Mt. Near Process Book

Mt. Near Process Book MFA Thesis • 2017 –2018

Fannie Ko www.mtnear.info

“ Look deep

into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

— ALBERT

EINSTEIN

FA N N I E KO 2017-2018 MFA Thesis Mt. Near Process Book

•

•

Copyright © 2018 Fannie Ko Written and designed by Fannie Ko All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any way without the written consent of Fannie Ko. All respective work shown has been appropriately identified and credited. Any omissions found will be noted and corrected in subsequent editions. www.mtnear.info www.fanniekodesign.com

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 2–1 3

INTRODUCTION Context Problem Opportunities

14–73

RESEARCH Connections Map Socratic Questioning Audience Archetypes Focus Group Survey Field Research

74 – 1 0 7

D E V E LO P M E N T Insights Strategies Deliverables

1 0 8–1 83

SOLUTIONS Identity Brand User Journey Applications

1 8 4–1 87

M O V I N G F O R WA R D Resources Acknowledgements

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INTRODUCTION Context • Problem • Opportunities When I went into the wilderness for the first time, I was in awe of the beauty of nature, the wonders of weather, the powers of time. I questioned my place in the world. I reflected. The wilderness, the great outdoors, and the natural world, exercised my mind and my body. And I decided everyone should have access to the wilderness.

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INTRODUCTION CONTEXT Why is going outdoors important?

Nature is literally awesome. Research shows that there are many profound psychological and physical benefits associated with the sensation of awe in the great outdoors. When was the last time you were truly aweinspired? Was it when you were looking at the stars or seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time?

Dr. David Sack found that this feeling is proven to make people feel "more patient, more willing to volunteer, less materialistic, and more satisfied with their lives," in a 2012 study published in Psychology Today. In a 2015 UC Berkeley study, researchers found a link between the feelings of awe and a stronger immune system. Prof Dacher Keltner found that “Awe, wonder, and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines, suggesting that the things we do to experience these emotions—a walk in nature—has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy.”

So my real question is, why isn't everybody enjoying the benefits of being in nature?

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INTRODUCTION PROBLEM Why should we care?

Many parks are free or inexpensive, but why are there still so many people that don't have access to them?

In 2016 and 2017, the National Park Services recorded over 330 million in each of those years. However, the demographic of park visitors don't reflect the demographic of the U.S. population. A comprehensive study done by the National Park Services showed that white, non Hispanic people they made up about 78% of national park visitors in comparison with the 63.7% US population makeup. Whereas people of color made up just over 20% of park visitors vs 36.3%.

The good news is that the amount of visitors to the National Parks is increasing. The problem is that the demographic of visitors is skewed. And although race is a construct and does not determine the reason, there are many other factors that have historically and presently excluded certain groups of people from experiencing the wilderness in a beneficial way.

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“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”

— JOHN

MUIR

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INTRODUCTION OPPORTUNITY What can we do?

Through further research, I found that those who went outdoors a lot recognized it as a means of escape, a time for social gathering, a way to get exercise. But, most of them grew up in rural areas or family that took them camping when they were young or had somebody to guide them. I also found that it takes those people a lot of time, money, and knowledge to get out onto a trail.

So, the questions that arose here were: How can I help people realize that the outdoors is a beneficial space?

How can I provide the guidance for people to navigate the wilderness? How can I reduce the amount of time and money spent on going into the outdoors? And how can I create a space or community that is inclusive of cultural differences?

The improvement of psychological and physical health shouldn't be restricted to the privileged. The barriers to outdoor access are more nuanced than the physical act of going hiking.

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RESEARCH Connections Map • Socratic Questioning • Audience Archetypes • Field Research • Focus Group • Online Survey When I asked people to describe a generic outdoors-y person, they always said a rugged, white man, with a beard, and a plaid button-up. Nobody said an Asian woman with a free T-shirt.

I was introduced to the great outdoors through a volunteer group. I went on a backpacking trip with the group and noticed that while most of my peers were people of color, none of our guides were. Upon my research, I found that people of color made up just over 20% of park visitors while they make up nearly 40% of the U.S. population. I started seeing the outdoor space with a different lens as I continued my research.

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RESEARCH CONNECTIONS MAP Mapping out the landscape I wrote the topic in the middle and the immediate words around it were areas of the world that related to the access of the wilderness. I categorized these into education, people, culture, industry, politics, and environment. I jotted down ideas that branched off into another idea and then another idea. In the end, I had a 5'x5' connections map. From an idea on one end, I drew a line to an idea on the other end and wrote down why those ideas were related.

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From those connections, I applied it to a photograph to visually convey the idea. These took shape in the form of cards (see p. 20). Creating tangible prototypes also help generate effective feedback. This is where I first explored the handwritten element.

Along with the feedback about the visuals of my topic, this exercise helped me paint a more comprehensive picture of the wilderness access landscape. It helped me realize that the world is interconnected and that the topic of wilderness access can exist in very many industries and spaces. This insight informed my decisions on where my project would appear in the outdoors landscape.

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EDUC ATIO N

Our existing education curriculum is very limiting and does not include exposure to nature.

The existing education system attempts to place each child into a cookie-cutter mold.

ENV IR ONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

The threat that climate change has on our world is imminent.

John Francis is an important black environmentalist that you probably haven’t heard about.

As a human species, we need to put that on the top of our list as something to be concerned about, not the petty societal struggles for power.

I learned about him through Carolyn Finney Ph.D. who brings exposure to black people that deserve representation within the space of environmental politics.

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P O LITIC S

Politics is about making the best decision for the majority of people within a community.

Often times, policy-making involves the clashing of different interests and different perspectives and it’s tough to know which one is the best.

P O L I T I C S

The constitution was written by a group of white men.

But, does that mean the United States of America does not include the stories of other people that live here?

INDUS TRY

There is a lot that goes into planning a backcountry trip.

The outdoor recreation industry capitalizes on the process urban people take to go to the backcountry.

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RESEARCH S O C R AT I C Q U E S T I O N I N G Mapping out the landscape In an unending series of questions that aimed to get to deeper insights, I asked questions from different perspectives of the wilderness—the commercial industry, the government, the casual hiker, the native American lands, and other potential lenses. Beyond my own scope of knowledge, what was my topic really about? Who were the players? What were the rules?

What were they doing? This exercise validated my 3AM internet rabbit-hole journeys. Curiosity fueled my understanding of the outdoor landscape.

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What constitutes the wilderness?

Who has access?

Why is the wilderness a "white" space?

Who has "control" over the wilderness?

Why is playing with dirt fun?

Does nature have the answers to everything?

Who goes outside?

Why do people go into the outdoors?

Why do people go indoors?

Why does the wilderness inspire awe?

What's so good about awe?

What's in the wilderness?

How do we get there?

Why not just go to a zoo?

What can the wilderness do for me?

Who owns the wilderness?

Why do they own it?

Do they deserve to own it?

Who controls the wilderness?

Why is it called "wilderness"?

Why are people afraid of the wilderness?

Why do people love it?

Why has it gotten popular in recent years?

How does the backcountry industry work?

Who is a part of this industry?

How are consumers a part of the wilderness industry?

How does tourism affect the wilderness?

How does the increase in popularity affect the wilderness?

Does the wilderness need to be protected?

Who should protect it?

Is it humans vs nature?

If humans come from nature, why is there a dichotomy?

What's so important about nature?

Are "urban" animals natural?

What is natural?

Why is urban development bad for the wilderness?

How can we convince people that nature is important?

Why do some people not care about nature?

Is there a difference between nature and the wilderness?

40. What's the differences between hiking, camping, and backpacking?

41. What about rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking, or hunting?

42. Why does nature feel dirty?

43. Why is being in the wilderness uncomfortable?

44. How do you build hiking trails?

45. Why don't minorities go into the wilderness as much?

46. How does the history of exploring the wilderness affect demographic usage of nature?

47. How does culture play a role in going into nature?

48. What is acceptable/non-acceptable behavior in nature?

49. How do those behaviors compare to societal norms?

50. How does urban life compare to wilderness life?

51. Why do people enjoy solitude vs city?

52. Again, is it a cultural thing?

53. How do you get to the wilderness?

54. What things do you need to effectively enjoy nature?

55. How do you get that gear?

56. Do kids like nature?

57. Are there different interpretations of nature?

58. Why do people need to experience the outdoors?

59. Do man-made parks count as nature?

60. Is there a scale of most nature-y to least nature-y?

61. What role should humans play in the preservation of nature?

62. How much impact can we make to maintain the wilderness?

63. Is it necessary to keep the wilderness wild?

64. How important are wild animals?

65. Can appreciation of nature help protect it?

66. Why should we appreciate nature?

67. How does awe affect individual lives?

68. How does it affect communities within a society?

69. What are the benefits of the feeling of awe?

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How can we get people to enjoy nature?

How do we get funding to preserve nature?

Who is damaging this experience?

What are current alternatives to outdoor activities?

Why should we encourage people to go backpacking?

Who has “control” over the wilderness?

What constitutes the wilderness?

Who has access?

Why is the wilderness a "white" space?

Who has "control" over the wilderness?

Why is playing with dirt fun?

Does nature have the answers to everything?

Who goes outside?

Why do people go into the outdoors?

Why do people go indoors?

Why does the wilderness inspire awe?

What's so good about awe?

What's in the wilderness?

How do we get there?

Why not just go to a zoo?

What can the wilderness do for me?

Who owns the wilderness?

Why do they own it?

Do they deserve to own it?

Who controls the wilderness?

95.

96.

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Why is it called "wilderness"?

Why are people afraid of the wilderness?

Why do people love it?

Why has it gotten popular in recent years?

How does the backcountry industry work?

Who is a part of this industry?

How are consumers a part of the wilderness industry?

How does tourism affect the wilderness?

How does the increase in popularity affect the wilderness?

Does the wilderness need to be protected?

Who should protect it?

Is it humans vs nature?

If humans come from nature, why is there a dichotomy?

What's so important about nature?

Are "urban" animals natural?

What is natural?

Why is urban development bad for the wilderness?

How can we convince people that nature is important?

Why do some people not care about nature?

Is there a difference between nature and the wilderness?

What's the differences between hiking, camping, and backpacking?

What about rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking, or hunting?

Why does nature feel dirty?

Why is being in the wilderness uncomfortable?

How do you build hiking trails?

120. Why don't minorities go into the wilderness as much?

121. How does the history of exploring the wilderness affect demographic usage of nature?

122. How does culture play a role in going into the outdoors space?

123. What is acceptable/non-acceptable behavior in the great outdoors?

124. How do those types of behaviors compare to urban societal norms?

125. How does urban life compare/contrast to wilderness life?

126. Why do people enjoy solitude vs city?

127. Is it a cultural thing?

128. How do you physically/mentally get to the wilderness?

129. What things do you need to effectively enjoy nature?

130. How do you get that gear?

131. Do kids like nature?

132. Are there different interpretations of nature?

133. Why do people need to experience the outdoors?

134. Do man-made parks count as nature?

135. Is there a scale of most nature-y to least nature-y?

136. What role should humans play in the preservation of nature?

137. How much impact can we make to maintain the wilderness?

138. Is it necessary to keep the wilderness wild?

139. How important are wild animals?

140. Can appreciation of nature help protect it?

141. Why should we appreciate nature?

142. How does awe affect individual lives?

143. How does it affect communities within a society?

144. What are the benefits of the feeling of awe?

145. How can we get people to enjoy nature?

146. How do we get funding to preserve nature?

147. Who is damaging this experience?

148. What are current alternatives to outdoor activities?

149. Why should we encourage people to go backpacking?

150. Why is the wilderness a "white" space?

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“An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.”

— DAV I D

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AT T E N B O R O U G H

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These questions incited further questions. I continued to generate a deeper understanding of the wilderness into spaces I didn't think of before. Designing for the outdoor industry means I'm sharing a space with lots of areas—from the designation of land use for agriculture to the psychology of feeling insignificant.

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RESEARCH AUDIENCE ARCHETYPES Designing for a specific audience Empathy is a necessary attribute for designing. It was important for me to be able to see from the perspective of my audience and find insights about their relationship with the outdoor space and the wilderness. This allowed me to create directed and focused design solutions.

I created archetypes, idealized persons created to bring focus to designing. They included demographic information such as age, gender, income, location, etc. The ethnographic characteristics were what my strategies focused on—What did this person do for fun? Why did they drink coffee at 6:00AM every morning? Why were they going to Home Depot to buy a rake? In this exercise, I realized that I saw myself in each of these archetypes. In essence, in designing for the archetypes, I also designed for myself.

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Fannie, 28

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Creating archetypes was another opportunity to explore the visuals of the wilderness in the form of cards. In this case, I borrowed the vernacular of classic U.S. 50 States postcards to understand the audience as well as more visual explorations.

In this exercise, I created nine archetypes that showed the range of potential audience. On one end of the spectrum were those that care little to none about the outdoors and on the other end of the spectrum were those that are already experts in the wilderness. This visual language actually turned out to be too closely associated with the postcards and not modern enough to be translated to the digital needs of the audience landscape today.

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Timothy Is a night owl because he is playing multi-player games with people from different time zones. Sometimes he forgets the concept of day/night.

He often disregards his general well being (i.e. going to the bathroom) for the sake of finishing a campaign

TIMOTHY 23 YEARS OLD SOFTWARE ENGINEER

He Is great at computer and technologyrelated things He loves star wars and tries to attend comic-con every year

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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Rachel is a first generation American She goes to the yoga studio 5-days/week and shops at Whole Foods She goes on a hike with friends about once a month for socializing She often posts on Instagram amazing foods she’s tried recently She is a little bit interested in a lot of things, but not passionate about any one thing in particular Occasionally, she enjoys reading a good book and enjoys attending music festivals

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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RACHEL 29 YEARS OLD HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST

Darrell immigrated to the United States 15 years ago, but hasn’t had a chance to formally learn English, yet.

He has 3 children ages 6-14.

DARRELL 38 YEARS OLD HVAC TECHNICIAN

He works 70 hours/week, but still tries to help his kids with homework at night.

On weekends where he doesn’t work, he likes to take his kids to soccer practice or go on family outings with his sister and her kids.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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Riley studies political science at a fouryear University.

She cares about the world and hopes to make a real impact once she graduates.

She likes to hang out with friends and smokes and drinks socially at parties.

She grew up in the city.

She joined intramural because she wants to try new things and meet new people.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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RILEY 20 YEARS OLD COLLEGE JUNIOR

Fannie is a student of the world.

She enjoys taking her dog out on hikes every other weekend.

FANNIE 28 YEARS OLD DESIGNER

She enjoys the creative process and learning about how the world and how people work.

She is fascinated by the geological history provided by the wilderness.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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Anna is a thinker and a writer.

She often sits on her patio, looking at the stars, and ponders her existence.

She always carries with her a little notebook and a pencil in case she gets inspired by nature.

She likes to question her students and get them to think deeper.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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ANNA 45 YEARS OLD ENGLISH TEACHER

Ralph used to go to the backcountry all the time when he was young.

He has outdated gear, but they should still work fine.

RALPH 23 YEARS OLD RETIRED MILITARY OFFICER

He remembers when trails were unmarked, there were no designated campsites, and you just slept on a pile of leaves under a tree.

He’s a bit nostalgic about his old backcountry days, but he’s also a bit reluctant to go back with all the new laws.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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Nickolas enjoys his job because he has flexible hours and makes plenty of money.

He is very meticulous and planned out.

He enjoys indulging in his hobbies, such as photography, surfing, and piano.

He occasionally wakes u before dawn to catch the lighting for a perfect sunrise photograph.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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NICKOLAS 34 YEARS OLD SENIOR CPA

Jane always wears boots and a quick-dry long sleeve shirt.

She doesn’t style her hair because it will always get messed up. She never wears make-up or deodorant, but always has chapstick handy.

JANE 32 YEARS OLD CONSERVATION CORPS LEADER

She is always late to fads and trends.

She’s a very practical person and doesn’t make any lucrative purchases. Every little thing counts,.

Fannie Ko``October 14, 2016``GR 600``Lab 6

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RESEARCH FIELD An immersive dive into the outdoors Field research was important for me to gather ethnographic information about people in the outdoors. I went on a backpacking trip with a friend who had never been backpacking before. I asked her about her experiences before, during, and after the trip to Havasupai, Arizona.

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Prior to the trip, I introduced my friend to all the equipment she would need to buy—a 60-liter backpack, heavy hiking boots, a 3-liter Camelback, dehydrated meals, wool socks, a wide-brimmed hat, convertible hiking pants, etc. We went to REI and other outdoor shops, but she didn't end up buying anything.

My preconceived notion was that she would be nervous with all the wrong gear and I was prepared for her to have a miserable time carrying 60 lbs on a 10-mile hike. I was wrong. She hiked happily in her tennis shoes and stayed at the head of the group the whole time. Her girlfriend packed her trail mix and sandwiches. She didn't buy a hat because she has dreads and stores don't sell wide-brimmed hiking hats for her hair. She was comfortable hiking in cargo shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. It turns out she didn't need all of the expensive and technical gear that I thought all outdoors-y people needed.

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That's me!

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That's my friend!

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RESEARCH FOCUS GROUP Getting closer in a controlled environment I designed two focus groups where my participants went onto hikes. These were carefully controlled and considered experiments held at two sites, Alamere Falls and Joaquin Miller Park. I invited groups of individuals from diverse backgrounds to discuss their outdoor experiences. I observed their open dialogue and provided opportunities for them to write their responses as well.

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I learned many things. In the Bay Area, the outdoors are already being widely accessed by people of color. Apps such as Instagram and Yelp gave people information about parks and trailheads. 90% of Instagram users are younger than 35 with National Geographic as the most followed user at 58.5 million followers, and Instagram has shown the youth the beauty of the great outdoors.

And Yelp has given them a tool to get out there. While these apps played a role in how my participants saw the outdoors, they were not designed to get them into the outdoors. I believed there was a better solution.

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Puthea, 29

Russ, 35

Pauline, 27 Parmita, 29

Paola, 30

Mitch, 52 Megan, 31

Riley, 20

Emma, 24

Nelson, 30

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During the Joaquin Miller Park focus group, I got a chance to speak with a mountain biking instructor, Mitch. He was trying to increase female ridership. I learned that a way to bring more female riders was to create a space and a community where female riders felt more welcomed, typically through peers. Could that methodology be translated to my audience?

I also learned of all the reasons people enjoy hiking. It wasn't just for the serene calmness and solitude that I go for. Many cited reasons of "escape," "change of pace," or "exercise." These learnings informed how I was going to approach the design concept.

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RESEARCH ONLINE SURVEY Reaching a wider audience An online survey was a way for me to gain research data from a lot of people. The Outdoor Experience Survey I conducted in 2017 was an effective method for gathering demographic data. I learned about my audience and further defined who I was really designing for. It turned out, people who grew up in urban communities were less likely to have experiences in the wilderness and were less comfortable with camping and backpacking. There were also many participants who were interested in learning these skills, but were not comfortable participating in those activities.

The results helped me look at some of my previous research from a different perspective. I was able to identify my primary audience and take a closer look at their profiles and figure out how to design for them.

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SURVEY OUTDOORS EXPERIENCES SURVEY "Hi, I’m Fannie. I’m conducting research on the level of interest and experience people have with the outdoors. This will help me design solutions for my MFA thesis project at the Academy of Art. The survey should take about 10 minutes, and your responses are completely anonymous.

The term 'outdoors' refers to any natural, non-developed space, set aside for human enjoyment and recreation as well as the protection of wildlife and natural. For this survey, we will focus on the outdoors specifically as a means of human enjoyment and recreation.

If you have any questions about the survey, please email me: ko.fannie@gmail.com.

I really appreciate your input!"

S U R V E Y D ATA Data platform: SurveyMonkey Date range: 2/27/2017 – 3/7/2017 Total Responses: 88

Question 01 What is your age?

Under 18 0% 18–25 19.32% 26–35 72.73% 36–45 2.27% 46–64 5.68% 65+ 0%

Question 02 What is your race or ethnicity White 37.50% Black or African-American 1.14% American Indian / Alaskan Native 0% Asian 42.05% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.14% Hispanic or Latino 18.18%

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Question 03 What is the highest level of school your mother completed or the highest degree she received?

Less than high school degree High school degree or equivalent Some college, but no degree Associate degree Bachelor degree Graduate degree

5.68% 19.32% 11.36% 5.68% 37.50% 20.45%

Question 04 What generation American are you?

I am not an American 1st generation 2nd generation 3rd generation 4th generation or greater

10.23% 31.82% 15.91% 14.77% 27.27%

Question 05 What type of community did you grow up in?

City or urban community Suburban community Rural community Mixed urban/rural

31.40% 63.95% 2.33% 2.33%

Question 06 When was your first outdoor experience?

When I was a toddler When I was in grade school When I was a teenager When I became an adult No outdoor experience

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50% 31.82% 11.36% 6.82% 0%

Question 07 How comfortable are you with these outdoor activities?

Hiking Very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Somewhat uncomfortable Very uncomfortable

72.73% 21.59% 3.41% 2.27%

Camping Very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Somewhat uncomfortable Very uncomfortable

48.28% 33.33% 12.64% 5.75%

Backpacking Very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Somewhat uncomfortable Very uncomfortable

32.18% 32.18% 26.44% 9.20%

Question 08 How interested are you in these outdoor activities?

Hiking Very interested Somewhat interested Not really interested Not interested at all

79.55% 19.32% 1.14% 0%

Camping Very interested Somewhat interested Not really interested Not interested at all

65.91% 26.14% 4.55% 3.41%

Backpacking Very interested Somewhat interested Not really interested Not interested at all

55.68% 28.41% 11.36% 4.55%

Question 03 How much do you agree with these statements?

I enjoy the outdoors.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

86.36% 13.64% 0% 0%

It takes a lot of time for outdoor activities.

I absolutely agree 13.79% I somewhat agree 55.17% I somewhat disagree 21.84% I absolutely disagree 9.20%

I am curious about the outdoors.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

86.36% 12.50% 1.14% 0%

It is hard to find transportation to outdoor spaces.

I absolutely agree 6.82% I somewhat agree 19.32% I somewhat disagree 43.18% I absolutely disagree 30.68%

The outdoors is a dangerous place.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

5.68% 40.91% 38.64% 14.77%

The outdoors is educational.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

81.82% 17.05% 1.14% 0%

I know how to plan for a camping trip.

I absolutely agree 34.09% I somewhat agree 40.91% I somewhat disagree 14.77% I absolutely disagree 10.23%

Outdoor activities are expensive.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

4.55% 35.23% 37.50% 22.73%

Outdoor spaces are not family friendly.

I absolutely agree 0% I somewhat agree 11.36% I somewhat disagree 28.41% I absolutely disagree 60.23%

I would rather do other things.

I absolutely agree I somewhat agree I somewhat disagree I absolutely disagree

2.27% 17.05% 46.59% 34.09%

Outdoor activities are good for social gatherings.

I absolutely agree 81.82% I somewhat agree 17.05% I somewhat disagree 1.14% I absolutely disagree 0%

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Backpacking required preparation.

If somebody didn't know , how what to bring

could I design something to teach them?

D E V E LO P M E N T Insights • Strategies • Deliverables Each part of the design process was to inform my design decisions. A design problem was developed that lead to questions and research. The research served to generate insights about my topic. Then, the insights were distilled and used to create strategies.

The strategies guided the visual direction and what the deliverables would be, which are the final services or products that solve the design problem.

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D E V E LO P M E N T I N S I G H T S Organizing the research I started with an open exploration to learn about my topic. There were no restrictions and I permitted myself to expand my thinking. However, an open exploration can oftentimes be messy and disorganized.

As shown through the connections map, the wilderness landscape spanned across many categories, from education to government to health and society.

What did all of this information mean?

To figure that out, I looked for patterns in my research.

Where were areas that ideas were repeated? These patterns yielded insights, significant ideas that were more manageable and concrete. Finding connections is one of the main duties of a designer. I was able to distill my research into 18 insights.

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In 1972, Madame L. Amic asked Charles and Ray Eames, "What are the boundaries of Design?"

“What are the boundaries of problems?”

— C H A R L E S A N D R AY E A M E S

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1 The wilderness is not only useful for obtaining timber and water, it's also essential for maintaining the well being of our society.

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find that going to the mountains is going home, that wildness is a necessity."

John Muir wrote this in 1901 to awaken the people from the effects of the over-industrialized and apathetic stupor of luxury. Even more relevant today, we are living in an age where we fall asleep and wake up a to a screen, plugged in, our moments are defined by likes, and our conversations are replaced by looking at the "..." next to a name.

John Muir in His Own Words: A Book of Quotations compiled and edited by Peter Browning, Lafayette, CA: Great West Books, 1988

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2 The feeling of awe—the ability to lose oneself in wonder—can be found in the wilderness.

This feeling is often achieved in the wilderness. While it can also be felt while listening to a really good artist or looking into the eyes of a newborn baby, the feeling can almost always be experienced in nature. It is the feeling of understanding perspective, feeling small in a vast universe while looking at the stars, which is linked to a healthier, fuller, and happier life.

3 Reasons We Need to Feel Awe (and Where You Might Find It) by Dr. David Sack MD, psychologytoday.com, June 2015

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3 The experience of awe can increase the level of compassion and we begin to become more invested in the greater good.

"Awe may encourage people to forgo strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others." ­ —Paul K. Piff, PhD Dr. Paul Piff, PhD described in his research of awe that diminishing the emphasis on the individual self, awe may encourage people to forgo strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others. When experiencing awe, you may not, egocentrically speaking, feel like you're at the center of the world anymore. By shifting attention toward larger entities and diminishing the emphasis on the individual self, we reasoned that awe would trigger tendencies to engage in prosocial behaviors that may be costly for you, but that benefit and help others."

The Power of Awe: A Sense of Wonder Promotes Loving-Kindness by Christopher Bergland, psychologytoday.com, May 2015

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4 The outdoors is a good place for social gatherings.

"It's a good time to bond with others!" ­ —Paola Alvarez, focus group participant From my Outdoor Experience Survey, 99% of survey participants agree that the outdoors are good for social gatherings. However, in the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, studies found that minorities often face various barriers to outdoor recreation, including lack of companionship amongst members of American-Indian, female, and/or low-income communities. In separate interviews, participants have also stated that they are less likely to participate in outdoor activities because their friends just "don't do that," while some felt that "it's a good time to bond with others."

Outdoor Experience Survey by Fannie Ko, surveymonkey.com, February 2017 An Analysis of Perceived Constraints to Outdoor Recreation by Ghimire, Green, Poudyal, and Cordell, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 2014

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5 Social media and the age of the internet is making outdoor spaces more desirable.

"I do follow nature photographers and travel bloggers on Instagram and love that people can tag locations." —Puthea Chea, focus group participant In a focus group interview I conducted on minorities and hiking, most of the participants agreed that social media plays a positive role in their decision to go outdoors. As of March 19, 2017, National Geographic was the most popular brand on instagram. The account had 72,748,441 followers, 13,393 total posts, and 563,646 likes on the most recent post at the time. With more the ability of peers to share their experiences in the outdoors, people are more likely to go outdoors themselves. That, paired with outdoor photography is also inspiration for people to go see the sites in person.

Outdoor Experience Survey by Fannie Ko, surveymonkey.com, February 2017

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6 Conservation and access need to be considered concurrently During the 21st Conference of the Parties, a UN convention on climate change, the Paris Agreement concluded that capacity-building and adaptation are key issues in fighting climate change.

As wilderness access increases, so does human impact on the natural world.

Humans occupy only about 1% of the land mass in the world (2016), but affect 83% of the land (2002). Regardless of political decisions to address climate change, the changing of the climate will occur and affect us. A social effort to learn about and conserve our natural world should be put on everybody's agenda.

The Paris Agreement by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), April 2016 Gridded Population of the World (GPW), v4 by NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center, beta.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu, 2015

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7 Most people are interested in the outdoors, but aren't as comfortable participating in outdoor activities.

Interest in outdoor sports is increasingly steady. In my Outdoor Experience Survey, nearly all participants expressed some level of interest in hiking, camping, and/or backpacking. However, far less were comfortable actually doing these activities. The survey showed that when it came to extended outdoor recreational activities such as camping and backpacking, the difference between comfort and interest increased as the activity became more and more immersed into the wilderness.

Wilderness Access Research by Fannie Ko, February 2017

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8 Different demographic groups seek different experiences from the wilderness.

Some want their outdoor experiences to be family-friendly and some don't.

Fascinatingly, in these two very similar studies on minorities in the outdoors, there weren't many threads that linked the desired experiences of the groups. To generalize, Hispanic groups prefer spaces that can accommodate larger gatherings, African Americans wanted more exhibits and ranger-led tours, and Asian Americans thought they were too crowded. Females worry about safety, 16–35 year olds felt they didn't have enough time, and lowincome groups wanted better transportation.

NPS Comprehensive Survey by the National Park Services, nature.nps.gov, 2008–2009 An Analysis of Perceived Constraints to Outdoor Recreation by Ghimire, Green, Poudyal, and Cordell, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 2014

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9 Camping and backpacking is not a big part of minority communities.

"A big part of African American culture is being into sports, not really exploring the outdoors. It's not something that's normalized." —Gregory Plater, interview participant In measuring interests and comfort levels in outdoor activities, racial minority participants were far less comfortable than their white counterparts in camping and/or backpacking, despite similar levels of interest. In the same survey, 24% of racial minority participants had their first outdoor experience in their teenage years or later, as compared to 9%.

This could be attributed to established familial ties as 85% of white people were 3rd or 4th generation Americans as compared to only 16% of minority races. People of color were generally less likely to know how to prepare for an extended outdoor activity.

Wilderness Access Research by Fannie Ko, February 2017 Outdoor Experience Survey by Fannie Ko, surveymonkey.com, February 2017

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10 People of color visited the U.S. National Parks disproportionately less than their US population demographic.

The NPS census showed that about 330 million people visited the National Parks in 2016. In a separate study commissioned by the NPS, only about 17% of park visitors were people of color, despite making up about 36% of the US population. As the population of minorities are increasing, strategies to get people into the outdoors need to be refocused to fit the needs of the racially and ethnically diverse population.

NPS Comprehensive Survey by the National Park Services, nature.nps.gov, 2008–2009 Annual Summary Report by the National Park Services, irma.nps.gov

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11 People who grew up in cities/urban areas are less comfortable camping and backpacking compared to those who grew up in suburban areas.

In my Outdoor Experience Survey, the difference in interest and comfort decreased when filtered by those who grew up in urban or suburban areas.

The amount becomes most significant in regards to camping.

Of the urban group, 89% of participants were interested in camping, but only 66% of them felt comfortable with camping—a difference of 23%. On the other hand, the suburban group had 95% interest in camping and 89% of them were comfortable with camping—a difference of 6% Outdoor Experience Survey by Fannie Ko, surveymonkey.com, February 2017

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12 Urban dwellers are increasingly becoming disconnected from the natural world.

However, the perception of the wilderness and the reality of the wilderness are very different. As of 2015, 62.7% of American households are in cities (that number is 95% for Californians) and that number is likely to increase in the future. There's no denying that with the increase of technology, especially devices such as smart phones, people are spending more and more time on screens and less time in the natural world.

U.S. Cities are Home to 62.7 Percent of the U.S. Population, but Comprise Just 3.5 Percent of Land Area by United States Census Bureau, census.gov, March 2015

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13 People in urban areas are less likely have accessible transportation to outdoor spaces.

The percentage of households who do not own a car is actually increasing in major cities. That number is 54% in New York City. Car-free households are generally much more common in densely-populated urban areas and high poverty neighborhoods where residents can't afford vehicle ownership.

Research also suggests younger families and one-person households are more likely to not own a car.

Having a vehicle is essential for carrying equipment and for transporting people and gear to remote places. There is a lack of transportation options to outdoor spaces. As of now, there aren't consistent public transportation options to get into these spaces either.

Vehicle Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map by Governing, governing.com, 2015–2016 Study Shows U.S. Households Without A Vehicle Increased In 21 Of 30 Largest Cities Since 2007 by Angelo Young, ibtimes.com, January 2014

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14 Preparing for outdoor activities require experience and knowledge that is difficult to obtain without guidance.

In my Outdoor Experience Survey, people from urban areas are 18% less likely to know how to plan for a camping trip. This preparation requires the knowledge of weather, terrain, gear, permits, navigation, nutrition, fitness, travel, etc.

Information for understanding the outdoor space could be designed better.

The Parks camping reservation website is operated separately from the actual National Parks Services website. The information is not very intuitive.

And even fewer people know how to read a topographic map.

For a beginner who wants to get started in hiking, camping, or backpacking, there are not very many sources for them to know the landscape of outdoor recreational activities.

Outdoor Experience Survey by Fannie Ko, surveymonkey.com, February 2017

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15 Money is a manageable barrier to access the outdoors.

Outdoor activities require time and money, luxuries to many people. But vacation is, too. While I encourage people to make the time to go into the wilderness, the money barrier is more manageable. From my field research study to Havasupai, AZ, I learned that expensive equipment is not always necessary. The research participant was able to borrow most of her gear from friends, share it with other backpackers, or made due with items she already owned.

Wilderness Access Research by Fannie Ko, February 2017

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16 People of color are not accurately represented in the outdoor space.

The lack of racial diversity is a problem within the outdoor space in terms of park visitors, staff, and media representation. This is an problem the National Park Services is trying to solve. The story of the great outdoors is historically written by people in power, which do not accurately reflect the actual uses and needs of everybody. Because of this, outdoor spaces are not designed for the increasingly diverse people of the country.

Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney, PhD, University of North Carolina Press, 2014

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17 Misleading and inaccurate information about the outdoors create fear.

In several interviews I conducted, most participants who rarely have or have never been camping cited that they feared wild animals—bears in particular.

Statistically, a person has a 0.0000004% chance of being killed by a bear in the US each year. And even with this statistic, a majority of the attacks occurred when the bears were held captive, not in the wild. Exaggerated media coverage and viral stories create unnecessary fear that prevent people from going into the outdoors. While fear is an emotion that is necessary to help people be prepared, unfounded fear prevents people from learning and experiencing the reality of the wilderness.

Wilderness Access Research by Fannie Ko, February 2017 An Analysis of Perceived Constraints to Outdoor Recreation by Ghimire, Green, Poudyal, and Cordell, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 2014

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18 Existing outdoor companies are marketed only at the "super-elitist and entitled" identities of the outdoor community.

"What used to be a very 'volkssport,' inclusive, hippy-like identity has transformed into a super-elitist and entitled one," said Hansi Johnson, Director of Recreational Lands at the Minnesota Land Trust. This superelitist and entitled manufacturing of the outdoor identity has been termed "bro-ification." "Meanwhile, nearly everywhere here in the United States, we have incredible public lands that can deliver experiences on par with those in far-away locations that cost a fortune to get to. And you can walk out your door and have those experiences every day."

Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney, PhD, University of North Carolina Press, 2014

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D E V E L O P M E N T S T R AT E G I E S Making the insights actionable In this convergent part of the design process, my insights were distilled to inform my design strategies.

Of the 18 original insights, I identified 3 key insights that I could design for. These key insights were more tangible and actionable, which meant that there were concrete design actions I could take to address these insights. Selecting only 3 insights helped me bring focus to the design problem and create the actionable strategies that would later help me make effective design decisions.

I created a strategy chart that detailed the insights I chose, the corresponding strategy, and a list of possible deliverables that could be designed.

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Design Problem How can I get more people to go hiking, camping, or backpacking?

Audience 18–35 year old people who are low income from city/urban areas

Insight 01 People in urban areas are less likely have accessible transportation to outdoor spaces.

Cars are the main form of transportation to go hiking, camping, or backpacking.

However, studies show that less and less people from major cities own cars. And there are no adequate public transportation options to go into the parks.

Strategy 01 Provide access to transportation.

Design a method that will allow more people from cities affordable access to cars.

Deliverables 01 Design a platform to build a community of ride-share hikers.

Bus tickets Carpooling app Ride-share car wrap Ads Uniforms Social campaign Banners

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Insight 02 Misleading and inaccurate information about the outdoors create fear.

Bears can be dangerous, but, there are in fact very few bear sightings and even fewer bear attacks. The misconceptions of the outdoors are largely a result of misleading coverage of the reality of the wilderness. This creates a mental barrier that stops people from wanting to go into nature.

Strategy 02 Provide accurate and useful information and guides.

All the strategies must bear in mind (pun-intended) the audience. The audience demographic might not understand the technical jargon of the outdoor industry.

Deliverables 02 Design an easy-to-understand publication that can serve as an informational and instructional guide.

How-to resources Equipment list Nutrition guide Diagrams and instructions

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Insight 03 Preparation for outdoor activities require experience and knowledge that is difficult to obtain without guidance.

The Parks camping reservation website is operated separately from the actual National Parks Services website. It doesn't tell new users what equipment to bring or how to prepare. Many of this experience and knowledge can be obtained at a young age from family camping trips, outdoor summer camps, or organizations such as the Girl/Boy Scouts.

Strategy 03 Provide an immersive outdoor learning experience.

A lot of the necessary experience and knowledge for somebody to start camping or backpacking require a hands-on learning experience.

Deliverables 03 Design an outdoor workshop.

Mobile workshop Van wrap Guide uniforms Instructional manuals Worksheets

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D E V E LO P M E N T D E L I V E R A B L E S Turning ideas visible I used to think that if you pop a logo onto any object, it becomes a designed object. Design is a little bit more complex than that. If a client asks me to help them extend their brand reach to their audience of 70 year old people, would it make sense for me to design a 6-second video on SnapChat?

As insights inform strategies and strategies inform the deliverables. Deliverables are the physical, material items that designs actually live on. They are where the graphics, the lines, the type, the colors, the photos exist on. Making the active decision of what objects to design and how to design them are strategic design decisions that aim to solve the initial design problem.

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The 3 key insights I identified generated 3 actionable strategies. From that point, I was able to decide which items actually should be designed. I would ask the question, 'Does designing these deliverables support my strategy?' And if the answer was a sound 'yes,' than it was likely a successful design decision .

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ides site prov The web to all aspects access of the brand

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are The guidebooks ssive, pa d simple an d for ho et m providng a learn to ts introver s. skill outdoor

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the outdoors.

The end goal is serves Each deliverable le op into the to bring more pe outdoor space.

Workshops would turn the sidewalk into an r informal outdoo skills classroom.

uld The workshop wo e gu also provide id training for app guide development. shop The mobile work s-on nd ha e brings th ce en ri pe ex learning . ty ci to the This would also be a Point of sale for the Get Out & Go guidebooks series.

hikers Using the app, m could be co e sist trainees and as the guides in the workshops.

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SOLUTIONS Identity • Brand • User Journey • Applications The design process is an ongoing process with the changing of times, people, and culture. Once the deliverables were conceptualized, the next step was to turn those concepts tangible. During this phase, the identity, brand visuals, and deliverables were developed into prototypes. The prototypes then went through more rounds of feedback as well as user testing. This yielded changes in the prototypes, which produced further prototypes. This process was applied across all deliverables repeatedly.

A logo is just a part of a brand identity. It is the front cover to a book of what the whole brand actually is—a story. Brand elements paired with the logo identity along with its associated applications create the existence of a brand.

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SOLUTIONS IDENTIT Y What makes a good logo?

A $100 logo is usually a sketch by somebody who loves art. They turned that sketch into a vector for the client. The client usually then stretches it, changes the color, often deforms it to fit onto their business card and a T-shirt.

A $100,000 identity includes a logo that had been sketched at least 100 times, re-sketched, applied with type, applied without type, in black and white, in color, printed on different materials, shown to a focus group, compared to 100 other logos, and turned into a vector for the client. The logo had been tried and tested and reworked to make sure it exists as an identity across different platforms (in this case—deliverables) and is backed by research. This logo had been given properties of where and how it would exist on a business card, a business system, a mug, a banner, a website, a favicon, an app.

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Name and Logo The brand mission aims to get people from the cities into nature. People often live in cities because they enjoy the close proximity and convenience of things. Naming and logo explorations began at about the same time. The name and logo had to appeal to my audience and at the same time, reflect my mission and the outdoor industry.

I conducted a survey for the naming of the project on Instagram and in person. The name 'Mt. Near', which represents the closeness of nature, was chosen over several others. The concept is that the outdoors is accessible and that it can start in your backyard. It is also a play on the word 'mountaineer.'

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Iteration 01 The logo concept shown above is the first iteration of the logo.

After some quick prototyping, I tested it on my target audience, my peers, and my instructor. Overall, the design needed to be more friendly.

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Iteration 02 The second iteration had a friendlier element with the much rounder wordmark. It was created as a modified version of the typeface Eczar, which had some edges along with a more geometric letterform. However when I applied it to the deliverables, the typeface and logo did not match well with the rest of the brand that I had developed.

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Iteration 03 In this final iteration, I took inspiration and feedback received from the first two iterations. From the first one, I softened the edges a lot, but kept a similar Gestalt shape that is flexible to put onto many different applications.

From the second iteration, I retained the use of a graphic mark rather than just a wordmark and created a more integrated combination mark. Having the mountain and sun graphic mark emphasized the outdoors concept. The graphic mark can be used without the wordmark and could still be understood as a friendly outdoor brand.

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The primary logo is a stacked combination mark.

2

The wordmark is a modified form of the typeface, Domus, which has rounded terminals that are friendly and approachable. The stacked type represent steps. It symbolizes the idea that it is not impossible to reach the peaks, it just takes some steps—steps for hiking a switchback or metaphorical steps of progression.

3

The dot in the graphic mark is mirrored by the dot in the abbreviated "mt." to represent proximity by similarity. It shows that the rising sun is within reach.

4

Other variations exist for the identity to take form on many platforms. Because the graphic and wordmark have similar attributes, the audience should have no problem recognizing the isolated variations.

5

When isolated, the graphic mark can also be seen as the letter "m" for Mt. Near. It's shape has rounded ends and has optically the same thickness as the letterforms. The simplicity of the graphic mark allows it to be used at a small scale.

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Colors and Pattern A brand is more than just a name and a logo. It is how the story of the mission is told and perceived. Visually, it is conveyed through a consistent display of multiple elements such as a logo, colors, typography, illustrations, patterns, etc. Beyond graphic design, a brand is also how the language is used, when and where these elements are used, what kinds of products or services are provided, and even the people that represent the brand.

My research showed that traditional outdoors brands are either earth toned or red and black for those marketed toward the technical enthusiasts. My target audience leans toward bolder and brighter colors.

So, for the Mt. Near brand, I derived the colors from the bolder and brighter colors of nature. I added a topographic map pattern that is subtle and compliments the bold colors.

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Cloudy Gray CMYK • 0 / 0 / 0 / 5 RGB • 241 / 242 / 242 Hex • # f1f2f2

Salmon Pink CMYK • 0 / 60 / 35 / 0 RGB • 244 / 133 / 135 Hex • # f48587

Sunshine Yellow CMYK • 0 / 5 / 100 / 0 RGB • 255 / 230 / 0 Hex • # ffe600

River Blue CMYK • 55 / 25 / 0 / 0 RGB • 115 / 164 / 206 Hex • # 73a4ce

Cactus Green CMYK • 60 / 0 / 65 / 0 RGB • 104 / 193 / 132 Hex • # 68c184

Stone Black CMYK • 70 / 60 / 60 / 60 RGB • 48 / 52 / 52 Hex • # 303434

Illustrations Many trail maps have multiple style lines —solid/dashed/dotted—to represent different types of trails—hikes/horses/bikes/vehicles. I utilized that to inform the style of illustration and iconography.

The rounded edges of the illustrations also reflect the rounded edges of the logo and the typeface.

Because one of the insights was that a lot of outdoors information is very technical and difficult to understand for my target audience, it was important for me to create simple and direct illustrations.

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SOLUTIONS USER JOURNEY A user journey helps us visualize the experience Design does not exist in a vacuum and should not exist solely on a deliverable. User experience (UX) details that effective design should be a whole experience.

A user journey map illustrates how a user, an archetype, would navigate the Mt. Near landscape from initial interaction with the brand to their development within the system. Their actual interactions with the brand such as how they interact with a poster or how they interact with an app on their phone is called user interaction (UI). It's important to consider UI when designing for the UX.Stakeholders are more likely to understand how the system works from the perspective of the audience. This practice also helped me identify the user's points of contact with Mt. Near and how they would experience the brand.

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Initial point of contact In this User Journey, let's call the user in the Salmon Pink shoes Nico. Nico just finished his workday and is walking to the train station on his commute through the city. He sees a Mt. Near mobile workshop and is waved down by a Mt. Near Expert.

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Learning about the system The Mt. Near Expert proceeds to teach Nico about Mt. Near services through the 'Introduction to Mt. Near' workshop. Nico learns about the Mt. Near App and downloads it onto his phone.

Nico notices that there are various other workshops available in the back, such as 'How to Pitch a Tent' workshop. These are all workshops Nico can sign up to learn outdoor skills right in the city.

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Using the Mt. Near app Nico is new to the outdoors landscape so after Nico downloads the app, he finds a certified guided hike that he was interested in.

Because he doesn't have a car, Nico finds a carpool from the app and meets up with a certified guide and fellow Mt. Near hikers from his neighborhood.

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Building a community Through the group hikes, Nico meets others from his area that are also interested in hiking. Some folks have cars and offer to give carpool rides. As Nico hikes more, he learns from those experiences, the app, the guides, and his peers. He learns tips and tricks to navigate the outdoors space and is encouraged by the app to do more and more hikes. He builds a sense of camaraderie with his fellow Mt. Near hikers.

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Get Out & Go Guidebooks As Nico builds his skills and interest with the outdoors, he obtains a copy of the Mt. Near Get Out & Go Camping guidebook and goes camping for the first time. He learns how to prepare for a tent camping experience through the easy-to-understand guidebook and invites his friends along. Well-prepared, Nico has a great time and buys the Get Out & Go Backpacking guidebook.

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Learning and growing As Nico becomes more and more experienced with hiking, camping, and backpacking, he decides he wants to become a certified guide himself. To do that, he uses the app to meet the hiking requirements and goes through Mt. Near training workshops. Nico successfully becomes a Mt. Near ceritified hiking guide and is able to lead hikes.

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Closing the Mt. Near feedback loop The next level of growth within the Mt. Near system is for Nico to give back to the community. As a certified guide, Nico can then become Mt. Near Expert and run the mobile workshops to teach urban folks just like himself how to get involved with the outdoors.

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SOLUTIONS GUIDEBOOKS Start with the basics There are many methods to design and oftentimes, it's not a linear process. It might be easier to explain a concrete method to clients, but it's hard to predict what types of learnings might occur and at what stage of design those learnings happen. Flexibility should always be worked into that process.

My research revealed that much of the current information that exists in the world is very technical and that there isn't a direct guide for beginners to learn the steps into enjoying the outdoors. One of the insights is that one of my audience's key barriers to access the wilderness is the lack of understandable information. Thus, the strategy to provide understandable information yielded the guidebook series, designed with simplified language and illustrations.

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Applying the design language onto its' applications was a part of the brand refinement process. The first exploration of this deliverable was a single booklet that had a detailed diagram of a backpacking backpack.

After numerous iterations, prototypes, and feedback, I realized that the content was too complex for beginners. Future prototypes simplified the content in terms of language and typography as well as graphics.

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As mentioned in the "Identity" section (see p. 110), the best way to make sure the brand is successful is to see it in its’ applications. These rough iterations were one of my first brand explorations, which was done in conjunction with the logo explorations. Each iteration identified new learnings that helped me redefine the brand elements.

Understanding the audience After each iteration, I'd put the prototypes in front of somebody to get their feedback. One of the biggest changes throughout the process was how the information was organized. The initial iterations had diagrams and language that were too complex for a beginner hiker. For the final iteration, the information was designed to match the audience. Hikes were categorized by time and length because my audience valued their time and wanted to know how long each activity would take rather than how far or how steep each hike would be.

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SOLUTIONS VIDEO Joining the modern digital landscape Motion is an essential aspect of a cohesive digital brand in today's marketing world. Especially if I was trying to reach an audience that spends much of their time on their phones.

My focus groups revealed that social apps such as Instagram was a large factor for people getting inspired to go into the outdoors, a short animated video was an effective deliverable to reach my target audience.

It is also designed so that it is able to fit different screen formats with the most important information contained within the center of the video.

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Iteration 01 The first video had a funky fast-paced beat, paired with quick cuts of parts of nature. It starts off at the train station. Throughout, I attempted to compare the scenes I'd find in the city with similar ones from nature. The video ends at the train station, to show that the current transportation system doesn't allow people to go all the way to nature.

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Iteration 02 This version simplifies the text style throughout the video. It emphasizes the city aspect more, but without the train storyline. I included the "Get Out & Go" tagline and a separate iteration of the logo that I was trying out with the brand.

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Iteration 03 This version had the most drastic changes. It simplified the style even more along with the development of the brand. I removed the Eczar typeface and went with a friendlier Domus typeface. I created an illustration style that appealed to my audience demographic more so than the more intense style that iteration 2 had. The storyline remained the same where the scenes go from a busy cityscape to a serene nature landscape, but now seeing Mt. Near as a vehicle to do so.

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Iteration 04 This final iteration is very similar to iteration 03. It retained the same illustration style, which had been consistent with the rest of the brand development. The background goes from white to dark gray because the darker color is easier to view on screen and it allowed me to highlight the brand concept as well as the logo using the yellow brand color. The video also is shortened to approximately 20 seconds and can be seen on the website,w www.mtnear.info.

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SOLUTIONS APP Hiking is a mobile experience Since being in an outdoors is a mobile experience— both in terms of needing to move in physical space and using a smart phone— that requires being away from civilization and the city, one of the things that my audience can use to still feel connected and safe is their phones. From competitor research, the only successful outdoors app is AllTrails and it is still a limited resource for trail maps.

The goal of this deliverable is to build a communitybuilding resource that encourages people to hike.

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The primary function of the app is to help people track their hikes. Utilizing the reward system that services such as FitBit uses to track steps, the Mt. Near app helps hikers find or plan hikes and track their progress by the number of hikes, miles, elevation, etc.

The secondary function is to provide transportation for hikers in the city via carpooling. There is also a tertiary function of the app, which is to provide ‘hacks’ for people to save money and reduce waste in new outdoor gear.

The original idea was to design multiple apps and a website for 3 functions, each fulfilling the goals of the 3 strategies. However, after extensive prototypes and feedback that I gathered from my peers, instructors, and audience, I decided to simplify some of the functions and combine the features into one app.

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Site Map I knew that the app was going to be complex because it was going to have multiple functions—at least in this iteration. I created a site map to outline the functions and the screens that were necessary for the user experience.

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Hiking tracker, planner, and carpool This part of the app allows the user to track their hiking progress. Users can also organize group hikes and set up carpools. Another function of the app is integrated with the mobile workshops and promotes people to learn skills and develop within the hiking community.

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SOLUTIONS WORKSHOP A system within a brand system The Mt. Near workshop provides a hands-on learning experience for my audience, who are from the city.

My research showed that people who are from neighborhoods in areas geographically closer to natural spaces have already had hands-on outdoor learning experience, likely with their family. Those from urban areas did not get an opportunity to gain the immersive outdoor learning experience, which is essential to get started in camping or backpacking.

Because the design process is open-ended, I needed to be flexible with new learnings during the research phase all the way through the development and iteration phase. The most difficult aspect of designing for this deliverable was the realization that this deliverable was actually a system in itself. It included deliverables of its own such as a vehicle, uniforms, signage, etc. This type of situation happens often in design, so I had to adjust my original timeline and expectations to align with the new learnings.

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A

Mt. Near Van The mobile workshops would travel in the Mt. Near vans, bringing the learning experience to convenient locations around urban centers. A simple booth facing toward pedestrian traffic would provide an approachable touchpoint for people to learn about Mt. Near and the outdoor workshops provided that day.

C

Outdoor Workshop Tents These would be the locations of the workshops. They would be located on an urban park or grassy space that might simulate an outdoor experience. The tents would provide workshops such as "how to pitch a tent," "how to navigate the parks," or "how to become a Mt. Near guide."

B

Signage Directional and promotional signage will be placed at high-traffic locations.

Tree

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This workshop was integrated with the Mt. Near app in building a Mt. Near community. Beginner users of the app could develop as hikers to become experts and guides by utilizing the app and attending the workshops. Once they are trained by an expert, they can become guides themselves. Experts are a higher level of guides that might also excel at certain areas such as backcountry backpacking or tent camping.

An individual can learn and develop outdoor skills by using the Mt. Near deliverable. Then, the system makes it easy for them to share these experiences with their friends and family, integrating the outdoors into their own communities.

In my research, several participants had emphasized the social aspect of developing a new hobby. One participant mentioned they didn't go hiking because their friends didn't go. Another mentioned that hiking and camping are great ways to socialize. This system was developed to help individuals bring their friends and families into the outdoor community.

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SOLUTIONS WEBSITE A bucket for everything The Mt. Near website is a platform where all of the branches of the system exists. If a user ever has any questions, a website is usually the go-to place to find information. It will also be a point-of-sale for the guidebooks and a place to download the app. A website is a must-have in any brand these days.

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M O V I N G F O R WA R D Resources • Acknowledgements My vision for Mt. Near doesn’t end with this book.

I believe we can really solve for the lack of outdoor accessibility. This might include the actual realization of these deliverables to scale, it could mean developing the Mt. Near app into 3 separate apps or perhaps Patagonia adopts the idea of creating a mobile workshop. Regardless of how the path of Mt. Near turns out, I will continue to advocate for more and more people to gain access to the great outdoors.

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RESOURCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BOOKS Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney, PhD Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 by Boy Scouts of America The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking (Idiot's Guides) by Jason Stevenson John Muir in His Own Words: A Book of Quotations compiled and edited by Peter Browning An Analysis of Perceived Constraints to Outdoor Recreation by Ghimire, Green, Poudyal, and Cordell The Paris Agreement by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

WEBSITES adventure-journal.com brandwatch.com census.gov flaticon.com fs.fed.us ibtimes.com nps.gov outdoorproject.com psychologytoday.com surverymonkey.com unsplash.com wikipedia.com beta.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu

PHOTOGRAPHY Fannie Ko Jeffrey Wang Jeffy Can Ron Schulz

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to my family and girlfriend who have supported me unconditionally, my friends who encouraged me in this journey, my classmates who gave me great feedback, my peers who have inspired me with their own work, my instructors who provided invaluable direction, my roommates who tolerated my working needs, my GoFundMe supporters, my focus group participants, my survey participants, my field research participants, my actors and models, and my dogs.

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“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

— FRANK

L LOY D W R I G H T

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www.mtnear.info