Bringing outdoor exploration to life through augmented reality
As Product Manager at Ordnance Survey, I led the discovery and procurement of an ambitious augmented reality game designed to encourage more people to get outside. Developed as part of the GetOutside campaign, the project combined Ordnance Survey’s world-leading geospatial data with immersive gameplay to inspire a new generation of explorers.
The Challenge
Research showed that people were spending less time outdoors, particularly younger audiences. Ordnance Survey wanted to create an engaging digital experience that would encourage families and individuals to discover Britain’s landscapes through location-based challenges, rewards and augmented reality.
The challenge was to define a compelling product vision, validate the concept and identify the right development partner to bring the idea to life.
My Approach
- Product Discovery – defining the product vision through user research, workshops and stakeholder engagement.
- Customer Research – identifying audience needs, motivations and behaviours to shape gameplay and user experience.
- Market Analysis – reviewing the emerging AR gaming market and assessing opportunities to create a unique product using Ordnance Survey’s geospatial expertise.
- Product Strategy – developing a roadmap that aligned customer needs with business objectives and the wider GetOutside campaign.
- Procurement & Agency Selection – co-authoring a £1 million procurement specification with the procurement team, managing the tender process and leading the evaluation and shortlisting of specialist game development agencies.
Results
The project established a clear product vision and delivery strategy for a world-scale augmented reality experience that encouraged people to explore Britain’s outdoors in new ways. By combining customer insight, strategic product thinking and a structured procurement process, the project laid the foundations for an innovative digital product that supported Ordnance Survey’s long-term digital transformation and outdoor engagement strategy.
