Peak of the Parks: A User-Centric Website Revision

Abstract

This paper outlines the use of service design principles and methods, with the incorporation of people’s psychological needs, as applied to a user-centric re-design of a website. The website in question, “Peak of the Parks,” is an interactive informational website with the goal of helping U.S. National Park visitors compare locations visually on a map and details on the park’s activities, landmarks, and facilities all in one place. The original website helps to give enough information at a glance to create informed opinions, but was initially made with little outside input. Using service design methods offers a user-centric way to find out what the expanded audience needs, create goals grounded in this research, and choose improvements that directly work towards those goals; this ensures that these efforts are not only solving problems, but solving the most important problems according to stakeholders closest to the product or service.