In the Fall of 2021, I, along with two other interns, was responsible for helping to develop a wayfinding app for Wildlife Prairie Park in Hanna City, IL. Wildlife Prairie Park is a non-profit corporation providing education and sanctuary for various indigenous North American species, along with providing outdoor recreational activities, lodging, and camping sites.
This app was part of a larger grant to refresh the park's branding, and was meant to help visitors to the park find maps, park information, directions to specific park specialties, and where to donate to the park, among a variety of other new functionalities.
Part of this project involved competitive research on similar park and zoo apps and the type of user for this app. This research was extensive and helped guide the design of the app moving forward, with significant competitive research conducted on the San Diego Zoo, Denver Zoo, Six Flags, and Animal Safari.
I was responsible for helping to develop the overall tone of the app artistically; giving it a fresh, modern feel while also maintaining the original feel of the park.
I developed graphic design and icons for the animals and other sights of the park, an app icon, a loading page, and the largest project of all: the map of the park itself that would be displayed on the app. These were primarily created using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, while maintaining Wildlife Prairie Park's overall feel.
As of April 2023, the app is still being developed.
Initial Concepting
Initial moodboards along with graphic design and style tests for some of the major icons and features of the app. We decided on a strong but simple art style - with emphasis on warm colors and simple geometric shapes and icons.
Initial concepts and mock ups for the different icons that would be used as pins and markers on the app's map.
Contrasting art style tests for some basic icons; we knew we wanted these specific icons in the map, but weren't sure what specific look we wanted for the icons yet.
Initial concepting for the different features of the app's map feature. We wanted things to feel cohesive but still clear, and tested different colors and indicators before creating the actual map. Hiking trail colors were deliberately kept similar to the originals, so as not to cause confusion among users who were used to associating a specific color with a certain path type.
Initial moodboards for the art style of the app, centered on simple geometric icons and a warm, green-centric color palette.
Initial moodboards for the art style of the app, centered on simple geometric icons and a warm, green-centric color palette.
Initial moodboards for the art style of the app, centered on simple geometric icons and a warm, green-centric color palette.
Final Map Design and Icons
The final map and icon design we settled on for the app - we opted for natural, warm colors, and clear and bold silhouettes for the icons to help readability. The icons were made to be used in two ways: as a marker on the map, indicating where each item was, and as a standalone icon for the filter/list view of the app. That way, we could connect each icon to a specific item and location on the map, increasing readability and accessibility.
App icons identifying different features of the map
Animal silhouettes to be used for the filtered search and list view of the map, for additional clarity.
Icon designs for the filtered search and map for different significant events around the park, including the train, asventure/safari bus, and disc golf.
Main map of the park to be utilized in the app.
Map closeup of the parking lot and Prairie Zephyr Train station
Map closeup of one of the lodging areas of the park, including cabins, remodeled silos, and remodeled train carriages, all available for lodging.
Map closeup of the central area of the park, including parking, the ranger station, snack shack, and visitor center.
Sample map with the different hiking trail types highlighted.
App Icon and Loading Screen
Final loading screen for the app, featuring Wildlife Prairie Park's signature bison.
