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Revamp of the UX Copy and usability of Plan your route feature.

Go Camping America

Assisting people in planning their camping trips efficiently.
MacBook mock up of Go Camping America's redesigned UI
About
Camping is one of USA's favorite ways to travel and explore
Go Camping America (GCA) aims to foster the growth of the camping community across the USA by promoting privately owned RV parks and campgrounds. Users can access an array of parks and campsites to add them to include them into their camping plans.

In many ways, the unexpected onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created an overwhelming need for reflection, connection, and nostalgia. This desire to connect with what’s familiar is reflected in an array of products and services, including camping.
Goals
The primary goal of this UX design case study is to design a user-centric onboarding and engagement experience with a focus of assisting new campers in planning safe and affordable camping trips.

Evaluate the UX copy of Plan your route module to align it with the organizational and user goals and maintain consistency.
Challenges
The user base of the GCA website is diverse, with campers from different levels of camping expertise and experience. Re-designing the interface to caters to the needs of both novice and experienced campers was challenging.

Striking the right balance between providing comprehensive information and avoiding information overload. Users should be able to access essential details about campgrounds without feeling overwhelmed.
Tools
Figma
Adobe XD
Miro
Role
User Research
UX Writing
Interaction Design
Timeline
Research - 6 Weeks
UI Design - 4 Weeks
Outcome
Initial Research
The literature review showed staggering stats on camping trends in year 2022 in the USA
92 Million
Active Campers
Not only are more people camping, they started camping more often.
6.4 Million
First-time Campers
The number of first-time campers increased by 24% in 2022 compared to 2021.
10.6 Million
RVs registered for camping
These numbers attribute to 4.2% increase compared to the stats from 2021.
$22.18 Billion
Camping equipment Sales
Not only are more people camping, they started camping more often.
Use Personas
Based on their experience with camping, the user base of the GCA website can be classified into
Expanding on the “User Goals”
Mapping out the User goals and the Organizational goals, helped  identify the areas for improvement.
User Goal 1
Plan a Camping Trip
Search for camping sites that are open and have available spots, and filter their search results by price, amenities, and activities.
User Goal 2
Find a safe and affordable camping destination
Search for camping sites that are open and have available spots, and filter their search results by price, amenities, and activities.
User Goal 3
Connect with other campers
Get first-hand information about campsites and travel from campers who previously visited a site. Share information, tips, and answer questions from other campers to engage with the camping community.
Org Goal 1
Provide comprehensive resources for trip planning
Search for camping sites that are open and have available spots, and filter their search results by price, amenities, and activities.
Org Goal 2
Help in the growth of the camping community
Search for camping sites that are open and have available spots, and filter their search results by price, amenities, and activities.
Org Goal 3
Make camping more accessible
Search for camping sites that are open and have available spots, and filter their search results by price, amenities, and activities.
Design Statement
"Design a user-centered solution that facilitates the growth of the first-time campers community by providing comprehensive onboarding, engagement, and planning tools.”
Heuristic Evaluation
Usability and UX Copy analysis of Plan your route section
I used 5 Usability heuristics and 6 UX Copy heuristics by Torrey Podmajersky from her book Strategic Writing for UX.

Each criterion is scored on a scale of 0 – 10.
0 – the usability criterion is not met.
10 – the criterion is well executed/followed.
Findings
1. Clear and easy titles and labels
This can nudge the users to scan and read the information in the intended hierarchy or flow. Ensuring that first-time users don’t feel lost because of the terminology.
2. Concise empty states & text input fields
Text inputs are a major interaction entity on the website. So, the empty states of the input fields should be easy to understand and should convey what the results would be.
3. Clear error messages
There are no error messages on the current website, so introducing error messages (for both Veteran and novice users) can tell the users what they can do to get the results they are looking for.
UI Analysis
The currents screens had scope for improvements
25% of the website users use the "Plan your route" service while browsing through the website.

The "Plan Your Route" service on the Go Camping America website offers a comprehensive tool to plan, navigate, and optimize camping trips, providing convenience, efficiency, and the ability to tailor their journey to their specific preferences and requirements.
Voice Chart
In UX writing, a voice chart is a document that outlines the tone, style, and characteristics of the product's voice.
It ensures consistency in the language and messaging used across the website. A voice chart typically includes guidelines on the brand's personality, such as whether it is formal or informal, playful or serious, authoritative or friendly.

Product principles are high-level guidelines that define the goals and values of a product. They help guide the decision-making process by providing a clear direction and focus. These principles often align with the overall user experience strategy.

The voice chart holds each product principle in a column. Then, for each principle, each of the six aspects of voice is defined in each row: the concepts, vocabulary, verbosity, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
Product Principles
The product principles are: Informative, Reliable, and Conversational.

Both user types, visit this website for reliable and informative content on camping. The website's atmosphere needs to be trustworthy and guiding. The users should be able to explore all the available, needed information and not feel lost on the website. Conversational writing will guide the users through this process. The conversation is kept casual because a majority of the users want to go camping to relax and have fun.
Wireframes
Combining the findings from Heuristic Analysis of the currents screens with the UX copy changes
The wireframes map out the user flow for Plan your route section of the website.
High Fidelity Mockups
Here is the final result.
Learning
1. Content Management: Managing a database of campgrounds, campsites, and RV parks requires robust content management practices. Keeping information accurate and up-to-date is a continuous effort, and a well-organized content management system is crucial.
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2. Community Engagement: Fostering a sense of community among campers is essential. The addition of community features, such as discussion forums and user-generated content, enhances user engagement and provides a platform for campers to connect and share their experiences.
Future Project Scope
Mobile Optimization: As mobile devices become increasingly popular for accessing camping information on the go, prioritizing mobile optimization can ensure a seamless experience for users across all devices.