AllTrails: a personalized guide

Role

Design Lead
(XD/UX/UI & Copy)

Client

Independent Project

Year

2022

Personalization drives engagement

AllTrails is the industry leader in trail apps. It’s very well known, has the best overall features, and is easy to use. As an avid hiker for years and a pro subscriber of the app, I had been craving more personalization so that I could uncover and document all of the unexplored terrain in my area. With this independent project, I set out to design features that would provide a more relevant and personalized experience on the app leveraging end-to-end product design methodology.

Pro users agree

Validating my assumptions through 1:1 interviews, I uncovered that other users of the AllTrails app craved at least some level of personalization and a way to uncover more relevant results than what they were currently seeing in the app.

A “Smart Guide” is validated

Utilizing the following process and deliverables, I tested out a couple of new features. Personalized content recommendations via a “Smart Guide” engine, and the ability to save activity filtering for easy access later. See the prototype here >

  • 1:1 qualitative interviews with screener

  • competitive analysis

  • proto-personas and customer journey mapping

  • HMWs and brainstorming

  • architecture recommendations

  • updated task flow

  • detailed wireframes

  • test plan and discussion guide

  • name branding

  • UI design and copywriting

  • digital prototype design

  • interview screener and 1:1 live prototype testing

  • usability test report with recommendations

Uncovering opportunities to iterate

The “Smart Guide” was well-received, easily accessed, and easily edited by all testers via moderated testing. Users were also excited about the ability to save their go-to activity filters. There was debate about how best to promote and access them.

The following recommendations provide an opportunity to simplify filtering for the next round of design:

  • Promote the ability to save filters with clearer signposts for better feature awareness

  • Move saved filters to the Saved tab in the navigation, as users were universally expecting

  • Add saved filter results to the Explore tab (homepage) so that users could access them more quickly day-to-day