Preparation creates confidence
Route details, gear, weather, and timing are safety features before the hike even begins.
CASE STUDY / 01MOBILE PRODUCT DESIGN
TRAIL
BUDDY
A safety-first companion that helps solo hikers choose a trail, prepare with confidence, navigate offline, and close the loop after the hike.
01The challenge
One hike. Too many disconnected tools.
Solo hikers shouldn’t have to assemble their own safety system.
Planning, trail conditions, navigation, safety check-ins, and gear preparation often live across different apps—or outside an app entirely. That fragmentation creates gaps precisely when clarity matters most.
TrailBuddy connects those moments in one continuous flow: choose a trail, prepare the plan, save the route, navigate without service, and clearly signal a safe return.
DESIGN GOALReduce uncertainty before and during a solo hike.
02Research
Listening before designing
Confidence starts long before the trailhead.
I combined competitive research with interviews about the routines, worries, and workarounds solo hikers rely on in the real world.
No signal changes everything
Offline navigation and a visible route back matter more than feature depth once service disappears.
Safety is shared
Solo hikers still want someone they trust to know the plan, the return time, and when it changes.
Clarity beats complexity
On-trail tools have to be fast, legible, and dependable in motion, sunlight, and uncertain conditions.
“I just want someone to know where I am.”— Research participant
ARTIFACT_01
Research synthesis
Affinity map, interview notes, or empathy map
ARTIFACT_02
Primary persona
Solo Trekker Sam persona card
03Product structure
From insight to flow
Two critical routes shaped the entire product.
Plan + prepare
Explore → Results → Details → Prep → Plan
Start + return
Confirm → Track → Controls → End → Recap
ARTIFACT_03
Early sketches
Crazy 8s, paper sketches, and concept exploration
ARTIFACT_04
Plan + prepare wireframes
Early Red Route 01 sequence
ARTIFACT_05
Safety flow wireframes
Early Red Route 02 sequence
04Test + iterate
Observed behavior drove every revision
The prototype became clearer where hesitation showed up.
Two rounds of usability testing exposed the small decisions that could strengthen—or weaken—trust in an outdoor safety tool.
CHANGE_01
Made discovery feel directed
- Observed
- People needed useful ways to narrow trails without digging through a dense filter system.
- Response
- Search, nearby conditions, and a small set of visible filters now frame the first decision.
CHANGE_02
Turned preparation into a checkpoint
- Observed
- A long pre-hike form felt like homework and weakened the feeling of readiness.
- Response
- Preparation became a short, scannable checklist with one clear next action.
CHANGE_03
Made ending a hike unmistakable
- Observed
- Participants reached for navigation controls when they meant to finish and save the activity.
- Response
- A dedicated Trail Controls screen and explicit confirmation separate pausing from ending.
05Final experience
A calmer system for uncertain environments
Prepared before. Supported during. Accounted for after.
Compare routes and prepare the essentials.
Track progress and keep the route close.
Finish clearly and preserve the hike.
01Explore map
02Trail results
03Trail details
04Hike preparation
05Hike planned
06Plan details
07Confirm start
08Trail ready
09Hike in progress
10Trail controls
11Confirm end
12Hike complete
USER VALIDATION
Participants described the refined experience as calm, minimal, and easy to navigate. The clearer end-hike flow and focused preparation tools were especially well received.
06Reflection
What I learned
When safety is involved, clarity isn’t polish. It’s the product.
TrailBuddy reinforced the value of connecting research directly to design decisions. Button language, contrast, confirmation, and flow structure all became trust-building tools.
Next, I would test the experience outdoors in real lighting, motion, and connectivity conditions, then explore community trail updates without compromising the focused solo-hiker experience.