RMK Mobile App
Enjoying nature is a national hobby in Estonia. But how do you know where to go? Whether it's a hiking trail, camping ground or a forest hut you're looking for, you'll find it in the RMK app.
Service
Full service: from research to UI design
Client
RMK - State Forest Management Center
Find it on
App Store, Google Play
Imagine being out there. Deep in the forest. You have hiked for hours and there's more to go. Now is the perfect time to find a campsite for a little stretching break. You open the RMK app where you're able to see your location in that big forest, the trail you followed and all nearby sites and attractions. You filter out campsites and fetch directions.
RMK organises the recreational use of natural environments in Estonia. In other words, they make wilderness accessible. We have a lot of different hiking trails, camping or BBQing sites, visitor centres, sights, events, and forest huts all over the country. And all of this is what you'll find in the app. Now, the story of making it happen started with a workshop.
A day with the client resulted in an overview of our user groups, initial ideas, and a plan for testing the concepts. Some things were clear from the start. We had all the objects in lists, but instead, we wanted to make them accessible through a map. The map itself had to become the centerpiece of the app. Having a grasp of all the necessary content simplified the design process. That is a great starting point for mapping the information architecture. We could create a sitemap and plan the interactions before we head into the UI design.
However, it always seems easier on paper. What offered a challenge this time was the four main hiking routes. They didn't match the hierarchy of other objects and stretched across the whole map. They also had some extra features to them. So we turned it into a mini-project to analyse the use cases, wireframe solutions, and finally map out a specific flow for them. What was left to do now was to follow the brand guidelines, create the mockups and test it on the user groups.
The Map
Focus on the map was the core principle of design. The entire UX evolves around the map as the central navigation point: all the objects are icons on the map, opening from the bottom to reveal as much map area as possible at all times. The searches also eventually lead to the map. Even the transparent menu was created with that intention in mind.
The Result
This project was especially joyous for us because we knew from the start that we are going to use it ourselves. We are proud to use it when we get outdoors.
The RMK App is now widely known as the way to find activities in nature. It is continually managed and improved by RMK. The app is available in three languages and on App Store and Google Play.
This project was especially joyous for us because we knew from the start that we are going to use it ourselves. We are proud to use it when we get outdoors.
The RMK App is now widely known as the way to find activities in nature. It is continually managed and improved by RMK. The app is available in three languages and on App Store and Google Play.
The RMK App is now widely known as the way to find activities in nature. It is continually managed and improved by RMK. The app is available in three languages and on App Store and Google Play.
The RMK App is now widely known as the way to find activities in nature. It is continually managed and improved by RMK. The app is available in three languages and on App Store and Google Play.
The RMK App is now widely known as the way to find activities in nature. It is continually managed and improved by RMK. The app is available in three languages and on App Store and Google Play.
This project was especially joyous for us, because we knew from the start that once launched, we are going to get to use it. And we are proud every time.
