Beyond mobile-first: Adventure-ready design for users on the move
For nearly a decade, 'mobile-first' has been the rallying cry of digital designers everywhere. And with good reason – mobile traffic consistently dominates desktop, and the trend shows no signs of reversing.
But for adventure brands, mobile-first thinking might not be going far enough. Adventure-ready design represents the next evolution in creating digital experiences that truly work in the wild.
From Mobile-First to Adventure-Ready Design
The typical mobile-first approach assumes a user who is, yes, on a mobile device, but who is fundamentally engaged in the same behaviour as a desktop user – scrolling, reading, and clicking, just on a smaller screen. It's designed for someone sitting on the sofa, commuting on the train, or waiting in a queue.
But what about the user who is halfway up a mountain, checking for route information with gloved hands? Or the surfer on the beach with wet fingers and bright sunlight making the screen almost impossible to see? Or the mountain biker who needs to quickly find trail information whilst balancing on their bike at a junction?
For adventure brands, these aren't edge cases – they're core users. Adventure-ready design acknowledges that digital products must function in extreme environments, not just on different screen sizes.
The Contextual Reality of Adventure-Ready Design
Perhaps we've been solving for the wrong problem all along? Rather than simply designing for device type, shouldn't we be designing for context – the physical environment and circumstances in which our digital products will actually be used?
Whilst traditional approaches focus on screen dimensions and device capabilities, adventure-ready design considers:
Environmental Factors:
- Extreme brightness or darkness
- Rain, snow, or water exposure
- Limited connectivity
- Temperature (affecting both battery life and user interaction – try using a touchscreen with cold fingers!)
Physical Constraints:
- One-handed operation
- Gloved interaction
- Device in motion (strapped to handlebars, for instance)
- Limited attention spans due to competing environmental demands
Heightened Emotional States:
- Excitement and adrenaline
- Potential stress or urgency
- Focused concentration on the physical experience
Practical Implications of Adventure-Ready Design
This shift in thinking leads to tangible design decisions that might feel somewhat at odds with conventional wisdom:
Extreme Visual Contrast: Apps should explore the implementation of high-contrast interfaces that remain legible in bright sunlight or poor visibility. Mapping applications could utilise adaptive contrast that automatically adjusts based on ambient light conditions to ensure readability in all environments.
Oversized Interactive Elements: Touch targets should be designed with decreased precision in mind, accounting for cold hands, gloves, or movement. Navigation apps might include an "adventure mode" that significantly increases button size and spacing when users indicate they're actively engaged in outdoor activities.
Intelligent Defaults: Systems could remember preferences and minimise the need for data entry in challenging conditions. Route planning features might automatically suggest appropriate difficulty levels based on user history or auto-fill common parameters to reduce text input requirements in the field.
Offline Functionality: Apps should provide seamless transitions between online and offline states without losing critical functionality. Outdoor navigation tools could implement predictive downloading of adjacent map sections based on trajectory, ensuring users never reach the edge of downloaded content mid-adventure.
Streamlined Information Architecture: Interfaces should prioritise the most crucial information for in-adventure contexts, with deeper content accessible in more stable environments. Emergency features could be designed with single-action activation, keeping complex settings configurations for pre-trip preparation.
Real-world applications of adventure-ready design
When designing for adventure contexts, outdoor apps could implement features specifically tailored to in-field use:
Glove-Friendly Navigation: Outdoor navigation apps could implement dedicated "glove modes" with enlarged interface elements and simplified controls. This would allow users to navigate effectively during winter activities or in cold conditions without removing protective gear.
Emergency-Optimised Interfaces: Safety apps designed for outdoor use could develop ultra-simplified emergency interfaces with large, high-contrast buttons and minimal interaction requirements. These would prioritise speed and reliability in stressful situations when cognitive load is high and fine motor control may be compromised.
Motion-Optimised Displays: Apps supporting cycling, running, or other motion-based activities could implement interfaces specifically designed to be readable whilst in motion. This might include larger text, simplified data displays, and automatic adjustment based on speed or terrain.
The adventure-ready design challenge
Creating these experiences requires a fundamental shift in testing methodology. Rather than evaluating products in the comfort of an office, adventure-ready design demands field testing in actual adventure conditions. How does that booking flow perform when the user is standing in the rain? Is that crucial safety information accessible when the user has 10% battery and limited signal?
This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for brands to differentiate through genuinely user-centred design that works in extreme environments.
Beyond technical considerations
There's also a philosophical question at play. The best adventure experiences often involve disconnecting from digital distractions. So how do we create digital products that enhance rather than detract from the adventure itself?
The answer seems to lie in designing for moments of genuine need rather than continuous engagement – creating tools that solve specific problems and then gracefully fade into the background, allowing the physical experience to take centre stage.
For adventure brands looking to elevate their digital experiences with adventure-ready design, we'd suggest starting with these questions:
- In what physical contexts will our users actually engage with our digital products?
- What environmental factors might impact their ability to use standard interfaces?
- What information or functionality is mission-critical during the adventure itself?
- How can we design for these scenarios without compromising the core adventure experience?
Adventure-ready design isn't just an incremental improvement to mobile-first thinking—it's a fundamental reimagining of how digital products can serve users in the most challenging environments.