PeakBag
Overview
PeakBag is a mobile application that acts as a checklist the Northeast 115.
This was created for the 2022 UConn Digital Media and Design BFA Senior Exhibition.
Cara Tracey was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media Design for this project.
Roles
Research
Wireframe
User Flow
UI/UX Designer
Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Storytime
When I was 13 my mom and I started spending a few days every summer in upstate New York hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks. We kept hearing the term “46er” on the trails and eventually learned that it refers to hikers who summit the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. On this day our “46er” journey began!
On our hiking adventures we would end up trying to count which of the 46 mountains we have completed and would look back at old pictures to try to help. Unfortunately at some point, all mountain summits start to look the same.
While we were going through the shops of Lake Placid we found a local artist selling scratch off drawings of the Adirondack High Peaks. The front had a beautiful drawing of the peaks and each summit had an area to scratch off upon completion. The back had an area to write the date you hiked each mountain. We couldn’t resist and had to get one. We sat down to eat dinner and started scratching off the mountains we’ve summited. As fun as the scratch off was, it still wasn’t the most reliable source to keep track of our progress.
For my senior project I decided to bring together the hiker and designer in me to create a mobile hiking checklist.
On our hiking adventures we would end up trying to count which of the 46 mountains we have completed and would look back at old pictures to try to help. Unfortunately at some point, all mountain summits start to look the same.
While we were going through the shops of Lake Placid we found a local artist selling scratch off drawings of the Adirondack High Peaks. The front had a beautiful drawing of the peaks and each summit had an area to scratch off upon completion. The back had an area to write the date you hiked each mountain. We couldn’t resist and had to get one. We sat down to eat dinner and started scratching off the mountains we’ve summited. As fun as the scratch off was, it still wasn’t the most reliable source to keep track of our progress.
For my senior project I decided to bring together the hiker and designer in me to create a mobile hiking checklist.
Northeast 115
The Northeast 115 is a list of 4,000-foot mountains in the northeastern states of the United States. It includes the 48 in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, 14 in Maine, 5 in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, and Slide and Hunter Mountain, both in the Catskills of New York.
Market Research
Does this kind of mobile application already exist? If so, what functions does it successfully execute?
After a thorough dive through hiking applications on the market, specifically for the Adirondacks and White Mountain regions, I compiled a list of pros and cons they demonstrated:
Pros
• Searchable map
• Hiking challenges
• List of each region
• Ability to save mountains
• Summit weather
Cons
• No hiking summary
• No place to share images
• No trail guidance
• No community feed
Needfinding
What mobile application does the New England hiking community use? How do they track their hiking journey?
What is your age?
How many times a month do you hike?
What resource do you use to find trail routes?
How do you keep track of your hiking accomplishments?
Interviewing
I reached out to members of the hiking community through the 'Aspiring Adirondack High Peak Hikers', 'Hiking Buddies 48', and 'The 4,000 Footer Club-Climbing and Hiking in New Hampshire' Facebook groups to talk to them about their peak bagging journeys and how they keep track of their hiking progress.
"I got this little notebook a few years ago to keep track...the most annoying thing is when I forget to pack it in my bag"
"There have been a few times I have gotten off the mountain only to hear that I could have added a peak or two on my route."
"Instagram has helped me track! I have a place to look back and see my progress."
Flow Structure
Wireframing
User Interface Design
Iconography
Colors
Typography
Prototype