Mobile App · Product Design
Wayfarer
An offline-first hiking companion for the wild routes and remote bothies of the Scottish Highlands.
- Wayfarer Outdoors
- Allied House
- Product Designer & Front-End Lead
- Role
- 2025
- Year
- 9 months
- Campaign
Chapter I · Context
The Realm
Wayfarer helps hikers plan multi-day routes through the Highlands, where phone signal disappears for hours at a time. The team had a passionate community and a prototype that only worked with full signal.
Chapter II · Challenge
The Threat
Walkers needed maps, weather and shelter information that kept working in the middle of nowhere, on a phone held with cold fingers and a low battery. Every interaction had to be possible with gloves on.
Chapter III · Approach
The Strategy
I designed an offline-first experience where every route downloads as a single pack, with large touch targets, a high-contrast mode for snow glare and a battery saver that dims everything but the trail. We tested on real hills in real weather, and rewrote anything that failed in the rain.
Chapter IV · Outcome
The Victory
Wayfarer became the most downloaded hiking app in Scotland in its first season, and mountain rescue teams now recommend it to walkers heading into remote country.