Inspiration Guide

This guide gathers inspiring examples of apps that seek to trigger serendipitous experiences; from playful walking apps to smart encounter algorithms. Scroll, click, and be surprised!

Do you know another inspiring example? Let us know!

Sproute

Sproute is a navigation app that does more than just get you from point A to B; it lets you choose how you want to travel along the way. Do you want a scenic route that passes by points of interest? Or perhaps take a path less traveled? The app uses characters with unique preferences, creating space for unexpected routes and new perspectives.

Website: https://www.juliusingemann.com/sproute.html
Country: Germany, Denmark, UK
Format: 📱 iOS app
Category: 📍 Location-based discovery

Walking Poem

This web app generates poetic walking routes based on your location. It uses Google Maps data, but directs you to random places through a poetic interface. An example of how technology can invite slowness, wonder, and discovery in the everyday.

Website: https://walk.javier.computer/ (currently offline)
Country: Global
Format: 🌐 Webapp
Category: 📍Location-based discovery

Seats2Meet

Seats2Meet uses an intelligent matching system that suggests interesting meetings based on profile data and location. Users can add tags for their expertise or interests, enabling spontaneous and relevant connections. All of this takes place within an ecosystem of co-working spaces.

Website: https://www.seats2meet.com
Country: The Netherlands (international)
Format: 🏢 Platform + physical co-working spaces
Category: 🤝 Connections

Wanderprompts

Wanderprompts provides a series of prompts and observation exercises for a slow, mindful walk. The prompts invite you to notice details you might otherwise overlook and to approach the city as a living organism. It's perfect for anyone looking to spark sensory wonder in their daily surroundings.

Website: https://wanderprompts.com/
Country: Global
Format: 🗺️ Website (printable card or mobile use)
Categorie: 🎲 Playful exploration

Fog of World

This app tracks your movements, revealing on the map only the areas you have physically explored. This creates a visual incentive to discover new places and push past your existing boundaries—like a real-time discovery map of your life.

Website: https://fogofworld.app/en/
Country: Global
Format: 📱 iOS & Android app
Category: 📍 Location-based discovery

DailUp

DialUp connects you with other people through unexpected phone calls. You set your interests or themes (e.g., art, silence, technology), and at a random moment, the app will ring and connect you with someone else who shares that interest. The result is surprising, in-depth conversations with strangers.

Website: https://dialup.com/
Country: Global
Format: 📱 iOS & Android app
Category: 🤝 Connections

Mix

Mix.com is the successor to StumbleUpon. You choose domains you are interested in (e.g., art, science, design), and Mix automatically suggests unexpected, high-quality content.

Website: https://mix.com/
Country: Global
Format: 🌐 Website and 📱 Mobile app
Category: 💡Digital discovery & content-curation

GetLostBot

GetLostBot is an experiment by researcher Ben Kirman. It offers random recommendations or suggestions for what you can watch or do online—with the goal of leading you away from algorithmic predictability. An example of how digital space can be reprogrammed towards surprise.

Website: https://ben.kirman.org/projects/getlostbot-serendipity-generator/
Country: Global
Format: 🤖 Bot / web tool
Category: 💡Digital discovery & content-curation

Wikipedia Places

The Wikipedia "Places" tab uses your location to show you articles about nearby points of interest. This allows you to discover unexpected historical or cultural facts about the places you visit or walk past, enhancing your knowledge and curiosity along the way.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Places
Country: Global
Format: 📱 iOS app
Category: 💡Digital discovery & content-curation

Camber

Camber is an app that lets you discover places through recommendations from friends and inspiring people. By linking suggestions to people you know and trust, it fosters a playful blend of local tourism and personal curiosity.

Website: https://camberapp.com/
Country: Global
Format: 📱 iOS app
Category: 📍 Location-based discovery

Totemus

Totemus blends heritage, gaming, and walking into treasure hunt-style adventures. Through puzzles and riddles, the app encourages users to (re)discover spots in their own neighborhood. It’s a playful way to foster curiosity and community engagement.

Website: https://totemus.com/en/
Country: Belgium & France
Format: 📱 iOS & Android app
Category: 📍 Location-based discovery

Unblnd

Unblnd is a social network that connects people with similar interests in an anonymous and spontaneous way. Only after there is a mutual connection do profiles become visible. It encourages openness, curiosity, and unexpected encounters.

Website: https://unblnd.com/
Country: Belgium (internationally active)
Format: 📱 iOS & Android app
Category: 🤝 Connections

The information in this inspiration guide is intended for inspirational purposes only. While we provide carefully curated descriptions, we are not responsible for the functioning, content, accessibility, or any consequences resulting from the use of these applications. The tools are managed by third parties and may change at any time in form, function, or terms of use.

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