AllTrails

"AllTrails" is an application designed for those who enjoy spending time outdoors.

Role

End-to-end UX/UI designer

Tools

Figma, FigJam, Maze

Duration

2.5 Weeks

What I did

  • Conducted research to understand the difficulties people face when selecting any trail.
  • Ideated solutions and key features whole assessing existing competitive landscape.
  • Found out what users were struggling with and added a new feature to the existing AllTrails app to address that issue.
  • Designed low- and high-fidelity mockups of application.
  • Conducted usability testing and iterated to final design.
See prototype

Background

AllTrails is an app and platform made for people who love outdoor activities like hiking, running, backpacking, cycling, and more. It has a huge collection of 300,000 trail maps that have been carefully selected, as well as reviews and photos shared by millions of hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners.

Problem

The app is missing some features that could be beneficial for users. When planning a hike, people often want detailed information about the trail, such as the weather, safety, and accessibility. They may also look for hikes that meet their specific needs. I’ve chosen to explore more about the experiences and challenges people face during this planning process.

Empathize

Research Questions

  • What are the main difficulties users encounter when using AllTrails to find a hike?
  • What aspects of the planning process do users find most frustrating when using AllTrails?
  • How do people prepare for their hikes? And how do they use this app to do it?

Approach

  • Five remote interviews were conducted with both male and female.
  • Everyone uses the AllTrails app for their hiking activities.
  • Some of them go hiking frequently, while others only do it from time to time.
"I want to make sure the hike is safe for kids before we go.." -Jin

Competitive Analysis

I researched the top (3) competitors in the marketplace allows me to leverage the strengths of the competitors, address their weaknesses, seize opportunities, and navigate potential threats, ultimately increasing your chances of success in the market.

Komoot
  • It’s wide range of features and map layers, which some users find overwhelming It is more expensive.
  • User interface is not as in intuitive or user-friendly.
The Outbound
  • To find specific trails or routes by name, the app might not recognize it.
  • It has lot of feature with detailed content, which some users find overwhelming.
  • Route planning issues.
Gaia GPS
  • Limited activities.
  • Account requirement.
  • Limited user reviews.

Affinity Map of User Interview Observation

After the interview i made a affinity map. From this, I found out that people are always worried about the details and conditions of the hike. Sometimes, these uncertainties prevent them from choosing a trail.

Define

The challenge isn't just making decision- it's about feeling reassured they're the right ones.

"How might we provide clear and accurate information about the difficulty levels of various hikes?"
"How might we assist in evaluating the safety and ease of access for various hikes?"

Persona

I’ve merged two distinct types of individuals into a single persona.

‍

First, Those who want to hike with their kids always inspect the trail’s safety, accessibility, and other factors to ensure it’s suitable for their children.

‍

The second group consists of regular hikers who always gather all the necessary information about the trail before they plan their hike.

User Flows

Developed a User flow which guided me in determining the user’s navigation within the app, focusing on key features such as
1) Compare two trails to check it’s accessibility, safety level, length, elevation and various other aspects.
2) During your review, added new labels to impart crucial insights to others.

Ideate

In low-fidelity, I focused on layouts

I explored multiple options for organizing the content on key screens. Some examples of ones I chose to pursue are shown here.

Prototype & Test

Compare

Included comparing option that allows users to compare different hiking trails, making it easier for them to find a trail that suits their preferences.

Reviews

Added Accessibility and safety tags in the review section, so others can easily understand the conditions on the trail.

Usability Testing & Iterations

To make sure my first prototype is working properly and identify any confusion in the prototype, I conducted usability test.

Some users were unsure about how to include an additional trail for comparison, so modified the layout to make it more user-friendly.

Some users found the ‘close’ button on the right side of the modal hard to use, so moved it to the left side.

Final Design

Following the usability testing, I refined some elements of the final design.

See prototype

Reflections

If I had more time...

To bring "AllTrails" to life, I'd love to:

Comparing trails, adding tags while in the review steps, while the second focus on video reviews or discussion board to see current trail condition.

I decided to pursue the first idea because...

It involves improving user's main need and more focus towards using app more.

Thank you!