TrailNet App Design
Connecting skiers in Alpine Environments
Product Design
End-to-end
Timeline: 4 months
Design Role: Design Lead, Product Research
Project Description: Developing a mesh-network-based location and messaging service to enhance user safety and communication at ski resorts, leveraging both current and evolving technologies.
PROBLEM DISCOVERY
This is not a new issue, far from it
As an avid skier and snowboarder, I have long had issues with the lack of connectivity at ski resorts. I wanted to create a way to improve skier safety after my many injuries where I was hurt, alone, and thousands of feet up the mountain.
There has also been a rise of tragic news articles around skiing, from missing person reports to deaths. Skiing and snowboarding are known as extreme sports but the lack of safety measures on the mountain is concerning.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Ski resort location tracking is unreliable due to limited connectivity, hindering safety and emergency response for disoriented or missing skiers.
RESEARCH
Skiers visit in groups and value their ability to stay connected while skiing.
To start my research I started with a survey, I wanted to see how people went skiing, their experiences, and the issues they faced. This gave me a better look at the user, view their pain points from their perspective, and break out of my assumptions about the issue. Here are some findings!
of skiers went to resorts in groups of 3 to 5
86%
of skiers considered location tracking important while skiing
79%
of skiers wear a smart watch while on the mountain
45%
Competitive Analysis
It was here where I needed to do a competitive analysis. I wanted to better grasp the current market and tools available to skiers to see how this service could stand out and fill present gaps.
Interview
Talking to each other can be tricky. If the person who's hurt can't call for help or tell us exactly where they are, it can take a while to find them, especially if they're in a far-off spot with bad radio or cell signal.
-M.N. former ski patrol at Park City
In big ski areas with lots of trails and trees, it's tough to figure out where an accident happened, especially if the injured person doesn't know the area or can't give clear directions.
-J.T. Ski patroller at Steamboat Springs
Directional Solutions
Since I was starting to get a good grip on the problems at hand I visited some HMWs as a directional solution tool to kick off my ideation process.
Narrowed down to focus on three
MoSCoW feature prioritization
To further narrow down what this service needed I created a feature prioritization list. As this was a solo project I did not want to stretch myself too thin trying to achieve everything and wanted to be able to focus on the user’s largest pain points.
FINAL SOLUTION
Utilizing the busyness of ski resorts and the sheer amount phones and existing tech on the mountain create a mesh-network that stores location data as other users pass by.
A mesh network is like a web of connected devices, such as phones and computers, where each device can talk directly to others nearby. Instead of relying on a single central point, these devices work together, creating multiple paths for information to travel.
How does TrailNet standout in the market?
Since TrailNet does not rely on conventional connection methods (i.e. wifi, or cellular) tracking location data for safety becomes possible without the need for either party to be on wifi, while communication features serve to make skiing a more connected and safer experience should the need arise.
All in the background
For users all the key features such as location tracking all happen without the need for regular check-in. They can ski the entire day without the need to trigger anything for the application to work and can rest assured.
Journey Map
My vision for the primary user journey when using this service.
Mobile flow
Smart watch flow
Knowing that a lot of users already brought other devices on the mountain with them I wanted to incorporate a shared system for them. Smart watches also allow for users to comfortable check the application on a chairlift without the fear of dropping and losing their phone.
DESIGN
Wireframes
When I sat down to create the wireframes for this project there were several areas I knew I needed to address. Skiing and snowboarding are fast paced activities the design needed to be simple and easily scannable allowing users to focus on what matters, skiing.
I also needed to work out crash detection, with ski patrol spread so thin a massive influx of crash reports would only harm the mountains I am trying to help.
User testing
With my wireframes made I needed to do some user testing, what did I get right, and what needed reworked for the user. Here are the results of my tests.
Positives
Users could confidently and intuitively use the map and enter specific user pages.
To be improved
Primary navigation was confusing for several users.
Concerns about only using color to showcase location confidence became apparent.
Users were worried about the run difficulties needed to reach their friends
ITERATIVE DESIGN DECISION
Inspiring user confidence
Since users were worried about the difficulties of the runs needed to reach their friends in case of an emergency I added the run difficulty next to each run. While incorporating a swipe control to allow users to view alternative routes.
Clearing confusion
To remove confusion around the main navigation menu I added titles to each icon to remove any confusion over each one.
I also incorporated more ways to showcase location confidence, through a dashed line around users seen over 5 minutes ago, and adjusting the radius of their icons.
Making the design non-intrusive
While I was making this project I found myself constantly thinking about pairing this service with other devices that skiers always use, and how we can use these to make the TrailNet experience as un-intrusive as possible.
Haptic and audio cues
With skiers often bringing other devices on the mountain, utilizing their current devices only further solidifies user confidence. With many skiers wearing headphones we can use audio notifications to alert users of crashes in their group or telling users directions they need to go to meet their friends.
FINAL DESIGNS
Final Mobile
Final Smart Watch
Conclusion
What I learned
It’s important to ask for a lot of opinions, they seek to inform the design a lot and removes my biases from the project, allowing me to better understand user perspectives.
Brand identity is made in the interactions as much as it is in color, shape, and typography.
What I want to improve on
I would like to improve some of my research methods especially in regards to my interview. While I did find some meaningful insights they largely served to re-orchestrate the problem I already knew existed rather than showcasing new meaningful pain points.
In the future
In the future I would like to design the UX that ski patrol would use to receive and locate emergency distress signals. Ski patrol is spread thin and optimizing this system in partnership with this service could alleviate some major issues for them.
I would also like to create a device that allows parents to track younger kids who may not have a smart phone yet with the technology needed to establish a mesh network. This could be as simple watch, or perhaps a clip on tag.
Thank You!
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