When you need a break, do you reach for your phone?
Once you put it down, do you actually feel worse?
Miami students are craving rest, but our phones pull us in and paralyze us.
Research proves that being outdoors and fully present in an activity leads to authentic rest and recharging, but how do we motivate ourselves to do that when we always have a phone in our hands?
Take a Hike offers a refreshing alternative to mindless scrolling by helping you focus on the present moment as you search for the daily scavenger hunts on your commute to class, or on a break between assignments. Take a Hike also unveils nearby trails you might not have known existed, making it easier than ever to get outdoors. Completing these daily challenges unlocks badges and rewards, keeping you motivated and fostering friendly competition among peers. Take a Hike provides a sense of accomplishment as you learn about plant species around you and achieve customizable goals.
Interviews: I spoke directly with individuals to get a deeper understanding of their habits, desires and frustrations surrounding rest and relaxation. I learned that students enjoy activities that
Self-Ethnography: As a part of the target audience myself, this problem is personal. Paying attention to when I get sucked into mindless activities, how to break free of the paralysis and paying attention to what activities give me energy all produce helpful insights. Additionally, I walked the Miami hiking trails with some friends and observed how we navigated through them.
Survey: I surveyed a wide variety of Miami students to see how they currently spend their time, how they wish they spent their time and what’s stopping them.
Secondary Research: Researchers agree that nature is incredibly beneficial and healing to our mental health. I also learned that giving n activity our full, undivided attention is restful.
While speaking with my target market, they expressed interest in a competitive feature where they can see what their friends have accomplished as well as show off that they were outside and how much they’ve done. Therefore, I added a feature where the first of your friends to find the hunt will be visible. This will create a sense of urgency and motivate users to prioritize getting outside.
It’s unrealistic to ask college students to leave their phones behind and intuitively, they are going to reach for it when they want a break from their studies. Take a Hike provides a healthy alternative to mindless scrolling.
By seeing a daily reminder in their notification center to find the “daily scavenger hunt” they will be motivated to get outside and be intentional and observant of their surroundings.
On the homepage, it will always tell you the closest trail with directions to make it less daunting to go for a quick walk on your break. Additionally, there will be a complete/incomplete indicator and users will receive badges and rewards for how many trails they complete. This will motivate users to explore new places and get them excited to get outside in their community.
Every day there will be a plant species local to the user to find and identify. This will this require them to be fully present while outside searching for the daily item which has been proven to provide rest. Additionally, the user is learning about nature which provides them a sense of accomplishment which was brought up in my research by potential users.
Users can change their daily goals whether that is calories burned, miles walked, hours outside and more. When they have accomplished their goal, they will receive a reward to motivate them! They will collect badges that can be shown on their profile for friends to see.
Per request, potentially some companies will partner with Take a Hike in the future for users to receive gift cards as rewards.
Directional signs making students more aware of nearby trail heads. The QR code will direct them to a digital interactive map through Take a Hike
Campaign poster to be placed around campus
Mental health in college students is at an all time low. The majority of college students would say that they are stressed and exhausted. When students have a moment to rest, they often spend it looking at their phones. How do you feel after a phone break? Do you feel energized and recharged? Chances are, you are left feeling even more tired and overwhelmed. I want to find a way to combat this cycle.
Through my empathy interviews, I learned that students enjoy activities that give them a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, I learned about the Cincinnati Nature Center’s Hike for your Health passport in which you receive stamps and prizes for completing hiking trails in the Cincinnati area. I also learned about current apps students are using to try to limit their screen time, but they frequently ignore their warnings.
Through my survey, I received an overwhelming consensus that the majority of Miami students spend less than an hour outside each day, usually just to walk to class. I also learned that many students don’t utilize the available Miami hiking trails and feel intimidated by them or are completely unaware of where they are.
Through my literature reviews and secondary research I learned that giving an activity our full, undivided attention is restful.
Through field observation, I saw that my friends loved pointing out all the mushrooms, trees and flowers growing along the trail and wanted to identify them. Additionally, I observed that the Miami hiking trails are poorly marked and hard to find. The maps are very small and confusing to navigate.
How might I encourage Miami Students to authentically rest & recharge?
People lit up when they saw the stickers and they called all their friends over to grab one
Sticker found out in the wild
Exhibition day