Gowalla

Our review

Who cares? – Anyone who is interested in GPS location based apps which can be used to socially interact with other users. Is it user friendly? – Gowalla is easy and simple enough for anyone to use. The tabs for navigation are easily identifiable and presented in a very appealing design Why should I download it? – Unlike other location based apps, Gowalla is designed more for travelers and people who want to experience the world outside rather than focusing on a socially competitive aspect. Gowalla is a location based app and has been dedicated to improvements for users. Most people don’t know that Gowalla was released the same day as Foursquare. Gowalla does not have as many users as some competitors, but its design and user friendliness may be better than any other location based app. What separates Gowalla from other location based apps is that instead of a major emphasis being placed on competitive checking-ing there is a motivation to experience something. Some of these experiences are created in what Gowalla calls trips. There are pre-made trips available in your area which have certain check-in points needed to complete the trip. There are also challenges designed to become an active traveler or engaged Gowalla user. For instance the Bar Hop pin is awarded after checking-in to 10 bars and the 110 film pin is awarded after adding 10 photos to Gowalla. The whole idea is to post pictures to share your experience with friends and others who may want to check-in to the same place on their trips. The idea of sharing your experience with others is a unique twist on location based apps and something I predict will grow larger as more people become familiar with the idea of checking-in.