Camping is one of the most popular outdoor activities in America and one of the most common scenarios in which people connect.

However, with the gradual shift of camper demographics and ever-evolving technology over the years, it advocates the initiatives to re-design the modern-day camping experience.

Design Process

Secondary research

The existing information about camping activities and campers in general indicates that …

Competitive Research

Upon examining competitors of camping industry and social platforms, it is evident that …

• There is a surge of outdoor adventure apps that incorporate social elements and foster a sense of community ...

User Research

Interview target users, mainly family camping enthusiasts in upstate Finger Lakes Region, to identify ...

Persona

• 2 distinctive user groups were identified - Weekend Explorer and Social Glamper

HMW Problem Statements

Identify commonality among 2 personas to establish solution guidelines …

Planning ~ ‘How might we streamline camping trip planning process, so campers can find the right fit based on their criteria?”

Information & preparation ~ “How might we help campers be informed of their destinations to be better prepared for their trips?

Connecting ~ “How might we make campers feel comfortable to share with the instant community within the campground they stay?”

Deliverables

MVP (Minimum Viable Product) - the simplest set of core features to deliver customers value …

Features include:

• Search - sign in, sign up, profile, featured search and advanced search

• Reserve - reservation and payment

• Trip overview - briefs of trips and destination campgrounds

• Campground page - campground-related information

• Camper connection - campers in the particular campground can interact during their stay

Information Structure

Define relationships between MVP features in Site Map and User Flow …

Sketch

Brainstorming after defining red routes - foundational users journeys capturing most of target users’ actions …

Wireframe

Refine designs in low-fidelity wireframes based on feedback from guerrilla testing with sketches …

Wireflows

Wireframes in user flow and interaction between each screen

Aesthetic Direction

Collage of inspirational elements from the user environment to establish aesthetic direction …

Mood Board

Nature-inspired color palette and script-like fonts reflect the care-free environment

Style Guide

Earthy tone with tangerine accent and simple graphic to convey the relaxing theme

UI Design

Apply style guide to design in details and build clickable prototypes for usability testing …

Usability Testing

2 rounds of testing to iron out design details for a more integrated camping experience …

Findings and Fixes:

• Some users didn’t quite get how to switch views when results displayed in the list view
  Fix: add text description to aid the toggle icons of list view and map view

• Most users preferred seeing search results in a populated map
  Fix: set the map view of search result as default consistently throughout the app

• Some users still have difficulty recognizing the difference between campground and trip information

  Fix: add graphic or motion when hovering to indicate link for further information on both sections

• Some users didn't quite get that campground page provides real-time information

  Fix: increase the visual emphasis on campground information update

• Some users didn’t find the access to campground social platform instantly

  Fix: move the Camper Connection button to a more visible area of the page

Potential Improvement:

• Utilize user profile to preset search criteria to simplify multiple trip planning.

• Explore the option for setting up group trips.

• Allow users to send trip information to invite friends.

Lesson Learned

What I have learned throughout this process …

About the project …

• When it comes to camping, there are several user groups who have very distinctive methods of camping trip planning while sharing common goals.

• It’s worth noting the methods users have adopted for camping trips planning to make the transition easier.

• Study popular social platform formats to reduce the learning curve for users.

As a designer …

• Be conscious of my own assumptions and stay open-minded to whatever direction the project might go based on the research.

• Set up short-term goals in each step of the process to avoid getting overwhelmed by the scope of the project.

• Get feedback from fellow designers or talk to users for fresh perspectives when feeling stuck in the project.