TrekAssist
UI Design for a solar-powered color-ink device aimed at guiding visitors in
US national parks.
ui/ux - prototyping - user testing
UI/UX Designer
-Design user flow
-Prototype
3 UI/UX Designers
2 UX Researchers
1 Usability Tester
Nov - Dec 2024
Context
TrekAssist is a solar-powered, color e-ink device designed to enhance eco-tourism and safety in U.S. national parks, with an initial pilot in Yellowstone National Park. As one of the UI design partners, I co-developed an intuitive, universally accessible interface tailored to diverse park visitors. The device combines sustainable technology with features like trail navigation, emergency services, and points of interest, all optimized for its energy-efficient e-ink display. Despite technical constraints, including limited resolution and a 1 Hz refresh rate, the design balances functionality and eco-consciousness, offering an engaging and reliable outdoor guide for users.
Problem Statement
How can we create a functioning app with limited colors to save battery?
Limited use of colors is required, and saturated colors are not permitted due to the
constraints of the e-ink device.
Our team looked at the current interface of the National Park Services (NPS) app to find
any existing challenges it faces. We wanted to make sure that we integrated these
findings into our redesign of TrekAssist.
A few noticeable issues we came across were:
- excessive color usage, draining the battery faster & overwhelming users
- not enough focus on park alerts, as safety should be prioritized in national parks
- users have to scroll a lot to find specific features, bad for emergencies
Ideation
Our team collectively decided on a cohesive flow chart to plan out our first set of low-fidelity wireframes.
Initial Wireframes
Usability Testing
A usability test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of the device's interface. The primary objective was to identify usability challenges, understand user experiences, and gather actionable feedback for improvements. Six participants, representing diverse backgrounds, were tasked with completing specific actions using the device. Their interactions, performance, and feedback were analyzed to gain comprehensive insights into the user experience.
Participants were asked to complete tasks across six key features: Home, Navigation, SOS, Alerts, International, and Donate. The tasks focused on real-world scenarios, such as accessing safety alerts or completing a donation process, to ensure practical relevance.
The study used specific usability metrics:
• Effectiveness was measured through task success rates and user ratings on a 1-5 scale
• Efficiency was evaluated based on the number of clicks and time taken to complete each task
• Satisfaction was gathered through qualitative feedback and post-task ratings
What I Learned
- Field Testing in Simulated Conditions → Testing in varying lighting conditions (direct sunlight, shade) and different user scenarios helped refine UI contrast and legibility.
- User Feedback Loops → Interviews with hikers and park rangers led to adjustments, such as larger font sizes for navigation and reordering emergency services for quicker access.
- Optimizing for Low Refresh Rates → Unlike traditional screens, e-ink displays update slowly. This required prioritizing static UI elements, reducing unnecessary animations, and using clear state transitions.
- High-Contrast, Legible Typography → Since e-ink has limited color and resolution, I focused on high-contrast UI elements and font choices that ensured readability in various lighting conditions.
- Universal Design Principles → Ensuring the UI was accessible to all visitors, including those with visual impairments, meant using scalable fonts, clear icons, and a logical screen hierarchy.
- Touchscreen Responsiveness → Since many users wear gloves or have limited dexterity, button sizing and spacing were adjusted for ease of use.