Hersheypark App
I was the lead user experience designer on a full redesign of the Hersheypark® app, responsible for conducting in-depth UX Research, establishing design direction, and creating a seamless integration of the amusement park's new digital band feature.
The Hersheypark app was outdated, confusing, and had an overall poor user experience that did not reflect the amusement park's brand or true lively identity.
Create an elevated digital experience that outshines competitors and unveils Hersheypark's new modern rebranding and $150 million expansion project.
Responsibilities
UX Assessment
UX / UI
User Interviews
Prototyping
Experience Strategy
User Testing
Team
Paula Moniz, Senior Strategist,
Ben Cannon, Creative Director
The Hershey Company In-house creative team
We started by taking an in-depth look at the current Hersheypark app and evaluated it against top in-market apps and out-of-market brands that blend in-person and digital experience seamlessly to inform our content strategy.
Overall App Insights
We surveyed 800+ park visitors about their in-park and app-related experiences and conducted focus groups with season pass holders.
User Feedback
Upgraded Map
HPGO Band
New Menu
Wireframes
UX Assessment
Upgraded Map and Filters
We partnered with a local Hershey, PA illustrator to design a new and improved map, while simultaneously customizing the park's Google Map features to allow for a seamless GPS transition.
New Map Features
Plan My Trip
A key takeaway during our user research was parents struggling to plan park itineraries and keeping track of their kids while in the park. To help alleviate these issues we created a My Lists feature.
(i.e. Dairy-free Foods, Kid-Friendly Rides, etc)
HPGO BAND
To enhance the visitor's experience while in the park we introduced a new personalization feature that allows users to view ride stats, photos and connect a Fast Track Pass.
New Menu Bar
& Homepage
We distilled the original overwhelmingly long side panel navigation down to 5 main menu tabs: Home, Map, HOGO, Hours, and More for Miscellaneous topics (Messages, Alerts, FAQ, etc).
Map Wireframe - Ride Flow
We kicked off the project by doing a deep dive into the competition, both amusement parks and brands offering wearable technology experiences (i.e. cruises, fitness classes, etc). Along with the research, we dissected the old Hershey park app and highlighted what works and what could be improved.
The new and improved app has received rave reviews and has a rating of 4.7 stars on both ios and google app store. Users now have a working, up-to-date map that offers navigation and live ride wait times. The new HPGO band features have increased season pass ticket holders, leading to new perk upgrades.