AllTrails, the premier platform for hiking, biking, and running enthusiasts, boasts a collection of over 300,000 hand-curated trails across 100+ countries. As the Growth Product Designer on a very small in-house design team I collaborated closely with our engineering and data teams to identify and address key opportunities for improvement and growth.
The AllTrails home screen was largely under-utilized. Users were met with a continuous scroll of trail cards upon opening the app, that did not feel customized. User interviews revealed that there was limited awareness of search and filtering options, and our data showed that the majority of our users did not use this key feature.
The default home screen was an endless list of nearby trails, lacked personalization and often overwhelmed users. Key issues included:
• Content was not tailored to individual users.
• Users were unaware of available search filters.
• Low feature adoption due to insufficient awareness.
• The support team received a high number of tickets due to low customer awareness of features and lack of new user onboarding.
User testing also revealed a significant gap in understanding the app’s functionality, which resulted in a high volume of support requests. The FAQ section on the AllTrails website was text-heavy and not designed for effective onboarding or feature education.
1. Transform the explore page from a generic scroll of trails into a personalized, engaging experience that drives user interaction.
2. Increase conversions to our Pro subscription
3. Alleviate pressure on the support team.
The AllTrails homepage had a passionate user base, so we went into the project with the awareness that making changes would have to be designed and implemented with additional care to both serve our current user base and attract new users. Collaboration with Leadership, the customer service team, our trail data team and engineering partners was key as home and search changes would effect teams across the company.
A design sprint, partner interviews and demo sessions were key parts of the process in addition to user testing. Particular care was spent inensuring that the newly implemented features would reduce load on our customer support team.
Personalized Home Page
Developed a personalized homepage experience to present relevant trail content. Collaborated with the engineering team to implement rules-based personalized trail collections using user data, including search and filter history, custom lists, and location.
Feature Education
Utilized Braze to deliver targeted educational content based on user activity. Created step-by-step guides and animated GIFs to highlight both free and Pro features. Partnered with the support team to identify common user pain points and address them through dynamic educational content.
Activity River
Introduced the “Browse by Activity” river to enhance user awareness of various outdoor activities, increasing visibility of the app’s diverse offerings.
Pro Up-sell
Addressed the lack of awareness about AllTrails Pro (45% of users were unaware of its existence) by integrating Pro up-sell content cards. These cards showcased Pro features and directed users to the conversion funnel.
Onboarding Series and engagment CRM
When a user signed up for a new account they were dropped onto the platform with no introduction to the platform or feature training. This lead to low feature adoption and a high volume of support tickets. In an effort to set our users up for success and reduce the load on our customer service team I designed a series of onboarding emails sent out through the users first three weeks on the platform to welcome and educate.
These emails highlighted AllTrails features, suggested local trails, and showcased Pro benefits to promote the premium subscription. A series of reengagement emails were also sent out to inactive users through a re-onboarding series to edccate esisting users on features and bring them back onto the platform by curating trails in their area.
A product announcement emails were a key part of the homepage launch as the platform had a dedicated user base who had been loyal customers for years. Any time change is introduced there is potential for friction so care was taken to avoid friction that would lead to user shed. Before the new homepage was we announced that there would be changes coming to build momentum. On feature launch an announcement email was sent showcasing new features and inviting the users to explore the product. We were delighted by the great feedback from users and boost in engagement numbers. It was by far the best received redesign I had participated in.
App Store Optimization
The app store screens had not been updated in some time and was not showcasing the app and features well. Redesigned app store slides emphasized valuable features that users often overlooked. We focused on free features for new users, but included Pro up-sell messages in app after users had explored the
Support Efficiency
Reduced support tickets related to common issues by 25%.
Marketing Integration
Marketing teams adopted the Braze card system for promotions and sales.
Community Engagement
Leadership and PR teams utilized Braze cards for effective community communication and blog sharing.
Increased Awareness
Notable rise in Pro feature awareness and a subsequent increase in Pro subscriptions.
