#jauntful

I was surprised to learn Grignani had a background in design research, which was really exciting for me, as I’m hoping to pursue that particular line of work after school (and over the summer, where I’ll be tackling design research at frog). 

This user-focused skill set came into play as Jauntful was not only borne from a passion for traveling, but also out of a specific user need. During our conversation, Grignani described a situation in which his partner Moka, also co-founder of Jauntful, had a very particular problem: She was traveling to Hong Kong, didn’t have the best of navigation skills, and wouldn’t always have access to her mobile phone. 

Before she left, Grignani, who was himself familiar with Hong Kong, designed her a one-page guide. It was a map with her hotel in the middle, populated with restaurants and stores he thought she would like. He also included tips on the side, like not to use taxis when traveling from the airport and that she could find free wifi at Starbucks. 

He opted for creating a physical map, partly because she wouldn’t have to rely on her phone, but also because the map itself didn’t have any intrinsic value—if she lost it she could just print it again, a important consideration for those who are traveling someplace unfamiliar. 

The trend toward meaningful physical artifacts is something I’ve been feeling as a graduate student, particularly as professors push us to prototype and create. We’re all a bit leery of screens, having spent so much time in front of them. However, Grignani’s insight was not to make too big a fuss about the physicality of the maps. Rather, they are pragmatic and re-printable, which feels like a sigh of relief. Here is a product that isn’t as interested in preserving itself as it is in sharing knowledge. 

Furthermore, a printed map can be used by a demographic that may not be capable of downloading a new app to their smart phone, or even using Google Maps for that matter. Similarly, the app itself eases the process of creating maps. Grignani described that it took him 2-3 hours working with InDesign to create a personalized map, but he knew most people didn’t have the skill set to do so. “We wanted to make it attainable for everyone,” he said. 

When I asked Grignani how his background as a designer influenced his Jauntful, I heard the words of my professor, Gary Chou, echoed back. Grignani said, “It’s not easy when you start a company. We obviously spent a lot of time designing the experience, but the big picture? We could have launched Jauntful in a much rougher state.” He went on to say, "As a designer, you strive for perfection and agonize over every detail the experience. But as an entrepreneur, your goal is launch as early as possible to grow the business. That conflict is the daily struggle of designer-entrepreneurs."