How BC Parks Foundation rebuilt trust and user engagement with a user-first digital experience redesign
BC Parks Foundation partnered with Power Shifter to course-correct a digital platform launch, transforming it into a user-first, scalable, and engaging digital experience. By applying deep discovery, usability testing, and iterative development, the new platform eliminated user friction, streamlined event booking, and empowered administrators, positioning DiscoverParks.ca as a trusted, future-proofed community platform for outdoor explorers and park enthusiasts.
Services
Product Management
UX research & design
User interface design
Web development
UX research & design
User interface design
Web development
Project management
Design sprints
QA
Ongoing development
Design sprints
QA
Ongoing development
The brief.
Reimagining DiscoverParks.ca after a false start
BC Parks Foundation’s vision:
- Create an intuitive, engaging digital platform to explore and book park experiences.
- Overcome the failure of the initial vendor’s clunky, admin-unfriendly, and user-confusing solution.
- Restore stakeholder trust and deliver a future-ready, user-centered platform that aligned with their mission and brand.
The challenge.
A broken system, lost trust, and disengaged users
BC Parks Foundation faced several critical issues:
- The existing platform was confusing for both users and admins, resulting in low engagement.
- The system was rigid, overcomplicated, and failed to support core use cases like event booking and self-guided activities.
- Stakeholders were frustrated by wasted investments and needed a team to rebuild trust and deliver on the original vision.
The process.
User-First discovery, strategy, and iterative redesign
Stakeholder engagement
- Conducted deep discovery interviews and workshops, engaging stakeholders and rebuilding alignment.
- Rebuilt trust by focusing on transparency, agile delivery, and incremental wins.
Audience assessment & research
- Performed technical audits and user research with both seasoned parkgoers and first-time explorers.
- Used prototype testing to validate navigation, booking flows, and self-guided activity journeys.
Solution evaluation & design strategy
- Overhauled the technical foundation with scalability and flexibility in mind, replacing the legacy rigid system.
- Simplified the roadmap, focusing on core user journeys: event booking, park discovery, and content exploration.
- Prioritized usability over technical constraints, ensuring the system worked for real-world users and admins.
The solution.
A scalable, user-centered digital experience platform
- Rebuilt DiscoverParks.ca as a flexible, scalable platform, supporting future growth.
- Streamlined event booking and navigation, drastically reducing user friction.
- Delivered an intuitive CMS, empowering admins to update and manage content efficiently.
- Enhanced the brand’s digital identity, reinforcing trust and credibility with parkgoers.
Evolving the Solution
- Adopted an MVP-first approach, focusing on rapid launches and learning through real-world user feedback, setting the stage for continuous improvement.
The outcome.
Increased engagement, restored trust, and a platform for growth
- Increased user engagement and event participation due to simplified booking flows.
- Reduced admin frustration, empowering BC Parks Foundation’s team to manage the platform independently.
- Delivered a future-ready digital foundation, adaptable for evolving user needs and organizational growth.
- Stakeholders regained confidence in the digital experience, seeing a product that aligned with their mission and user expectations.
