Picture this: you are inside North EDSA, finding a store to buy a few things. However, given the enormous size of North EDSA, chances are you’ll get lost inside the mall. This is what Duon Wayfinding wants to solve, as it is a unique navigation app that helps you navigate inside a mall.
Created by Gab Angeles, the idea behind Duon Wayfinding stems back in 2018 when Angeles found himself constantly getting lost inside SM Megamall. Security guards have no idea about directions, while information on Google is outdated. The idea became a reality in 2022, when Angeles’ partner(and co-founder) Miyuki Usui went home frustrated after failing to find a particular store in a mall.
The app rolled out in 2023 with SM North Edsa being the pilot area. Angeles is happy that people have a positive reception for his idea, as it is the first of its kind in the Philippines–and will be very useful especially for other large malls that are as large as 600,000 square meters.
Duon Wayfinding’s interface gives you different categories for SM North EDSA, along with a 3D map of the mall’s interior. Unlike other navigation apps, Duon Wayfinding uses indoor positioning to give you more accurate results for location and directions. The accuracy of the app can be attested down to finding things like restrooms, ATMs, and elevators. “These are small things, but on a daily basis that you’re inside any establishment, these are the small things that actually matter,” Angeles said in an interview with Spot.ph.
Angeles shared his plans for the app, which include optimizations and expanding coverage to other SM Malls like Megamall and Mall of Asia in time for the holidays and more malls in 2025. Beyond malls, Angeles shared that there in talks with other spaces that have high foot traffic like airports, hotels, museums, and universities.
“For now, we really want to focus on the navigation feature because Duon Wayfinding is, at its core, a navigation platform,” Angeles adds. “Hopefully, we’ll start to make navigation fun for Filipinos little by little.”
You can download Duon Wayfinding at Google Play Store.
