Timeframe

September 2024 - December 2024 (3 months)

Roles

UX Researcher, UX Designer, Product Manager

Background

As part of the Human-Centered Design and Engineering curriculum at UW, I participated in the User-Centered Design course. Collaborating within a team of four, we chose outdoor recreation, specifically, hiking as our focus area, driven by our shared passion for nature and a commitment to sustainability. Through extensive research, we uncovered a lack of rental options and guidance available to novice and intermediate hikers, which posed significant barriers to participation. In response, we designed a community-based, locker-based gear-sharing system to address these challenges, promote sustainability, and make outdoor recreation more accessible and inclusive.

TrailVault

A locker-based gear-sharing system for hikers in the community.

TL;DR

Concept Video:

Case Study

How can we help make people feel more prepared and safe while hiking?

UX Research, UX Design, User Interviews,

Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping

Research

On our journey to solve this question we started by building a strong foundation on research. Our methods included but were not limited to:
Surveys & Questionnaires: These were instrumental in gathering large amounts quantitative and qualitative data from a diverse range of hikers, helping us understand a broad range of experiences, concerns, and preferences
Cognitive Task Analysis: This method provided a detailed examination of the user’s cognitive processes, including sensory inputs, decision points, and actions, helping us pick successful points for intervention
Conceptual Landscape: This method helped us map the existing products and services in the wilderness safety domain, revealing opportunities for innovation and differentiation
Semi-structured Interviews: These in-depth conversations with both novice and experienced hikers provided rich qualitative insights into their motivations, concerns, and decision-making processes

Several key findings emerged from our research, highlighting a whitespace for us to design solutions into:
— Novice hikers often lack awareness of essential safety gear and knowledge
— Cost is a significant barrier to accessing specialized gear, limiting novice hikers’ ability to push their limits
— There is a strong desire for a supportive community where novice hikers can connect, share experiences, and learn from more experienced hikers
— Preparedness and safety are paramount concerns for all hikers, but novice hikers often feel underprepared and lack confidence in their gear and knowledge
— Even second-hand gear can be prohibitively expensive, and rental options for niche gear are often limited

Scope

Redefining the Design Question after Research

How can we help less experienced hikers feel more prepared for day hiking?

Finding the Primary User Persona

Prepared Patty and Carefree Carl, though both beginner hikers, offer distinct design insights.

Patty highlights the need for reliable gear and a platform for knowledge sharing with other hikers. This could involve gear ratings, a community forums, or even guided hikes.

Carl emphasizes affordability, convenience, and social features. He helps us think about group rentals, photo sharing, and addressing common concerns. By understanding their contrasting needs, our design can cater to a wider range of hikers, creating a more inclusive and effective gear-sharing system.

Ideation and Brainstorming

Once we had enough ideas to evaluate, we went through multiple rounds of evaluation to select the top three candidates.

Narrowing It Down

To help narrow down the ideas, we asked ourselves —

What does preparedness mean to novice and intermediate hikers?

By getting to know our users, novice day hikers, we identified several obstacles that prevent many of them from advancing to the intermediate skill level. The key challenges that were recurring in our research are:

  1. Lack of first aid knowledge

  2. Confidence in planning and preparation

  3. Affordability and accessibility of gear

These insights informed the 3 ideas we carried forward

Idea 01. First Aid Information at Trailheads

Making basic first aid and rescue information accessible to novice hikers

Features include a posted sign with step-by-step instructions for emergencies and pamphlets with first aid guidance for hikers to carry.

Idea 02. Plan Generator (“Plan GPT”)

Enable novice hikers by walking them through hike selection and preparation steps

Users input their hike details to receive a comprehensive guide, including packing lists, potential dangers, and route highlights. The service could adapt based on experience level and previous hikes, improving over time.

Idea 03. Rental Gear Lockers

Ensure new hikers have the right gear at the right time for all the hikes they want to do

The app allows users to rent gear from each other at a lower cost, while lockers provide a secure exchange system. Features include trust-building mechanisms and the ability to network for hike-specific information.

We decided to focus on making hiking gear more affordable and accessible with our concept, “TrailVault”a locker-based gear-sharing system designed for the hiking community.

  • For many novice hikers, gear can act as a significant barrier to entry. Beginners are often hesitant to invest in expensive equipment until they feel confident and committed to hiking.

  • Through our research, we identified a gap in the market: existing gear rental options are limited in variety and often prohibitively expensive when sourced from traditional gear rental companies.

TrailVault addresses these challenges by providing a convenient, neutral, and trustworthy platform for gear sharing. The use of lockers eliminates the inconvenience of coordinating schedules or meeting users at personal locations. Instead, it creates a seamless, community-driven experience where users can share gear securely, fostering credibility and trust within the TrailVault network.

Revised Design Question

How can we help less experienced hikers feel more prepared with gear for day hiking?

Storyboards

Information Architecture

Prototyping - Digital Application & Physical Locker

Usability Testing Insights

Final Prototypes

Future Scope

Reflections & Takeaways

Our journey to design a peer-to-peer gear-sharing system for novice hikers revealed a surprising lack of rental opportunities, particularly for niche items. This emphasized the need for an accessible solution, leading us to create a system that empowers exploration without financial barriers.

Reflections

  • Our initial focus on safety equipment evolved significantly to encompass broader needs like gear recommendations, community forums, and educational resources on navigation and trail etiquette.

  • We learned to adapt to challenges, such as a limited timeframe and the need to down the scope of our project, while maintaining a focus on user needs.

  • This project reinforced the value of user research, the importance of sketching as a communication tool, and the power of collaborative design to address real-world needs.

Key Takeaways

  • This project highlighted the iterative nature of design, where initial concepts evolve based on research and user feedback.

  • Ultimately, this experience has equipped us with valuable skills and insights that will shape our future design endeavors.

1. Understanding Requirments from Stakeholders

Working closely with the team at FRB, we identified key areas for improvement that would significantly enhance their overall user experience. After a thorough analysis, we assessed the Effort and Impact of each potential task.

Using the Lean prioritization method and considering the project's timeline, we strategically chose to focus on :

  • Quick Wins — improving Volunteer sign-up process

  • Big Bets — Information Architecture & Content Design.

2. Research Methods : Survey & Open Card sorting

Techniques used to gather valuable insights and data.

My Design Process

(Inspired by Jon Ayre's double diamond)

Overview of Furniture Repair Bank

Basis our observations, we updated the sitemap for more intuitive navigation and easy access of important information that was otherwise buried deeper.

The key changes we made were:

VOLUNTEER:
- An umbrella information page that gives out details about volunteering experience which users often enquire about to the client
- Better division of information between Individual and Group volunteers via separate pages
- Repair Calendar for easy scheduling

DONATE/SUPPORT US:
- Was initially a single page that focussed on furniture and tool donations, it is now segregated into different ways anyone can donate for the cause (furniture, tools, funds)

ABOUT US:
- Aims for a better segregation of information via separate pages about the organisation, announcements, the team and contact details. Initially it was clubbed together, which made it difficult for users to find the right information needed.

Problem 1: Information Architecture

The client had often received email queries from users not being able to find some information on the website. That was our first evidence for the information architecture to be improved upon

We conducted a survey and a card sorting exercise to understand the user pain points, and to take an informed decision for the new Information Architecture.

  • Users grouped different types of volunteering experiences together but wanted distinct pages for each type of volunteering

  • Different services were often grouped together

Problem 2: Content Design

Final Result