UX/UI Design
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass is an app that encourages and guides new hikers. It is an app that provides not only trail maps but also comprehensive guides designed for new hikers.
Role
Research
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Problem
There are people who want to go on their first hike but aren’t quite sure how to start because hiking can be a daunting activity. They seek a more comprehensive guide to hiking versus being handed a trail map.
Target Users
The target users are new hikers.
Why did I want to solve this problem?
The inspiration for this project is my enjoyment of hiking. It’s a fun outdoor experience that everyone should try. There are some people who want to try hiking for the first time and aren’t sure how to start. My goal is to create an app that is catered to new hikers.
Competitive Analysis
Insights
Other apps only provide trail maps for its users. It’s targeted towards hikers who already know how to hike and their experiences with a trail map. A brand new hiker would be too intimidated to go on their first hike with only a map.
User Research
I interviewed 2 people, 1 who has never been hiking, and 1 who has been hiking before. My goal of the interviews is to gain insights of the needs of a new hiker vs a seasoned hiker.
Interview Questions
How would you prepare for a hike?
What essentials would you bring with you on a hike?
How do you feel about using an app to assist on your hikes?
What features would you like to have on an hiking app?
Insights
Person 1, who has never been hiking before looks for resources online to guide her on a hike. Everyone hikes with there phone making an app an essential tool to have on a hike. Person 1 wants more information about general hiking and safety in addition to having trail maps. Person 2 uses AllTrails for their hikes, I asked him what they thought of the app because it was a competitor. Person 2 wants to a social feature incorporated into an app.
Personas
Persona created with insights from the interview with the new hiker.
User Flow
Wireframes
I wanted the app to have a clean interface without too much clutter. The spacing needs to feel airy and open just like the outdoors. I emphasized on having minimum elements on screen as the users would be using the app while hiking and shouldn’t be presented with too much information at once.
