THE CHALLENGE
To land a contract to design and develop a series of apps for our national parks. The app was tasked to create a design that should educate, inform, engage, and excite those interested in learning about or visiting the national parks. As part of my proposal, I designed a prototype of what the app would look like and focused on Utah’s Bryce Canyon.
MY ROLE
Lead and solo designer – research, design,
prototyping, testing, iteration
prototyping, testing, iteration
TEAM
Steven Minert, Product Manager
PLANNING & RESEARCH
I researched the current available content, assessed the relevance and talked with potential customers. With my audience and objectives in mind, I begin defining objectives content and started planning the structure and layout for the app. I came up with the below criteria and features that should be included in the final app design based on what was expected within an app of this type.
WIREFRAMES
As a professional UX designer, my goal is to craft engaging layouts with interactive content that resonate with users. To begin, I initiated the design process by sketching out various ideas.
While I leverage collaborative programs like Mural and the innovative FigJam for digital collaboration, I find immense value in carrying a physical sketchbook. The ease of snapping a picture and seamlessly uploading it into these programs ensures fluidity between analog and digital creation.
FEEDBACK
In pursuit of fresh perspectives, I conducted interviews with park enthusiasts to glean insights into their expectations and desires for an app. From these conversations, I gathered valuable feedback, notably the importance of integrating user information within the app. Suggestions included enriching the app with trail-related anecdotes, links to real hiking experiences, and contextual narratives about notable personalities like Alex Honnold near El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Additionally, enabling users to sign in with Google was perceived as a feature enhancing safety and convenience.
Sample of User Interview Notes
Recording conversations and observing facial expressions during user interviews enriches the qualitative data gathered. While research may not always be flawless, it's crucial to acknowledge that perfection is not the goal; instead, striving for iterative improvement is key. Imperfect research still yields valuable insights. By consistently engaging with users, even amidst imperfect conditions, one can acquire invaluable information to inform design decisions.
Recording conversations and observing facial expressions during user interviews enriches the qualitative data gathered. While research may not always be flawless, it's crucial to acknowledge that perfection is not the goal; instead, striving for iterative improvement is key. Imperfect research still yields valuable insights. By consistently engaging with users, even amidst imperfect conditions, one can acquire invaluable information to inform design decisions.
PROTOTYPING
With the foundational idea sketched out, I transitioned to bringing my concepts to life within Figma, initiating the design process.
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE
The final interactive prototype of the Bryce Canyon App.
The initial screen of the National Park app displays nearby parks tailored to the user's location. The profile icon, situated in the top right corner, offers functionality to save park passes, tickets, and preferences, providing convenient access to saved parks and personalized settings.