As part of a self-directed project, I wanted to explore how an outdoor app would work in conjunction with mountain rescue to reduce emergency callouts. The result was an activity-based way-finding app that takes advantage of the wider outdoor community who are able to connect to mountain rescue teams in case of emergency. To prevent users from finding themselves in this position, the app aims to educate and inform on the dangers users may face and through simple navigation UI.
Reducing calls to Mountain Rescue.
Over the last three years, 20% of callouts to mountain rescue have been due to people being lost or overdue. The app helps to reduce this statistic by breaking activities down into smaller checkpoints and simple navigation UI. To stop users from being overdue I took inspiration from the gaming industry.
After watching a friend play Animal Crossing I realised that the game changes seamlessly from night to day. I thought why can’t this happen in an app? Because of this, Odyssey’s colour pallet changes depending on the time of day. This is to subconsciously reinforce to the user the time so they are not caught out at night, or long after they are expected back.
The Colour.
Preventing Callouts Through Education.
Statistics from the past three years show that when mountain rescue teams are called, it is more likely for individuals with a novice-level understanding of the activity they are participating in. This is why Odyssey tries to up-skill and educate its users on specific activities and general knowledge that could save their lives when in the great outdoors. Users are awarded accreditations and merchandise on completion of different stages to try and encourage their learning.
Brand awareness.
Odyssey uses profile tags that leverage the power of merchandise and community found in outdoor activities to further its goal in reducing calls to Mountain Rescue.
Users of Odyssey can scan other users tags to bring up relevant medical information and outdoor ability, you can add people to your team through them and even call for Mountain rescue support if needed.
This recreates the solid sense of community that is often found in adventuring communities, helping the app become synonymous with these activities and increasing brand awareness.