging wandering beyond familiar routes. Users document their experiences by assigning personalized meanings to locations through color-based tagging. Whether a park evokes calm, or a busy street feels overwhelming, this process creates a personalized, visual record of their evolving relationship with the city. Originally designed for Downtown Toronto, it is adaptable to any walkable urban environment.
Starting from Scratch contributes to urban studies and human-computer interaction by introducing a tool for place-making while exploring the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of place attachment.
BIO
Aishwarya is a Product and UX Designer based in Toronto, with 2+ years of experience and a background in architecture and interior design. She began her career designing spatial experiences that encourage interaction and engagement before transitioning into UX design, where she now crafts intuitive, user-centered digital products. With an architect’s eye for structure and a designer’s instinct for curiosity and delight, she is passionate about creating immersive experiences that bridge the physical and digital realms. She focuses on delivering personalized experiences, prioritizing user self-expression through thoughtful and intentional design. At OCADU, she has experimented with wearable electronics, computer vision, as well as integrating augmented reality and machine learning into digital products. She is also integrating AI tools into her creative workflow and learning AI-assisted coding to close the gap between design concepts and technical implementation. When she’s not designing, she’s experimenting with new recipes, exploring new parks, or hunting for the best coffee spots in Toronto.
