The problem
A shopper walks in looking for a specific store, can’t find it, and leaves. A family spends ten minutes circling the food court instead of spending that time in the stores nearby. A first-time visitor gives up on the static directory because it’s just a wall of names.
Malls and shopping centers are designed to move people through space, but most of them have dead zones, confusing layouts, and no real way to understand where foot traffic goes or drops off. Lost shoppers don’t just leave frustrated. They leave without buying.
What the pilot does
We build a live wayfinding prototype inside one area of your mall: a single floor, a cluster of anchor stores, or a zone where foot traffic is highest. Shoppers scan a QR code or open a link and get directions to any store, restroom, or entrance on their phone. It works on any device without an app or extra hardware.
The pilot runs for 4 weeks. You see real data on how people move through the space, which routes they take, and whether wayfinding actually changes behavior. At the end, you decide whether a full deployment makes sense.
Scope
One focused area. A single floor, an anchor store cluster, or a zone with the highest foot traffic. We pick the scope together based on where wayfinding would have the most immediate impact.
The prototype runs for the duration of the pilot. If you want to keep, expand, or maintain it beyond that, we will talk about what a paid engagement looks like.
What you get
- A working wayfinding interface in one area of your mall, accessible via QR code or web link
- Data on foot flow: which routes shoppers take, which areas get skipped, where people wander
- Feedback from real users: shoppers and tenants on whether it actually helps
- A published case study with your organization named
- Clarity on whether a full deployment is worth the investment
What we need from you
- Floor plans or CAD files for the pilot area
- One point of contact from mall management
- Permission to publish a case study
That is it. We handle the build, deployment, and iteration. You just tell us which stores or zones matter most.
How it works
Week 1: Map. We build a digital map from your floor plans and configure routing for the pilot area.
Week 2: Deploy. We place QR codes at mall entrances, near anchor stores, and at directory replacement points. Shoppers scan them to get directions to any store, restroom, or entrance on their phone. It works without an app or kiosk.
Week 3: Iterate. We refine based on what we learn, usually a few quick adjustments to routes, store labels, or the interface.
Week 4: Publish. We write a case study together and discuss whether a full deployment makes sense. If it does, we will outline next steps and pricing. If it does not, we part ways with what we learned.
What comes next
The pilot uses QR codes because they work everywhere, today. As we grow, the same maps will make navigation automatic and effortless.