FATMAP wanted to make extraordinary places and their endless possibilities more accessible by creating an app and web platform for planning and discovering routes, navigating on the day, and then recording and sharing adventures with the community.
“An app that will revolutionise your backcountry freeriding experience” – Red Bull
Company: FATMAP by Strava
Date: 2014 – 2020
Contribution: User research & testing, UI/UX, web & mobile app
I contracted with FATMAP in its earliest days and was responsible for developing the brand and designing the interface of the first version of the mobile app. As the company grew I continued to work within a 3 person design team and later joined in a full time role. As a team we designed the next generation of both the FATMAP mobile app and website.
Adventure lifecycle
We broke the experience down into an adventure life cycle; discovering the most beautiful adventures, planning and preparing for success, navigating with confidence on the day and then sharing and reliving to inspire other people and more adventures.
There was a constant stream of user testing and feedback, both external and internal as we explored the mountains in our downtime. The interface was optimised for outdoor use, considerations including; high contrast to help with snow or sun glare and mid-adventure actions accessible with one handed thumb reach.
Discovery flow, ski touring criteria, current location
Save adventure to guidebook
Save to guidebook flows
Web landing and discovery
Web design system components
Web destination discovery
Hero object
The 'adventure object' was a superstar - in order deliver the most exciting adventures in the world with information that felt like a local guide was right by your side, we launched the adventure creation tool on web to capture them. This gave all users and our own content providers the ability to draw, document and publish adventures.
Adventure creation tool
Selected adventure on web
Outcome
FATMAP built a dedicated and loyal fan base with 1.6 million registered users. Strava acquired FATMAP in 2022 and is currently integrating FATMAP into its subscription services.
“FATMAP has changed the way I see and act in the mountains” – Xavier De Le Rue, The North Face Athlete
“Useful and inspiring (and also looks really really cool.)” – Forbes
"[FATMAP] may be the most ambitious adventure tech to hit the market since sat phones" – Outside Online
