Research
To avoid bias, I began with secondary research on common barriers for beginner or hesitant campers.
Key findings:
• The top two reasons people avoid camping are lack of knowledge and fear of going alone
• I aimed to build a sense of community and provide clear educational resources to address these needs
User pain points:
• Limited finances
• Limited knowledge
• Limited English (one persona was an immigrant with limited English)
• Feeling overwhelmed
I also began interviews earlier than usual to guide design decisions from the beginning.
Research
To avoid bias, I began with secondary research on common barriers for beginner or hesitant campers.
Key findings:
• The top two reasons people avoid camping are lack of knowledge and fear of going alone
• I aimed to build a sense of community and provide clear educational resources to address these needs
User pain points:
• Limited finances
• Limited knowledge
• Limited English (one persona was an immigrant with limited English)
• Feeling overwhelmed
I also began interviews earlier than usual to guide design decisions from the beginning.
Ideation
Based on the research, I prioritized a help page or blog with articles on safety and beginner tips. This became one of the first things users would see upon launching the app.
Inspired by competitor audits, I added features that promote community, such as hashtags and embedded social media posts. These serve both branding and UX purposes—showing real users wearing gear, and enabling interaction among the user base.
Ideation
Based on the research, I prioritized a help page or blog with articles on safety and beginner tips. This became one of the first things users would see upon launching the app.
Inspired by competitor audits, I added features that promote community, such as hashtags and embedded social media posts. These serve both branding and UX purposes—showing real users wearing gear, and enabling interaction among the user base.
Wireframing
Given the younger audience, I felt more freedom to experiment with layout. I also wanted to cater to non-English speakers by emphasizing visual content.
Wireframing focus areas:
• Flexible layout for younger, tech-savvy users
• Visual-first design with prominent imagery
• Early planning for accessibility considerations
Paper wireframes:
Initial concepts sketched out manually.
Digital wireframes:
Created in Figma with layout variations and states for testing.
Wireframing
Given the younger audience, I felt more freedom to experiment with layout. I also wanted to cater to non-English speakers by emphasizing visual content.
Wireframing focus areas:
• Flexible layout for younger, tech-savvy users
• Visual-first design with prominent imagery
• Early planning for accessibility considerations
Paper wireframes:
Initial concepts sketched out manually.
Digital wireframes:
Created in Figma with layout variations and states for testing.
Refining
I conducted a second round of interviews using lo-fi wireframes. Although my target was young adults, many testers were actually aged 40–65. Surprisingly, this didn’t impact the flow or legibility—users still navigated the app with ease, even with placeholder images.
One issue: the login buttons on the menu page made users think login was required. Based on this, I redesigned the header and moved navigation into the footer (which was used in the final version).
We also reworked the shop pages and identified the need for scalability.
Refining
I conducted a second round of interviews using lo-fi wireframes. Although my target was young adults, many testers were actually aged 40–65. Surprisingly, this didn’t impact the flow or legibility—users still navigated the app with ease, even with placeholder images.
One issue: the login buttons on the menu page made users think login was required. Based on this, I redesigned the header and moved navigation into the footer (which was used in the final version).
We also reworked the shop pages and identified the need for scalability.
Prototyping
Because interviews were conducted earlier in the process, I was able to make foundational decisions sooner. Most of the work afterward was refining designs and becoming more confident using Figma’s tools (like components, modals, and states).
Prototyping
Because interviews were conducted earlier in the process, I was able to make foundational decisions sooner. Most of the work afterward was refining designs and becoming more confident using Figma’s tools (like components, modals, and states).
Next Steps
Takeaways / Next Steps
• Designing for one audience doesn't mean others won’t find value in the product
• Shop categories will need to be expanded as inventory is defined
• The homepage design uses sliding panels as an experimental layout—it may need a simpler alternative for users with assistive tech
• Future development should include more detailed accessibility testing
• I designed the layout to be scalable and adaptable for future updates
Next Steps
Takeaways / Next Steps
• Designing for one audience doesn't mean others won’t find value in the product
• Shop categories will need to be expanded as inventory is defined
• The homepage design uses sliding panels as an experimental layout—it may need a simpler alternative for users with assistive tech
• Future development should include more detailed accessibility testing
• I designed the layout to be scalable and adaptable for future updates