Discoveroute
An app designed to empower users through exploration.
Role: UI/UX Designer
Platform: Figma
Studies have shown that a 1-hour walk in nature is proven to reduce stress levels.*
Drawing on this fact as a source of inspiration, I aimed to create an app that helps users identify nearby environmentally-uplifting paths.
I analyzed potential users and the types of issues that needed to be addressed.
Users
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People in cities
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Casual walkers
- Fitness oriented
Problems
- Daily commute stress
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Air pollution
- Street congestion
Needs
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Improved health
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Access to nature
- Assured safety
My project goals were established to provide a better quality of life for the user.
Environmental Happiness
Encourage users to appreciate their surroundings
Freedom of Choice
Empower users with a multitude of options for travel
Intuitive Experience
Create an interface that’s fun and easy-to-use
Promote Health
Help users find inner peace through a healthier lifestyle
I prioritized key features for the app based on necessity.
1. Discover Nearby Natural Paths
Users should be able to browse a quick list of paths.
2. Choose Your Own Adventure
Users will have options to search by various criteria.
3. Progress Tracking
Users should be able to keep track of their recent and lifetime performance.
4. Encourage Goals
Users can set achievable daily and weekly goals.
I created a user journey to establish a clear path for user interactions.
The page flow diagram outlines a clear start and finish that gives users various ways to discover and complete an objective.
I created some initial sketches for the home screen and main pages.
Starting the development phase with rough sketches on paper allowed me to focus solely on visually engaging users and developing intuitive screens.
I designed wireframes based on my rough sketches for the home screen of the app.
I chose to go ahead with Option 3 because it had an optimal balance and clear hierarchy not found in the other wireframes.
I made my mark with an impactful logo and an explorational spirit.
In designing the main symbol for the app, I aimed to use a simple typographic shape to evoke a natural path or river from a birds-eye view.
Icons and symbols were designed to be elegant and minimal.
I designed a visual language to represent various modes of transit and app features using recognizable symbols.
The final results offer users seamless access to a healthy lifestyle.
Functionality
Path selection is built right into the home screen, so you can easily navigate while seeing general path information.
Organized Adventure
Users can sort paths from A-Z, by level of difficulty, or trail distance.
Discoverability
I also added a Discover button so users can pick a method of travel to determine the most suitable paths.
The app provides users with an intuitive experience that lets them tap into environmental happiness.
Discoveroute offers a fun way to find local undiscovered journeys for leisure or exercise. Features include detailed path descriptions with photos and a rankings page that encourages users to reach new personal or social goals.
Assessing the final outcome with usability tests.
After conducting usability tests, I discovered a key pain point. When compared to the other tasks, users took twice as long to complete a simple sorting objective. Based on user feedback, I redesigned the sort menu to add clarity and functionality. Follow up tests with the new sort menu improved time-to-task completion by 63%.
* Sudimac, S., Sale, V. & Kühn, S. How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature. Mol Psychiatry 27, 4446–4452 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01720-6