The problem

In British Columbia alone, there were 1,750 Search and Rescue (SAR) responses in 2023, indicating a significant number of individuals becoming lost in wilderness areas. As more and more people are taking on adventurous hobbies, we see a 93% increase in SAR missions from 2018 to 2021. Hikers account for 30% of all search and rescue efforts. BC spends C$7-12 million in SAR missions annually on an average of 1500 yearly tasks, 450 of which use helicopters to transport searchers into the wilderness.

Current solutions

Search and Rescue teams have methods for narrowing down the search radius by estimating the distance that a person has traveled given the amount of time that has passed and an average human's gait. The problem is that without cellular signal or satellite communications, the hiker can't flag their location to searchers. Hikers can purchase off-the-shelf products today including the Garmin InReach, however this solution is costly and the majority of newbie hikers are not willing to invest into them.

Our solution

This project aims to reduce these incidents by providing an opt-in tracking system in remote areas. When a person is reported missing, SAR teams face numerous challenges, including delays in both reporting and locating hikers, the high costs associated with search efforts, privacy concerns, and the reliability of available systems. Since SAR teams in Canada are predominantly volunteer-based, managing costs is a critical consideration. To address these challenges, we are building a system consisting of three key components: checkpoint nodes installed along established trails, wearable tracking devices that emit radio signals, and a central hub connected to the internet. When a hiker equipped with the tracking device enters the range of a checkpoint, the device transmits a signal to the central hub. This informs SAR teams of the hiker's location without requiring cellular connectivity, enhancing both the speed and reliability of search efforts.

The design

The Hikewise design focuses on creating an intuitive and visually appealing interface for hikers of all experience levels. The interactive prototype demonstrates the core user journey from discovery to trail selection.

The problem

Through user testing, it was clear to me that many users weren't even aware that 1Password had a sharing feature. Users were screenshotting or copying and pasting their sensitive credentials and sending them over to family members and friends. This can be a risk for a number of reasons.

1. The credentials could be leaked through a hacked account.

2. The credentials could accidentally be shared to the wrong person.

3. There is no way to control the amount of time that the recipient has access to your credentials.

The 1Password sharing feature allows users to set a time limit and limit the link to only be accessible to the intended recipients by sending their emails a secure access code. The sharing feature is a great marketing feature for 1Password, because it can be shared to non-1Password users, which gives them first-hand exposure to the experience. By driving up feature usage, I was also aiming to drive up sign-ups attributed to sharing.

The solution

1. Completely revamped the sharing experience by streamlining the link generation process, which reduced the number of clicks by half. Integrated native operating system sharing capabilities like the iOS share sheet, implemented intelligent settings retention from previous shares to eliminate repetitive adjustments, and added a smart contact search with autocomplete for sharing with specific individuals.

2. Redesigned the sensitive credential display page for non-1Password users, focusing on enhanced accessibility and interface intuitiveness. This overhaul was specifically targeted at improving the user experience for shared item recipients, with the goal of driving higher sign-up conversion rates through a more welcoming and understandable interface.

3. Strategically relocated the sharing functionality from the menu to the main item page, significantly increasing feature visibility and accessibility. This architectural change was designed to bring sharing capabilities to the forefront of the user experience, resulting in increased feature discovery and higher engagement rates with sharing functionalities.

4. Developed and implemented a proactive screenshot detection system that intelligently redirects users from taking screenshots of their credentials to instead share them through secure links. This feature encourages safer credential sharing practices while driving up usage of the secure sharing feature, ultimately creating a more secure ecosystem for all users.

5. Led an A/B testing initiative for the share recipient landing page, analyzing user behavior and conversion metrics to optimize the marketing experience. The data-driven insights from this testing led to significant improvements in the landing page design, resulting in better conversion rates and a more effective first impression for potential new users.

The challenge

Boutique gym owners face numerous challenges in managing their growing business effectively.

1. Tracking client engagement.

2. Monitoring facility usage

3. Maintaining personalized communication with their members.

Without proper tools, they find themselves juggling multiple spreadsheets, missing follow-up opportunities, and lacking clear insights into their business metrics. This fragmented approach not only costs them valuable time but also leads to missed revenue opportunities and potential client attrition. Many owners find themselves overwhelmed trying to balance hands-on coaching with business management, making it difficult to scale their operations efficiently.

The solution

I prototyped this hero page using Figma and implemented it using Tailwind CSS to directly address these pain points. The hero page presents key metrics at a glance, including engagement trends, sales opportunities, and retention metrics, allowing owners to quickly gauge their business health. The comprehensive client activity visualization breaks down different types of interactions, from classes booked to website visits, providing deeper insights into member engagement patterns. This solution enables gym owners to make data-driven decisions, maintain stronger client relationships, and grow their business.