Introduction: Framing the Project

Introduction: Framing the Project

Introduction: Framing the Project

Aura is an immersive system for emotionally driven urban exploration—designed to reframe how people interact with cities in a time of growing social disconnection and cognitive fatigue.

What began as a speculative concept has now evolved into a working prototype across mobile, web, and physical interfaces. Through spatial storytelling, real-time emotional guidance, and collective memory design, Aura invites users to rediscover the city as a living narrative.

This project transforms everyday walking into an act of reflection, creation, and connection. From emotion-based exploration on the mobile app, to dreamscape creation on the website, to the holographic storytelling in the Time Capsule installation, Aura bridges technology and tenderness—turning urban space into a canvas for meaning.

Debuting at OCAD University's GradEx 110, Aura showcases a multidisciplinary approach to product design, service systems, and speculative futures. It demonstrates how strategic design can generate not just solutions, but stories—and offer new ways to feel, navigate, and belong in the cities we call home.

Aura is an immersive system for emotionally driven urban exploration—designed to reframe how people interact with cities in a time of growing social disconnection and cognitive fatigue.

What began as a speculative concept has now evolved into a working prototype across mobile, web, and physical interfaces. Through spatial storytelling, real-time emotional guidance, and collective memory design, Aura invites users to rediscover the city as a living narrative.

This project transforms everyday walking into an act of reflection, creation, and connection. From emotion-based exploration on the mobile app, to dreamscape creation on the website, to the holographic storytelling in the Time Capsule installation, Aura bridges technology and tenderness—turning urban space into a canvas for meaning.

Debuting at OCAD University's GradEx 110, Aura showcases a multidisciplinary approach to product design, service systems, and speculative futures. It demonstrates how strategic design can generate not just solutions, but stories—and offer new ways to feel, navigate, and belong in the cities we call home.

Aura is an immersive system for emotionally driven urban exploration—designed to reframe how people interact with cities in a time of growing social disconnection and cognitive fatigue.

What began as a speculative concept has now evolved into a working prototype across mobile, web, and physical interfaces. Through spatial storytelling, real-time emotional guidance, and collective memory design, Aura invites users to rediscover the city as a living narrative.

This project transforms everyday walking into an act of reflection, creation, and connection. From emotion-based exploration on the mobile app, to dreamscape creation on the website, to the holographic storytelling in the Time Capsule installation, Aura bridges technology and tenderness—turning urban space into a canvas for meaning.

Debuting at OCAD University's GradEx 110, Aura showcases a multidisciplinary approach to product design, service systems, and speculative futures. It demonstrates how strategic design can generate not just solutions, but stories—and offer new ways to feel, navigate, and belong in the cities we call home.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This project could not have been completed without the unwavering support, insights, and encouragement from many remarkable people.


First, I extend my deepest gratitude to Professor Alexander Manu, whose visionary thinking and strategic perspective on technology and methodology profoundly shaped the conceptual backbone of Aura. His guidance challenged me to think beyond the immediate, and to imagine systems that could truly evolve with human needs.

I am equally grateful to Professor Bernhard Dietz, who offered invaluable emotional and intellectual insights into the relationship between urban space and human experience. His sensitivity to the subtleties of daily life and hidden narratives greatly enriched the emotional fabric of this project.

Special thanks also go to my classmates, friends, and creative collaborators, whose conversations, encouragement, and honest feedback helped me continuously refine both the vision and the details of this work.


Aura is not just a result of solitary design—it is a tapestry woven from many minds, hearts, and moments shared along the way. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead

Aura envisions a future where urban exploration becomes a participatory, emotionally resonant dialogue between individuals and the cities they move through. No longer just about where we go, it’s about how we feel, reflect, and connect along the way.

With its debut at GradEx 110, Aura has laid the foundation for a new genre of experience design—one that bridges storytelling, technology, and urban life. But this is only the beginning.

Next, Aura aims to explore:

Technological partnerships in emotional computing, AR navigation, and spatial interaction

Collaborations with cultural institutions and city makers to embed Aura into real urban contexts

Pilot experiences in public spaces, from pop-up installations to guided urban journeys

Platform expansion, integrating wearable data, adaptive narratives, and community-sourced memory archives

At its core, Aura remains committed to transforming everyday movement into meaningful engagement. Every alleyway, every park, every forgotten corner holds a story—and with Aura, every step forward becomes a step inward.