Mobile App
The National Parks Time Portal app enhances visits to national parks by blending technology with storytelling. Acting as both a digital park pass and educational tool, the app uses augmented reality (AR) to bring history to life. Visitors can scan QR codes at landmarks to activate AR scenes that showcase the park's evolution — from prehistoric times to modern conservation efforts. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, families, and educators, the app combines convenience with immersive learning, turning park visits into unforgettable, interactive journeys through time.
1. Make it easy to explore hikes, camping, and climbing.
Most park apps bury information behind dense menus. I wanted a mobile interface simple enough that people could plan a whole visit — trails, campsites, climbing routes — without feeling lost.
2. Use AR to turn landmarks into history lessons.
Instead of static plaques, visitors scan a QR code and watch a landmark's history play out — from prehistoric terrain to modern conservation — making the park's story part of the experience, not an afterthought.
3. Organize dense park data so it's actually skimmable.
Wireframes and prototypes broke complex park information into clear, digestible sections, so outdoor enthusiasts, families, and educators could each find what they needed quickly.
I started with low-fidelity wireframes to simplify the cluttered layouts common in national park apps. The goal was to create a clean landing page and intuitive navigation for exploring Yosemite's hikes, camping, and climbing options.
Next, I built surface comps to refine layout and visual hierarchy, then moved into high-fidelity prototypes with interactive components. Usability testing helped identify areas for improvement, leading to a more polished, user-friendly experience.
My original goal for the Yosemite Parks Time Portal project was to bring AR storytelling to the forefront and create a more immersive way for visitors to experience the park's history. But as the project progressed, I realized that the core need was a more intuitive, easy-to-use app interface — something most park apps struggle with.
The wireframing and prototyping phases helped me focus on simplifying navigation and organizing information like hikes, camping, and climbing into clear categories. While AR was still part of the experience, much of my energy went into building a layout that actually made the app enjoyable and functional for users.
Looking back, I'm glad I kept the AR element in the experience, but I do wish I had more time to fully develop and refine that part of the design. Even so, the shift toward strong interaction design was valuable, and it gave me a deeper understanding of how to balance innovation with usability.