National Park Service (NPS) seeks to preserve natural and culture resources across the United States to educate current and future visitors. Launched in 2021, the NPS app seeks to bring information about all 63 national parks and 360-plus other sites to those interested in visiting or simply learning more about NPS.

The goal in this multi-week team project was to conduct a heuristic evaluation of the existing NPS app user experience, assess the information architecture for a frictionless search experience, and unify disconnected sections of the app to better inform prospective visitors.

The solution included the development of a “narrative flow” to the NPS app anchored by a persistent tab bar — giving users control at all times as they explore the national parks. Enhancing elements of the design through customization creates a more personal user experience, too.