Discover Your Forest (DYF) promotes the discovery of Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland by enriching the experience of visitors, building community support, and creating the next generation of environmental stewards.
DYF’s new leadership team was ready to explore using digital technology to connect visitors and volunteers to its services and expand its donor base. Our discovery process uncovered strategic opportunities for integrating digital solutions that DYF hadn’t considered possible or affordable – launching them into a new phase of innovation and expansion.
Key Takeaways
- Discover Your Forest (DYF), a nonprofit partner to the US Forest Service, worked with Effectual to modernize visitor engagement across three connected digital projects: a kiosk web app, a mobile app, and a full website redesign.
- A custom web app built on existing US Forest Service databases gave visitors 24/7 self-service access to trail and permitting information at the new Cascade Lakes Welcome Center, increasing permitting revenue.
- The web app's success led the Forest Service to evaluate it for rollout to regional offices across the Northwest and beyond.
- Effectual made a mobile app financially and technically feasible after the Forest Service had previously shelved the idea over cost concerns, extending engagement beyond the physical welcome center.
- A persona-driven website redesign aligned design and calls-to-action with DYF's mission, improving responsiveness and analytics to better connect visitors and volunteers.
Empowering visitors with easy access to information
DYF’s wanted a digital kiosk at the new Cascade Lakes Welcome Center that gave visitors simple access to trail and permitting info. Our team built a custom web app leveraging their existing US Forest Service databases, making trail and use information user-friendly and instantly available to visitors. Directly after launch, the Forest Service began evaluating the web app for regional offices in the Northwest and beyond.
Results
- Easy, 24-7 access to visitor information
- Increased permitting revenue
- New digital solution for Forest Service visitor services
“Partnership with Effectual helped us engage with a wider audience than we’d ever imagined. Their strategic guidance was invaluable and it shows in our final product.”
Rika Nelson / Executive Director, Discover Your Forest
Mobile app transforms visitor engagement
As conversations evolved, Effectual encouraged DYF to look beyond the web app to a mobile solution that could engage visitors anywhere. The Forest Service had shelved the idea of a mobile app in the past due to cost and technical issues. New research and some collective problem-solving revealed that going mobile was within reach and within budget.
Results
- Simple UX makes trail and permit info easy to discover
- Expanded engagement and access beyond bricks and mortar experience
- Leveraged existing technology platforms with little added cost
- Created a standardized, clean set of data deployable across other Forest Service locations
Deep dive business strategy delivers outstanding online experience
Last, the DYF static website needed a complete redesign to boost engagement and connect visitors and volunteers to the group’s mission. Effectual guided their team through an in-depth planning process to identify key personas and calls to action that would drive design and user experience and deliver desired outcomes.
Results
- Finely tuned UX development and design aligned with business goals
- Responsive web design and implementation
- Improved analytics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Discover Your Forest and what challenge did it face?
Discover Your Forest (DYF) is a nonprofit that promotes visitor engagement and environmental stewardship for Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland; its new leadership wanted to use digital technology to reach more visitors, volunteers, and donors but hadn't identified how.
What was the first digital solution Effectual built?
A custom web app powering a digital kiosk at the new Cascade Lakes Welcome Center, giving visitors easy access to trail and permitting information by leveraging DYF's existing US Forest Service databases.
Why hadn't the Forest Service built a mobile app before?
The Forest Service had previously shelved a mobile app due to cost and technical concerns; Effectual's research showed a mobile solution was achievable within budget by leveraging existing technology platforms.
What results came from the mobile and web app work?
24/7 visitor access to trail and permit information, increased permitting revenue, and a standardized dataset the Forest Service could deploy across other locations — and the web app was evaluated for regional Forest Service rollout.
What did the website redesign involve?
Effectual guided DYF through identifying key visitor and volunteer personas and calls-to-action, then delivered a responsive website redesign with improved analytics aligned to DYF's mission and business goals.