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// AMS CAMPGROUNDS //

State Park Experience Platform: From Concept to Market-Ready MVP

ROLE

Product Designer

COMPANY

Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc

TIMELINE

Aug 2020 - Jun 2021

TEAM

13 members – 2 Designers, 1 Product Manager, 5 Engineers, 5 Stakeholders

PLATFORM

SaaS Web Application

DOMAIN

Government / State Agency Park Management

RESPONSIBILITIES

UX Research, Needs Assessment, Product Vision, Stakeholder Collaboration, Flow & Architecture, Configuration Logic, Design System, Accessibility, Interaction Design, Visual Design, UX Writing, Development Support

Project Objectives

Problem

Many state agencies lacked a reliable system to manage park assets and employees, resulting in missed opportunities for funding and program development. The absence of an integrated solution hindered their ability to gain comprehensive insights into customer behavior and program success.

Goals

  • Develop a comprehensive state park management and campsite booking system.

  • Integrate the new system with existing Kalkomey products to provide a unified platform.

  • Offer state agencies a holistic view of customer interactions and program effectiveness.

Discovery & Research

Competitive Analysis

Reviewed existing legacy platforms alongside emerging digital products to identify content, heuristic strengths and weaknesses, industry patterns, and feature gaps.

Screen mapping and heuristic audit examples.

Screen mapping and heuristic audit examples.

User Research

Conducted extensive qualitative research through interviews and surveys with customers, agency partners, and park management professionals to uncover pain points and key requirements.

Survey results slide from my stakeholders presentation.

Survey results summary for stakeholders.

An example of the personas created for the team.

An example of the personas created for the team.

Concept Validation

Used early-stage concept workshops to align stakeholders on the guiding vision and extract priorities for the MVP.

Diagrams used to sync on architecture with stakeholders.

Diagrams used to sync on architecture with stakeholders.

The first Campgrounds wireframes

Wireframes of customer experience used to sync on features with stakeholders.

Usability Testing

Later in the project, I built a prototype and conducted moderated usability testing to test improvements to flows and design ahead of development.

Screenshot of a usability test.

Screenshot of a usability test.

Analysis from the usability tests.

Analysis from the usability tests.

Design Process & Execution

Guiding Concept

Started with high-level strategic concepts to define the user journey and core functionalities needed for park booking and management, and how it all could integrate with existing services for a unified experience.

App concept created to demo future integrations to client.

User Flows & Architecture

Designed intuitive workflows for both administrative and customer-facing interfaces, from park discovery and booking to comprehensive back-end management with flexible configurations to accommodate diverse agency needs.

Different navigation styles and journeys from user research.

Different navigation styles and journeys from user research.

The first Storefront info architecture and the product features.

Customer experience info architecture and features.

The first Admin info architecture and the product features.

Admin experience info architecture and features.

Design System Development

Created a cohesive design system that maintained consistency across the platform, supported rapid iteration, and provided a scalable foundation for future feature development.

Sample from customer-facing design system.

Sample from customer-facing design system.

Sample from admin design system.

Sample from admin design system.

Accessibility & UX Writing

Incorporated best practices in accessibility to cater to diverse audiences. Developed clear microcopy and guidance throughout the user journey.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Worked closely with product managers, engineers, and state agency stakeholders to refine requirements, balance technical constraints, and ensure a smooth handoff into development.

End Summary

As the project's design leader, I:​

💪

Championed
the Vision

Guided the team from an early conceptual framework to a tangible, market-ready product, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives at every phase.

🤝

Facilitated
Workshops

Organized collaborative sessions and design reviews to iterate on the concept and refine solutions based on stakeholder feedback.

​

​✨

Balanced
Trade-Offs

Managed constraints related to integration, budget, and timeline while preserving the integrity of the user experience.​​

​

​🌈

Mentored
Team Members

Provided leadership and mentorship to junior designers, ensuring a consistent design language and cohesive teamwork.

​

Impact & Outcomes

  • Successfully launched an integrated park management and booking system, enhancing operational efficiency for state agencies.

  • Provided agencies with valuable insights into customer behavior and program success.

  • Laid the foundation for future enhancements through a robust and scalable design system.

Reflection

This project highlighted the importance of adaptability and strategic thinking in product design. By navigating business shifts and collaborating closely with stakeholders, we delivered a solution that met the complex needs of state agencies and positioned the product for long-term success.

Final Designs

More detailed walkthroughs available upon request.

Customer Experience screens.

Admin experience screens.

Short demo of admin experience.

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