A speculative redesign for a fresh, intuitive experience of the National Parks Service App.
In our 5 week speculative redesign for the National Parks Service App, we aim to highlight the wonders of the world in US National Parks. Recognizing that the current app has shortcomings in this goal, we implemented features such as a trip planner, national park news, and a revamped map.
Now, adventurers can easily embark on their next adventure.
PROBLEM
There are many dead ends, inconsistent UI elements, and confusing flows that decrease adventurers' confidence in navigating the app. None of these contribute to the NPS's goal of encouraging the planning and visiting of their national parks.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Instead, they get lost in a lack of information, arbitrary definitions that measure trail difficulties, and confusing UI. We recognized that with these shortcomings, come improvements we can consider when redesigning the National Parks Service App.
DESIGN STRATEGY: SETTING OUR DIRECTION
We focused on making the app as useful as possible by addressing design opportunities and shortcomings in competitor apps. Most importantly, we were designing beyond simply being useful, but also to encourage travelers to explore and plan trips to national parks.
DESIGN STRATEGY: PRIORITIZING GOALS
To align with NPS's overarching goal, we curated a set of signature experiences we believe should lead the app’s redesign. Our UX pillars touched on three different sides of the app; one to organize, one to motivate, and one to stay informed.
DESIGN SHORTCOMINGS
As park users ourselves, we noticed that basic information such as park overviews and considerations, were not easily seen, if present at all. This was a massive roadblock in our pursuit of encouraging adventure if adventurers didn't even know where to begin.
IDEATION
...With a focus on provoking an adventurous spirit. Adventurers should feel inspired to visit national parks in person and immerse in the stunning environment.
To promote this, we integrated a trip planner, editorial experience, and fun facts.
FEATURE: TRIP PLANNING
The trip planning section is one of the many features we added. After adventurers fell in love with a national park, we kept that momentum by allowing them to plan a trip, all without having to exit the app.
REDESIGN: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
We redesigned the user flow so our map page is easily accessible in various situations. In the redesign, users can access the map throughout the park, trail, or trip plan page.
REDESIGN: STYLE GUIDE
Contrary to the original UI design, we aimed for a sleek design which would highlight the stunning enivornments of national parks and encourage adventurers to explore in person.
FINAL DESIGN
We successfully addressed many of the design opportunities that prompted us to redesign the NPS app in the first place.
FINAL DESIGN
I'm proud to say we addressed many of the design opportunities that prompted us to redesign the NPS app in the first place. Feel free to play around with our prototype!
CHALLENGES
Realistically, this wasn’t a linear path to success. This was an arduous yet adventurous 5-week journey to address a problem at its roots and change it for the better. We had features we wanted to stick with to the end (such as a unique global navigation bar), but that came with its own challenges. There were also times when we realized our signature experiences didn’t match our UX pillars, and we had to reorient ourselves and readjust them.
TAKEAWAYS
For a 5-week redesign challenge, we were extremely efficient. Part of this is because the group we curated took advantage of everyone's strengths and challenged us to improve our weaknesses.
I for one, focused on the User Experience and motion design opportunities, leading me to polish the UI and create the concept video (at the very top of this study). Steve and Mike had strengths in development and were able to create a fully functional prototype, and Alicia used her research experience to frame us in the right mindset when we needed to engage in design thinking. Ultimately, I'm very satisfied with everyone's involvement in the team!
CONCLUSION
Personally, I'm not ready to finish this project. The time constraint meant we had to prioritize certain features and set aside others, and in the future I hope to develop those further. Ultimately, this was an amazing experience with a great team. Shoutout to my teammates and Bill Flora for guiding us through the process!
