Mobile app
/
2024
An offline route app for weekend hikers who don’t trust their phone signal.
Client
Trailhead
Role
Product designer
Year
2024
Duration
10 weeks
Team
Founder, 2 engineers
Outcomes
Offline
Maps, routes and notes work without signal
1 thumb
Every core action reachable
The problem
Hikers planned routes at home on a laptop, then lost signal halfway up the hill. The app they relied on showed a spinner exactly when they needed it most.
What I did
Everything you need for a route downloads before you leave. On the trail, the screen shows only the next turn, distance to it and time to sunset, in high-contrast type that holds up in bright light.
Testing outside
Every prototype was tested on real trails, gloves on, phone in one hand. Half the original buttons didn’t survive the first walk.
What changed
The app became something people check at a junction and put away, which is exactly what it should be.
How it came together
Scroll through the four steps
01 / 04
01 / Step
Walk the routes
Every prototype was tested on real trails, gloves on, phone in one hand.
02 / Step
Download before you go
Maps, routes and notes save before you leave, so nothing depends on signal.
03 / Step
Only the next turn
On the trail the screen shows the next turn, distance to it and time to sunset. Nothing else.
04 / Step
Built for sunlight
High-contrast type and big targets that still work in direct sun.
Maps, routes and notes work without signal
Every core action reachable
Design decisions, annotated
Hover or tap the numbers
Key insight
