NaTour
Designing for Kids & Parents
Time-Efficient and Meaningful Outdoor Exploration
My Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
UI Designer
Tools
Duration
4 Months
Worked Alongside
Agnes Kloos
Vivienne Vollmar
Parents felt more confident planning nature outings, kids were curious and engaged, and educators praised the app’s educational value.
Challenge
Children's knowledge of their local nature and environment is declining. How can we inspire children to explore and connect with their local nature?
Outcome
NaTour App
Finds suitable tours
Accompanies the tours
Gives tips & inspiration
Logbook
Free printable
Accompany the tours
Customisable
Method Tool Box
What tools did we use for a 16 weeks project?
Research:
Interviews
Surveys
Shadowing
Acceptance criteria
Articles and Books
Concept Testing
Ideation:
JTBD
Crazy Eight
MSCW
Creation:
Wireframing
User Flow
Prototype
Research
What Is the Current Relationship Between Families and Nature?
Surveys
Gathered insights from 25 families about their outdoor habits.
48%
Parents prioritize avoiding stress during weekends
63%
Parents want to minimize the effort required during the planning phase.
Interviews
Two nature educators.
Free exploration and storytelling spark children's curiosity, while mobile devices serve as a tool to enhance their outdoor adventures.
School Shadowing
Observed a 2nd-grade class to explore how kids navigate and understand digital tools.
An app should inspire kids to explore nature on their own, driven by curiosity,not external rewards.
Interview
4th grader discussing tech hobbies and their connection to nature.
Children are naturally drawn to hands-on nature activities like building and carving.
What Are the Gaps in Current Tools for Childrens Nature Exploration
We analyzed apps like Geocaching, ActionBound, and nature identification tools.
Lack of personalized routes based on children’s interests.
AllTrails offers minimal interaction on the screen during a trail walk.
Geocaching and Anton focus is on earning rewards, distracting from the learning experience
Key Findings
Parents
Struggling to find time to plan engaging outdoor activities and limited awareness of child-friendly nature routes.
Children
A need for activities that stimulate intrinsic curiosity, instead of relying on external rewards.
Existing Solutions
Learning through screens, limiting hands-on exploration and educational boards filled with text, which can be heavy and disengaging for children.
Goal
Inspire children to explore nature while supporting parents in organizing meaningful, engaging outdoor activities.
Ideation
Identifying What Families Need for Better Outdoor Experiences
Identify the key motivations and pain points of both parents and children when planning and experiencing nature outings with the Jobs to be Done Method
Before the Trip:
Parents don’t want to spend hours planning and orginazing it. They have limited time and need a quick, easy solution.
During the Trip:
Parents want their children to stay engaged and curious so they don’t lose interest or ask to go home too soon.
After the Trip:
Parents want the child to have a positive memory of the experience, so they’re excited to explore again in the future
The insights helped design features that directly address user needs
Pre-planned nature routes to save parents' time.
Interactive challenges to keep kids engaged.
Reinforce positive outdoor experiences.
we brainstormed solutions, to Simplify Nature Exploration focusing on
Interactive Routes:
Location-based challenges to keep children curious and involved in the adventure
Simple Navigation:
A simple icon-based UI that, allowes parents to focus on spending quality time together
Offline Adventures:
Printable “logbook” that balance screen time with nature exploration, allowing parents to quickly organize fun, engaging activities
What Core Ideas Shaped Our Design?
Identify the key motivations and pain points of both parents and children when planning and experiencing nature outings with the Jobs to be Done Method
Simplicity:
A minimal, distraction-free UI that enhances the outdoor experience by keeping information easy to find without overwhelming users.
Engagement:
Children discover nature firsthand through hands-on exploration, DIY crafts, and interactive games.
How was Bring the App’s Vision to Life?
We created low-fidelity wireframes to map out the core screens of the app:
Home: Personalized adventure suggestions tailored to the user’s preferences and location.
Route Overview: Interactive maps with engaging checkpoints to guide children through the nature exploration.
During the Trail: Step-by-step prompts for nature-based tasks, designed to keep children engaged and curious during the outing.
Visual Design
The visual design aimed to create an engaging, calming experience that encourages outdoor exploration without overwhelming users with digital elements. Key choices included:
Keep Everything Seamless and Scalable
To maintain consistency and scalability, a modular design system using Material Design was created. This approach enabled both developers and designers to work more efficiently by reusing UI components rather than building from scratch each time. With the app featuring multiple interactive elements like maps, challenges, and offline booklets, a unified design system ensured a cohesive look and feel across all components.
Solution
Reflection
What I Learned
Designing for parents means understanding that their ultimate goal is to spend valuable, stress-free time with their children. By stepping outside the box and creating a UI that is simple, intuitive, and non-distracting, I learned that we can show we care not only about engaging children but also about helping parents create wonderful, meaningful moments with their families.
Next Steps
Collaborate with Forest Forester for more secure safe routes for families and expand the project to cover larger regions for broader impact
