Problem
When hikers are preparing for an adventure, they want to know what kind of trail conditions they can expect but sources for trail condition reports are often nonexistent, outdated, too general, or require cross-referencing multiple sources.
We saw an opportunity to give the hiking community a simple way to share precise, firsthand observations that would benefit the next person heading to the trails.
My role
I co-founded the product and led product design, from discovery research and UX/UI design through usability testing, visual identity, and post-launch iteration. I worked with my co-founder/product lead, and a small team of two development interns and one design intern.
Process
Learning from hikers
We started with five user interviews and an online survey to learn what information hikers find helpful while planning or being on a hike, how they currently research trail conditions, and how they might contribute their own observations.
A few themes emerged that helped shape the product:
Sharing information needed to be quick and easy. Hikers wanted to contribute useful information without spending much time on their phones during a hike. That meant keeping reports simple to create, automatically capturing their location even when offline, and making it easy to add photos and descriptions.
Ensure that the information is trustworthy. Precise geolocation, photos, and contextual details help hikers be confident about the intel post. Allowing hikers to communicate in the app bolsters that confidence while also giving them a community.
Support real-world hiking conditions. Gloves, cold fingers, limited connectivity, and phones kept in backpacks or pockets can all make reporting difficult. Designing for the context of use was especially important.
These insights gave us a clear direction for the basis of the app.
Designing the core experience
I translated the research into hand sketches first, getting initial feedback from the team on the core flow.
Then I incorporated greater detail into wireframes and interactive prototypes. Working with the team to explore different approaches, test our assumptions, and align on tech constraints, we decided what features to include in usability testing.
The resulting experience focused on three key decisions:
maintain location accuracy for the report by geolocating the report to the user
let users post in as little as 3 taps, which takes about 5-10 seconds
integrate the discussion directly into the report
Testing the experience: what did we get right or wrong?
I developed the usability test plan, moderator script, questionnaires, and task scenarios, refining them collaboratively with the team. We conducted five remote, one-on-one usability sessions using a low-fidelity Figma prototype and Lookback.io, then consolidated the findings into a report.
Overall, hikers felt the reporting flow was quick and straightforward, the condition-related discussions were easy to follow, and the photos, descriptions, and geolocation helped them assess the accuracy.
Just as importantly, testing also helped us see where we could simplify things. Hikers preferred navigating via a map only, which allowed us to remove less useful feed and card views and search.
Giving Hike Intel its own identity
I wanted Hike Intel to feel modern and distinctive without losing its connection to the outdoors. The visual identity was an opportunity to give the product a recognizable personality while keeping the interface clear and easy to use.
After conducting competitive analysis, I explored colors inspired by the natural environment, including the blue-green of the Chlorociboria fungus and the green tones of moss, and created the logo, typography, illustrations, and iconography. My design prioritized contrast and legibility across different outdoor lighting conditions.
As the design took shape, I created a Figma design system we nicknamed Fungus. It helped keep the interface consistent and gave us a foundation for making changes efficiently as the product evolved.
The MVP included approximately 40 unique screens (about 80 variations when interactive states were included).
Beta testing
We ran a two-week beta test with hikers, followed by a post-test questionnaire and interviews with five participants.
The beta feedback reinforced what we had learned earlier: that hikers want to report quickly, including when they’re offline. That idea was now pushed even futher, with many participants preferring to post reports when they’re no longer even on the trail. In addition to being able to avoid the context of use challenges raised earlier, hikers said it would be an enjoyable way to reflect on their hike.
Rather than expect everyone to report in the same way, we introduced the option to create a report during or after a hike. Photo timestamps and location metadata helped preserve the accuracy of observations submitted later.
This was a huge shift in how we thought about the reporting experience. Instead of designing around the assumption that hikers would contribute information as soon as they encountered something, we gave them more flexibility to do it when they wanted.
Outcomes & Results
Hike Intel spent approximately 18 months in the App Store, earned a 4.7-star rating, and supported more than 100 concurrent sessions at its peak. We continued improving the experience through analytics and user feedback over approximately 10 releases. We even had a contest with robust participation and prizes.
Eventually, we discontinued the app. As an unfunded passion project of people with full-time jobs, it became hard to sustain the effort needed to keep it growing.
Although the product came to an end, we were able to take it from an initial idea to a shipped app, put it in the hands of hikers, and improve it based on what we learned along the way. One of my main takeaways is that some of the best improvements come from seeing how people use a product in the real world, recognizing where your assumptions were wrong, and being willing to change course.
