Trail Up
According to initial research, Millennials are the fittest generation ever. Over 60% of Millennials are involved in some form of high-calorie activity. However, our data also shows that they are paying a high cost, especially in larger cities to be active.
This is the story of how we discovered a digital experience for active and mindful millennials to supplement their traditional routines of physical activity while maintaining a level of social community.
The Challenge
A New Product
Our brief presented us with an overarching objective —to enhance millennials specialized health and fitness opportunities that align with their unique identity.
To coincide with the client asking for the product to appeal to a younger millennial consumer, and to avoid an all-encompassing fitness approach . We were tasked to design a digital experience, for any technology that we’d like, as long as our research showed it to be the best choice.
In order to deliver an MVP of the platform that’s backed by research and user insights, we needed to get the experience right in under six weeks.
My Role
I worked alongside 3 other designers and was responsible for leading and defining the UX strategy of the platform. Starting from initial research to delivering final MVP specifications via the following deliverables: Wireframes, information architecture and a low- to -medium-fidelity prototype.
Millennials hiking in the Rockies.
The Approach
Focusing on Goals
Although our brief was to design an alternative digital experience that specialized in health and fitness opportunities that align with users' unique identity, we needed to consider focusing on the physical fitness community & inclusivity features.
To differentiate ourselves in an already saturated and competitive market, inclusion of year round activities that inspires users to get outside was in the best interest of the users at its core.
Integrating the two will differentiate us among the saturated market of health & wellness and allow users to access outdoor physical activities in a new and exciting way.
The Discovery
What does Health & Fitness Mean to You?
The discovery phase was streamlined, and allowed us to define project milestones, review the competitor landscape, understand our client's vision, and begin research into user needs, behaviors and pain‐points.
Our research revealed that “health and fitness” represented ways to work out in order to relieve stress and challenge themselves and to disconnect from their daily lives.
Users’ are motivated by adventure and activities that are outdoors such as hiking, running, biking, kayaking, and snowboarding. Users are community motivated and work towards a collective goal.
It's more of the process of doing big things, like climbing or hiking, because when you're struggling to climb a mountain, you're not really thinking about any problems - you're just thinking about putting one foot in front of the other.”
Derek - 28 - User
Persona
We determined that our solution would be built for supporting the goals of Cooper, our primary persona.
We used "Coop" constantly throughout the project to guide design decisions, priorities, and create empathy amongst our team.
Framing the Problem
A traditional gym routine can be boring and redundant so millennials are looking for alternative ways to be active outdoors. The adventurous, tech-savvy millennial needs to engage in fitness activities that combine their hunger for exploration, their sense of community, and their need to decompress from their everyday lives.
"It’s very motivational to be around other people. I think when working out, I just like having a collective feeling where everybody's kind of working towards a goal.”
Chris - 27 - User
The Vision
Real-Time, Community-Driven
Using GPS our vision is location dependent information sharing on a live map. This helps users find events, trails, hikes and groups according to their current location. Users can build a sense of community through active participation, stay motivated, and promote accountability, while limiting choice paralysis by seeing where to go and when they should be there.
The Requirements
How users communicate
Give them a tool they already use, Waze would be our guide as its the penultimate crowdsourcing app.
Brand the Experience
We worked together to define our design principles that would work as a framework for our product throughout this design process. We determined that these 6 principles would become the backbone of our product.
The Framework
Setting the design direction
Figuring I would focus on defining the core structure of the overall experience, I wanted to keep users in the moment and build a sense of community through active participation with others on their trail.
Early sketches explored the idea of real time user data as a path to our core principles.
I implemented the idea of interactive updates through a similar platform like Waze and Google Maps also related to the comfort of familiarity.
That being said...
Was there anything you disliked about the concept?
- Inviting you to be killed in the middle of the woods.
Becky - User
Safety for the User
Before the culture of community can be properly established when focusing on location dependent information that is community driven - safety for the user becomes paramount.
Based on user testing, it's unrealistic to have the app concentrate on safety and updates relating to the trail conditions and blur the line for privacy or anonymity in regards to how you interact with other users. That said, the idea of redundancy or confusion was brought up when discerning the difference between a user and a group. While some testers liked the feature to find active members or users, some felt this connection needed to be specified if you are connected through pre existing social circles and what that means for privacy in this context.
Altruism from self motivated, impersonal alerts can be a great base for building a user dependent application. Including a photo sharing focus with an emphasis on views, rest breaks, and options to report agnostic or subjective data as well will help it not seem like an alert only app.
Groups should be able to communicate, but group messaging, not one to one. Also, engagement should start with preexisting social circles. Having a weather update and a recommended what to bring option as well as adding more details to sections would give a more rounded experience.
"Including a photo sharing focus with an emphasis on views, rest breaks, and options to report agnostic or subjective data as well, will help it not seem like an alert only app."
Jia - User
Take Two
Structuring the experience
After identifying the main story in our scenarios. I defined the primary pathways our personas would explore the appt. This time I kept traded my inner alarmist for my inner romantic and structured a better way to indirectly builds a sense of community through particular usage contexts; Real-time-content-to-map pins presents itself to be a better way to support the user.
The Interactions
I was really obsessing over this idea that I overlooked general safety for the users. I storyboarded some micro interactions of visual and audible feedback as an extra measure of security.
The GPS feature senses if the user stops moving for too long, or they're moving at the speed and consistency of a car. They will get a notification that pops up on the screen. If the user doesn't dismiss the alert with an "I'm OK," the phone texts your emergency contact and/or sends a distress signal emergency beacon.
Time & Motion Auto Trigger
You will be found!
Sustained Motion Auto Trigger
I assume you've forgot to select, "end your hike"?
You've reached a beautiful vantage point and say, this would be a great spot for a snack and a rest, Please let other hikers know about this location by sharing a photo update for a rest area and pinning it to the current map location."
Usability Testing Scenario
The Design
Introducing - Trail Up
Below you can walk the Swiss Alps with John.
Live map your saved locations
The main screen is for users on their prior experience with Google Maps and existing iOS design familiarity to help them learn the app. The size of the icons make tapping easier so you can focus on your surroundings and not your device.
Share the experience
Primarily designed to support users who actively participate on the app, map updates are engagement points with all other users. Add a photo, or comment to your favorite rest area, or your most breathtaking vantage point.
Start a dialogue, securely
Looking to engage with others that also rest in this area? Safely and securely add notes and chat like a forum. The biggest difference is the pins get archived when you leave!
Its over when you choose
Want to keep going? Just never hit end!
Trail-up offers a unique experience which will ultimately aid users in building an active community outside of the traditional gym.
Trail Up said it...
What We Learned
After gathering together all the feedback and specific behaviors of participants, it was discovered that all participants suggest valuable insight going forward.
Some bullet points:
It would be interesting as to how many other users did that specific trail and you can see their stats
Hike stats to be displayed in in real time on map
Track calories burned or linked apps and hardware
Access and edit profile page would make it more personal as well as - check out users
Future Recommendations
The app concept of live map updates and sharing was stated to be an original concept for the hiking/trail app market and real time updates would serve well. Not displaying current stats and the lack of detail on the map made this iteration less believable and too simple to be successful at this time. Participants were fond of the images and design stating, there really isn't a well curated platform that links inspiring content to an informative platform about trails. Participants recommended a link to current hardware to track calories and link to other apps. Overall, the participants were satisfied with the app and tasks, though it was very easy to use and they were very likely to recommend it to a friend.
Taking these recommendations into account for further iterations will help us improve the development of the app and hopefully generate a better user experience, which will ultimately aid in users building an active community outside of a traditional gym.
At this point, it's clear that creating a hiking/trail app that gives users the ability to curate inspiring photo updates on an active map where they can get accurate info about trails and hikes is a viable option moving forward. It seems that there is a gap in the market for this and there is a desire for it.
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