Bigfoot
Autonomous
Vehicle
From the years 2019–2021 there has been a 36% increase in reported households camping at least once a year. With these rising numbers comes new campers who may need a little help getting started. Bigfoot is a service that gives campers access to forgotten items through autonomous vehicle delivery service and provides added safety features to the campground.
Project Duration: 5 weeks, Fall 2022
Tools Used: Figma, Figjam, Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Firefly
Team:
Colin Morris- UI Lead, Trademark, UI Design, User Testing, Design Research
Madi Fugawa- Research Lead, Prototyping/Wireframes: Rental Process
& Robot Delivery, User Testing, Illustrations, Copywriting
Anasia Jackson- UX Lead, Design Research, User Testing, Prototyping and Wireframes: Account Creation process
Problem Statement: Camping is supposed to be fun and relaxing but often requires expensive supplies and thoughtful preparation. When items are forgotten, campers either leave the campsite to get supplies or have to make due without, both infringing on the joy of camping.
Goal: To provide “connivence campers” access to forgotten gear and supplies without them missing a moment of mother nature.
Outcome: We created “BigFoot”, a friendly robot that delivers purchased and/or rented camping supplies to the users campsite.
Project Scope:
Design Research
UX/UI
Brand Identity
Illustration
3D Design
Copywriting
Product Design
My Role:
UX Lead
Design Research
User Testing
Prototyping/Wireframes: Home, Purchasing and Checkout
Camping Pain Points
Camping requires a large list of supplies, making it easy to overlook smaller items. By time you realize things are missing, you’re far from civilization and trying to enjoy nature.
Forgotten Items
It’s no secret that camping supplies is expensive, especially if you want quality gear. This can be a big financial commitment if you are not a frequent camper.
Expensive Gear
Planning with a group can difficult, especially if you’re splitting up the supply list. This can lead to to confusion and forgotten items that are essential to camping.
Group Coordination
Camping has a lot of little secrets that new campers might not know. This involves what to pack, how to set up camp and more that might scare away someone just getting started.
Camping Knowledge
Interview Questions
Has safety played a factor in your camping experience?
What fears/hesitations do you have that affect your camping experience?
Safety
Inconvenience
What are some reasons that inhibit you from getting for-gotten supplies after arriving
at the campsite?
Tell us a time when weather/terrain has impacted your camping
Child impact
How has camping with children enhanced or interfered with your camping experience?
What age are your children/how young have they been on camping trips?
Accessibility
What are the challenges that make camping less accessible that you would like solved?
How do you currently go about retrieving needed items?
In what ways do you adapt your meals based on camping?
What types of activities influence the supplies/services you may need during your camping experience?
Convenience
How would you feel about an automated vehicle on the campsite you can opt into?
How would a scheduled waste management system affect your camping experience?
Features
Adam Burglund, Texas State Backpacking Professor
“My students and I tend to value our time at the campsite and typically wouldn’t want leave the campground unless there is something we really need.”
“I would prefer to see a bot over a drone. I feel like a drone would be a little invasive, especially to hardcore campers.”
Interview Takeaways
Target Audience
We are looking to help what we are calling “convince campers”. These are people who are new to camping and aren’t trying to be too off the grid.
User Persona
City Slicker, Parent
Squatch Yowie, 34
Frustrations:
-Doesn’t know what supplies to bring camping.
-Afraid to purchase expensive camping equipment that may not be used more than once.
-Campsites are typically far from town.
Goals
-To give group a fun and stress free get away from the city.
-Learn what items and supplies to bring in the future.
-Feel safe at the campsite.
“I remember camping with my parents when I was little and loved it. Now that I have kids I want them to enjoy camping too, but i’m nervous that I can’t give them the same experience that my parents gave me.”
Top Forgotten Items
How Might We’s
User Journey
Camper
User Journey
Kiosk
Camping has a lot of little secrets that new campers might not know right away. This involves what items to pack, how to set up camp and more that might scare someone away who just getting started.
BigFoot aims to make camp grounds more beginner friendly to those who are who are new to camping.
Mission Statement/USP
Campers place order through the kiosk, which is then sent to an on site storage facility. Park staff receives the order and gathers the forgotten supplies. They place the supplies in Bigfoot, an off road autonomous delivery robot, who then delivers the items directly to the campers campsite. The camper inputs a code they received at checkout or scans their wrist-band for the cargo compartment to open. Once supplies is gathered, camper uses screen on robot to confirm delivery and Bigfoot drives back to storage facility for the next order.
How it Works
UI Elements
Wristband
Campers have the option to link their account to a wristband that can make their camping experience a little smoother.
It can be used as a tracking device, ensuring that you don’t get lost on the trails, or it can help speed up the checkout process with just a scan that inputs you campsite payment information.
Kiosk
To show campers that the campground offers Bigfoot, we want to locate the physical kiosk in common areas making it accessible and consistent throughout campgrounds with Bigfoot.
Common areas include: Restrooms, Campsite check in, Campground map
We also wanted the kiosk to be a height that is accessible to children and complies with ADA standards for disabled users.
We wanted to make Bigfoot a tool for campers, not only through access to forgotten supplies but also realizing Mother Nature can change at any moment. We felt that providing campers with the weather is important aspect when in the wilderness, especially when there might not be cell service at a campground.
The Kiosk has a rotating pre-landing screen that gives campers a sneak peak at what Bigfoot has to offer. Once the screen is taped, the user begins shopping.
When shopping for supplies we card-sorted our products into categories that shoppers can easily navigate, while also giving them the option to quickly search for an item.
Shopping Experience
Campers can set up an account for future camping, family settings, or just to make checkout easier!
Account Creation
Users can set up their wristband through any page by tapping the profile icon or during the checkout process. When checking out, their information is already saved and they have the option to change if needed.
Wristband set up
Delivery Setup and Check Out
Since Bigfoot delivers items directly to the users campsite, we want to allow them to choose a time when they will be present.
We also give them the option to select which campground the supplies is sent to since people often camp in groups.
I really wish we had the chance to expand this into an app for users to log their camping experience. This could involve campers taking photos of the robot, playing with allure of “spotting Bigfoot”, or even recording tips and tricks they discover with each new journey into the wild.
WHAT I LEARNED:
This was my first collaborative design project where I took on a lead role.
It taught me how to take initiative and delegate tasks so that we could
work efficiently as a team. Everyone was super motivated and hardworking,
so I learned what it’s like to match their efforts, resulting in an end product
we are all super proud of.
With More time:
Other Projects:
Hyperbolic Realities
UX & Product Design Week
Wayformer