UI / UX Design
Tails N'Trails
Family-focused mobile app that turns outdoor exploration into interactive adventures, hands-on nature activities, and gamified learning experiences for children and parents.
Year :
2023
Industry :
Family Learning / Environmental Experience Design
Client :
Postgraduate
Project Duration :
14 weeks
Problem :
Families in urban environments are increasingly disconnected from nature, with limited opportunities for meaningful outdoor engagement that combines exploration, learning, and play.
Although green spaces exist, they are often underutilised or used passively. Research indicated that families want more structured, engaging ways to explore their local environment together in a way that feels both educational and fun.
Research :
Research combined primary and secondary methods to understand how families interact with nature in urban contexts.
Methods included:
Street interviews with families to explore attitudes toward outdoor activities
Field observations in public green spaces (including Dublin’s Irish War Memorial Park) to understand real-world behaviour
Expert conversations to explore the role of engagement, education, and play in children’s development
Co-creation workshops to gather ideas for interactive outdoor experiences
Key insights:
Families expressed a strong desire for more interactive and educational outdoor activities
Urban green spaces are often used as passive environments rather than exploratory ones
Experts highlighted the importance of engagement and encouragement in children’s learning outdoors
There is a shared need for experiences that combine nature, play, and learning
These insights informed a design approach focused on exploration, accessibility, and family participation.
Solution :
Tails N’ Trails is a mobile app designed to encourage families to explore their local environment through interactive trails, hands-on activities, and gamified challenges.
The app includes curated trails developed in collaboration with local heritage centres, featuring physical and digital touchpoints such as hidden markers that unlock tasks and rewards.
Key features include:
Interactive nature trails with location-based challenges
Nature-based activities such as crafts and species identification
A reward system including badges and leaderboard points
An in-app gallery for documenting family experiences
A dedicated “Parents Corner” to support guided participation
By combining play, learning, and exploration, the app encourages meaningful outdoor engagement and strengthens family connections.
Challenge :
A key challenge was maintaining engagement across different age groups while ensuring the experience remained accessible and educational.
To address this, gamification elements such as badges and structured challenges were introduced to sustain children’s interest. However, careful consideration was needed to ensure these elements did not overshadow the natural environment.
Additional challenges included:
Designing intuitive navigation for families in outdoor settings
Ensuring activities were suitable for both children and parents
Balancing educational content with playful interaction
Creating authenticity through the physical integration of markers in natural environments
These challenges directly informed design decisions throughout the project.
Constraints :
This project was completed over a 14-week timeline, requiring structured progression from research to prototyping and testing.
Additional constraints included:
Designing for diverse age groups within a single experience
Working within real-world environmental contexts (urban green spaces)
Ensuring accessibility and ease of use in outdoor, non-digital-heavy settings
Balancing digital interaction with physical exploration
These constraints shaped the decision to prioritise simplicity, clarity, and lightweight interaction in both app design and field experience.
Outcome :
User testing demonstrated strong engagement and positive behavioural responses:
Gamification elements such as badges and the “Parents Corner” successfully sustained child engagement
Natural wooden markers were preferred over artificial or coloured alternatives, improving environmental integration
Users responded positively to the blend of physical exploration and digital interaction
Families reported increased motivation to explore outdoor environments together
Overall, the project successfully encouraged shared outdoor activity, strengthened family interaction, and increased engagement with local natural spaces.
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UI / UX Design
Tails N'Trails
Family-focused mobile app that turns outdoor exploration into interactive adventures, hands-on nature activities, and gamified learning experiences for children and parents.
Year :
2023
Industry :
Family Learning / Environmental Experience Design
Client :
Postgraduate
Project Duration :
14 weeks
Problem :
Families in urban environments are increasingly disconnected from nature, with limited opportunities for meaningful outdoor engagement that combines exploration, learning, and play.
Although green spaces exist, they are often underutilised or used passively. Research indicated that families want more structured, engaging ways to explore their local environment together in a way that feels both educational and fun.
Research :
Research combined primary and secondary methods to understand how families interact with nature in urban contexts.
Methods included:
Street interviews with families to explore attitudes toward outdoor activities
Field observations in public green spaces (including Dublin’s Irish War Memorial Park) to understand real-world behaviour
Expert conversations to explore the role of engagement, education, and play in children’s development
Co-creation workshops to gather ideas for interactive outdoor experiences
Key insights:
Families expressed a strong desire for more interactive and educational outdoor activities
Urban green spaces are often used as passive environments rather than exploratory ones
Experts highlighted the importance of engagement and encouragement in children’s learning outdoors
There is a shared need for experiences that combine nature, play, and learning
These insights informed a design approach focused on exploration, accessibility, and family participation.
Solution :
Tails N’ Trails is a mobile app designed to encourage families to explore their local environment through interactive trails, hands-on activities, and gamified challenges.
The app includes curated trails developed in collaboration with local heritage centres, featuring physical and digital touchpoints such as hidden markers that unlock tasks and rewards.
Key features include:
Interactive nature trails with location-based challenges
Nature-based activities such as crafts and species identification
A reward system including badges and leaderboard points
An in-app gallery for documenting family experiences
A dedicated “Parents Corner” to support guided participation
By combining play, learning, and exploration, the app encourages meaningful outdoor engagement and strengthens family connections.
Challenge :
A key challenge was maintaining engagement across different age groups while ensuring the experience remained accessible and educational.
To address this, gamification elements such as badges and structured challenges were introduced to sustain children’s interest. However, careful consideration was needed to ensure these elements did not overshadow the natural environment.
Additional challenges included:
Designing intuitive navigation for families in outdoor settings
Ensuring activities were suitable for both children and parents
Balancing educational content with playful interaction
Creating authenticity through the physical integration of markers in natural environments
These challenges directly informed design decisions throughout the project.
Constraints :
This project was completed over a 14-week timeline, requiring structured progression from research to prototyping and testing.
Additional constraints included:
Designing for diverse age groups within a single experience
Working within real-world environmental contexts (urban green spaces)
Ensuring accessibility and ease of use in outdoor, non-digital-heavy settings
Balancing digital interaction with physical exploration
These constraints shaped the decision to prioritise simplicity, clarity, and lightweight interaction in both app design and field experience.
Outcome :
User testing demonstrated strong engagement and positive behavioural responses:
Gamification elements such as badges and the “Parents Corner” successfully sustained child engagement
Natural wooden markers were preferred over artificial or coloured alternatives, improving environmental integration
Users responded positively to the blend of physical exploration and digital interaction
Families reported increased motivation to explore outdoor environments together
Overall, the project successfully encouraged shared outdoor activity, strengthened family interaction, and increased engagement with local natural spaces.
More Projects
Award Winner
Read
UI / UX Design
Tails N'Trails
Family-focused mobile app that turns outdoor exploration into interactive adventures, hands-on nature activities, and gamified learning experiences for children and parents.
Year :
2023
Industry :
Family Learning / Environmental Experience Design
Client :
Postgraduate
Project Duration :
14 weeks
Problem :
Families in urban environments are increasingly disconnected from nature, with limited opportunities for meaningful outdoor engagement that combines exploration, learning, and play.
Although green spaces exist, they are often underutilised or used passively. Research indicated that families want more structured, engaging ways to explore their local environment together in a way that feels both educational and fun.
Research :
Research combined primary and secondary methods to understand how families interact with nature in urban contexts.
Methods included:
Street interviews with families to explore attitudes toward outdoor activities
Field observations in public green spaces (including Dublin’s Irish War Memorial Park) to understand real-world behaviour
Expert conversations to explore the role of engagement, education, and play in children’s development
Co-creation workshops to gather ideas for interactive outdoor experiences
Key insights:
Families expressed a strong desire for more interactive and educational outdoor activities
Urban green spaces are often used as passive environments rather than exploratory ones
Experts highlighted the importance of engagement and encouragement in children’s learning outdoors
There is a shared need for experiences that combine nature, play, and learning
These insights informed a design approach focused on exploration, accessibility, and family participation.
Solution :
Tails N’ Trails is a mobile app designed to encourage families to explore their local environment through interactive trails, hands-on activities, and gamified challenges.
The app includes curated trails developed in collaboration with local heritage centres, featuring physical and digital touchpoints such as hidden markers that unlock tasks and rewards.
Key features include:
Interactive nature trails with location-based challenges
Nature-based activities such as crafts and species identification
A reward system including badges and leaderboard points
An in-app gallery for documenting family experiences
A dedicated “Parents Corner” to support guided participation
By combining play, learning, and exploration, the app encourages meaningful outdoor engagement and strengthens family connections.
Challenge :
A key challenge was maintaining engagement across different age groups while ensuring the experience remained accessible and educational.
To address this, gamification elements such as badges and structured challenges were introduced to sustain children’s interest. However, careful consideration was needed to ensure these elements did not overshadow the natural environment.
Additional challenges included:
Designing intuitive navigation for families in outdoor settings
Ensuring activities were suitable for both children and parents
Balancing educational content with playful interaction
Creating authenticity through the physical integration of markers in natural environments
These challenges directly informed design decisions throughout the project.
Constraints :
This project was completed over a 14-week timeline, requiring structured progression from research to prototyping and testing.
Additional constraints included:
Designing for diverse age groups within a single experience
Working within real-world environmental contexts (urban green spaces)
Ensuring accessibility and ease of use in outdoor, non-digital-heavy settings
Balancing digital interaction with physical exploration
These constraints shaped the decision to prioritise simplicity, clarity, and lightweight interaction in both app design and field experience.
Outcome :
User testing demonstrated strong engagement and positive behavioural responses:
Gamification elements such as badges and the “Parents Corner” successfully sustained child engagement
Natural wooden markers were preferred over artificial or coloured alternatives, improving environmental integration
Users responded positively to the blend of physical exploration and digital interaction
Families reported increased motivation to explore outdoor environments together
Overall, the project successfully encouraged shared outdoor activity, strengthened family interaction, and increased engagement with local natural spaces.
More Projects
Award Winner
Read