CANOPY QUEST
MOBILE APP
A MacRitchie app designed to enhance parent–child experiences.
ROLES: UI Design, UX Research, Illustrator
DURATION: 6 Weeks
INFO Canopy Quest is a UX bootcamp project where we designed a MacRitchie learning companion app supporting parent–child bonding. Grounded in field research and interviews, the mobile app incorporates educational features that translate real-world insights into meaningful, user-centred digital experiences.
METRICS With a 100% success rate across all tasks, usability testing showed the app is easy to navigate. Family feedback at MacRitchie highlighted the app’s strength as a bonding tool, using game-like challenges to sustain engagement without increasing screen dependence.
ABOUT CANOPY QUEST Built as a companion for families visiting MacRitchie, the app transforms a simple nature walk into an interactive learning journey. With trail quizzes, photo identification for plants and wildlife, and timely park updates, it encourages parents and children to explore together while deepening their connection with nature — and each other.
Our challenge was to explore the gaps in the MacRitchie visitor experience by determining who its main users are and understanding the pain points and obstacles they face when navigating the park.
CHALLENGES
By observing families on the trails and conducting interviews, we uncovered the need for clearer guidance, shared activities, and more engaging ways to learn about nature. These findings shaped our solution: a mobile experience designed to enhance exploration through interactive learning tools. The concept emerged directly from real-world insights and iterative testing with users.
SOLUTIONS
DESIGN AND RESEARCH PROCESS
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01
Problem/ User Discovery
Evaluated existing MacRitchie platforms and conducted field research to uncover gaps, user behaviours and pain points.
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02
Define
Defined the core audience, synthesised insights, and crafted the problem and HMW statements to frame opportunities.
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03
First Pitch
Presented 3 different initial ideas based on research and insights gathered.
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04
Concept Testing
Second round of groundinterview to understand user perceptions of the app concept and its potential use during their nature trails.
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05
Ideation and Prototyping
Shaped visuals and features from insights and refined our low-fi concepts into a high-fidelity prototype.
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06
Deliver
Presented Canopy Quest mobile app for our final presentation.
RESEARCH TRIPS An on-site recce at MacRitchie helped us understand the visitor experience and revealed an uncommunicated Chemperai Trail closure, highlighting gaps in timely information. We also gathered insights through conversations with visitors.
USER INSIGHTS
We interview 21 visitors at MacRitchie on a Sunday. We interviewed a wide range of visitors, 57% men and 43% women. Ranging from 19-50+ years old. 60% of which are hikers and 40% are families with children. Visitors we interviewed mainly come to MacRitchie for 5 core reasons:
Enjoying scenery and sunset
Visitors vsit parks to unwind and enjoy a change of scenery.
Nature and wildlife spotting
Visitors can spot and interact with wildlife, a refreshing contrast to the busy city.
A place for family bonding Parents bring their children to MacRitchie to explore/interact with wildlife, so they’re more connected to nature.
Rest and Relaxation
Good opportunity to indulge in activities to relax and escape the pressures of daily life and work.
A familiar hiking and running hotspot
Visitors citied that MacRitchie offer a refreshing environment to train and work towards personal fitness goals.
CONCEPT TESTING RESULTS
Interviewed 5 parents at MacRitchie, ranging from 40–50+ years old.
Parents view the app as a bonding tool
“An app might help with bonding and break up monotonous trekking”
Liked idea of app as a way to connect meaningfully with their children, add additional purpose and structure to occasional trips.
Sustaining engagement at MacRitchie
“Son will get lethargic after walking around the challenge might help motivate her son to move forward.”
Children can get tired or bored mid-walk, and the idea of game-like challenges was welcomed as a way to keep them moving and engaged.
Nature offers a meaningful, tech-free space for learning.
“Afraid of screen time so will prefer if it’s for parents and the parents will educate the kids.”
Some preferred the app be parent-led, with the adult guiding the child instead of direct device interactions.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Why Families Became Our Target Users
On-ground observations showed that families with young children made up a large portion of MacRitchie visitors.
Parents expressed that nature provides a healthy counterbalance to their children’s screen-heavy routines.
Families saw MacRitchie as a safe, familiar space for bonding and quality time.
Children were consistently curious, energetic, and eager to explore outdoors.
Key Pain Points Identified
Parents often stand around while their children played or explored.
Limited interactive activities to keep kids engaged.
Parents desired ways to make the trip more educational, intentional, and enjoyable for both themselves and their children.
These insights showed that while families come to MacRitchie to bond, both parents and children lack engaging, interactive ways to explore the trails together. This gap led us to our problem statement:
Families need a fun and interactive way to remain engaged as they explore and navigate MacRitchie.
PROTOTYPE WALKTHROUGH
TRAILS PAGE
Different trails of Macritchie with difficulty level shown upfront to help parents make informed decisions on which trails suit them.
Corner tab to enable users to access their ongoing/completed trails easily.
• Users are notified of route closures and park updates.
• A preview map reveals species users may encounter on their trail.
• Users may tap on markers to learn about features or species along the paths.
QUIZZES PAGE
• Interactive quizzes and games turn the trail into a fun learning experience, encouraging parents and children to discover answers together and learn about local biodiversity.
GUIDEBOOK AND IDENTIFIER PAGE
• Parents and kids can snap photos of flora and fauna for instant identification and learning.
• Saved photos appear under Favourites for future review.
• The Guidebook features all MacRitchie species for families to explore.
BADGES PAGE
• As users complete milestones, they earn different badge levels, motivating them to continue completing quizzes.
• Badges not yet earned appear greyed out, with clear instructions on how to unlock them.
ACCOUNT PAGE
• Parents and kids can snap photos of flora and fauna for instantidentification and learning.
• Saved photos appear under Favourites for future review.
• The Guidebook features all MacRitchie species for families to explore anytime.
BRANDING AND ILLUSTRATIONS
The app’s branding adopts a playful and uplifting tone inspired by nature guidebooks and gamified interfaces, making it appealing to both children and parents. Bright illustrations,
warm colours, and friendly language create an inviting experience, while the badge system uses fun, ranger-style names — like Junior Bird Watcher and Tree Top Ranger — to connect real MacRitchie species with imaginative exploration. This approach turns learning into a light-hearted adventure that families can enjoy together.
REFLECTION AND TAKEAWAYS
• Ground research is invaluable
Being onsite at MacRitchie revealed pain points and context that no desktop research could uncover.
• Designing for families requires dual empathy
Solutions must balance the needs, behaviours, and motivations of both parents and children.
• Tone of voice and illustration style matter
Branding and visual language can strongly shape engagement, especially for younger audiences.