Daily Dose of Nature

UX Product Design Prototype

background

The Community Health Improvement Plan of the Grand Rapids Area is now promoting trails, parks, and nature of the community. The department wants to improve the mental and physical well being of the community as a whole, as well improve cognitive development in the school systems of the area. I designed a prototype of an app with the potential for the community to reach these goals.

connecting with users

I interviewed a variety of people to dive deeper into their experiences with hiking, walks, and use of the trails in the local areas.

Connie is a mother of three girls. When she feels her girls need some time off technology, she enjoys going on walks with them at their local park.

Kari is a senior in high school. She often takes her dog on a walk to help relieve her of stress from schoolwork and clear her head a bit, and enjoys exploring 
new paths.

insights:

• not always adequate signage on paths
• difficult to tell lengths/distance of trails
• would be nice to have a gps feature for trails
• helpful to see photos of the trails to get a sense of the environment

With these insights I focused on creating a product that allows users to easily find trail heads and routes, track health data and metrics, and keep users engaged with the nature surrounding them.

low-fi testing

I created interfaces sketches and wireframes and had a series of users walk through the experience to gain their feedback. I used the I like, I wish, what if method to see which aspects were working and where improvements could be made.

objectives:

• fuction to track hikes, walks, runs, etc.
• feature to locate trail heads in the area
• promote outdoor exercise
• create incentives for people to use trails

worlds colliding

The profile page on the app allows the user to see their stats, favorite trails, and other data.

The app is also available for those with an Apple Watch, so that they can still track their hike if they left their phone at home.

Hikers can use use the points they collect trough walks and challenges to plant a tree in a local forest. This reward system keeps people wanting to do more.

desktop option

The desktop version of this interface is ideal for those who are newcomers to the site, and are checking it out for the first time. It can also be used to search for trails without the commitement of downloading an app.