Redesigning the iOS App from 3.5 to 4.8 Stars
Led a complete mobile app redesign grounded in user research, addressing navigation confusion, adding offline functionality, and rebuilding core features in React Native to improve ratings from 3.5 to 4.8 stars. Despite being featured in "Apps We Love," reviews showed users loved our content but couldn't find saved trips, needed offline access for hiking, and experienced frequent crashes.
Problems
Confusing Information Architecture
User research revealed that people couldn't find saved trips or figure out how to follow other adventurers. Navigation patterns didn't match iOS conventions or user expectations.
No Offline Functionality
Hikers wanted to reference trip details on trail without cell service. Our app required internet for everything, even viewing previously loaded trips.
Missing GPX Track Support
Trip reports often included GPX files, but we had no way to display them in the app. Users had to download files and open them in third-party mapping apps.
Performance & Stability Issues
App reviews frequently mentioned crashes and slow loading. Technical debt in the hybrid codebase made improvements difficult without a significant refactor.
Approach
I started with user research: analyzing App Store reviews for patterns, conducting interviews with power users and people who'd abandoned the app, and running moderated usability tests. I recruited participants through our email list and asked them to complete common tasks (find a saved trip, follow someone, plan a hike) while thinking aloud. Patterns emerged quickly: navigation was the biggest pain point, followed closely by the lack of offline functionality.
Based on this research, I restructured the information architecture around user mental models rather than technical constraints. Working with engineering, we decided a React Native rebuild was necessary — the hybrid codebase was too fragile to iterate on, and a shared codebase would let me contribute to component development directly.
Solution
The redesigned app launched in phases over six months. The new three-tab navigation structure made core features immediately accessible: Discover for browsing trips, Saved for bookmarked trips and downloads, and Profile for your activity and settings. Hidden menus disappeared, replaced by a clear, predictable hierarchy.
The download manager let users save trips for offline access with a single tap. Clear storage management showed how much space downloads were using, and automatic updates when back online kept content fresh without manual intervention. This became one of the most-loved features according to user surveys.
Interactive maps rendered GPX tracks on topographic maps with elevation profiles. Users could scrub along the route to see elevation changes at different points. I integrated with Apple Maps for turn-by-turn navigation to trailheads, so users could go from reading a trip report to driving there without switching apps.
The React Native rewrite made the app noticeably faster. Lazy loading, image optimization, and better caching reduced load times by 60%. The crash rate dropped below 0.1%. Combined with the better navigation and new features, it turned an app people complained about in reviews into one they recommended.
Impacts
3.5 → 4.8 Star Rating
App Store rating improved from 3.5 to 4.8 stars within six months of the redesign launch. Reviews consistently praised the cleaner navigation and offline features.
Featured in App Store
The redesigned app was featured in the App Store's "Apps We Love" section for a second time, driving significant downloads and brand recognition.
40% Use Offline Features
Within three months, 40% of users had downloaded at least one trip for offline access. This became one of the most-loved features according to user surveys.
GPX Track Adoption
Trip reports with GPX tracks saw 3x higher engagement than those without. Users spent longer viewing routes and were more likely to save trips with tracks.
Reflections
User research drove every major decision here. We had assumptions about what was broken, but user testing revealed different priorities, particularly around information architecture.
The React Native migration was ambitious but necessary. It let me contribute code directly to components and interactions, which accelerated iteration cycles. The shared codebase also meant design system changes propagated across web and mobile.
If I could do it again, I'd involve power users earlier as beta testers. We caught most issues before launch, but a few edge cases (like handling very large GPX files) could have been identified sooner with real-world testing.