As project manager, I kept our five-person team on track, ran one of the interviews, and helped turn our survey and interview data into two personas, each with an empathy map and a current-state journey map.
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Case study · In progress
Vancouver Hiking & Outdoor Guide
People around Vancouver plan hikes by piecing together AllTrails, social media, Google, and advice from friends, and they still get surprised on the trail. Our team is designing a guide that tells hikers what they actually need to know before they drive out.
- Research
- Personas
- Journey maps
- Site structure
- Prototype
My role
Keeping five people moving
Research
Asking hikers how they really plan
We surveyed hikers around Vancouver and followed up with one-on-one interviews to understand how they choose a trail, where they look for information, and what catches them off guard once they get there.
31survey responses
8interviews
20 of 31found the trail different from what they read online
What we found
Three things kept coming up
- Hikers juggle several sources. 7 of 8 interviewees combine two or more before they choose a trail.
- Casual hikers can't judge difficulty. Ratings are unclear and every site rates trails differently, so safety is a guess.
- Enthusiasts can't trust conditions. Recent closures, conditions, and trailhead details are scattered and often out of date.
Personas
Jess and Mark
Jess, the casual planner, hikes with friends and family and needs to know a trail is safe and right for her group. Mark, the experienced explorer, heads out weekly and needs current conditions he can trust. Select any artifact to see it full size.
What's next
Structure, then prototype
We're now organizing the guide's content and navigation around what Jess and Mark need before they leave home. After that, we'll build a prototype and test it with hikers.
Contact
Let's make something
dustin@asylumental.com