Sophie Schroth
BFA | Industrial Design
DESIGNER BIO
Hey, my name is Sophie Schroth! I am an Industrial Design BFA student at the University of Notre Dame. I am from Seattle, Washington where I fell in love with hiking and backpacking at a young age. The mountains have always been a place of solace and rest for me.
I believe that design is an intersection of understanding people, conveying information, and providing new experiences: a balance of challenging and creative. I am interested in both product and UX design, and have a background in design research to inform the two. In all my designs I want to spark joy in everyday user experiences. Outside of design, I am passionate about mountains, traveling, acoustic music, freshly baked bread, and writing old-fashioned letters.
PROJECT STATEMENT
Since COVID-19, there has been a massive increase in the amount of people exploring the outdoors. With this increase comes a need for safety awareness and preparation so that people can be safe on the trails. Altitude explores a new age of hike tracking, safety, and community. How might we help people better understand risk, take smart steps to become prepared for the outdoors, and more effectively leverage the power of community to help each other be safe? The Altitude system reduces barriers to safety and hike planning with a website and GPS tracker. The website allows you to join a community of outdoor enthusiasts, get up-to-date safety and trail information, and log your hikes for rewards. The GPS tracker embedded in a carabiner allows you to create geofences for specific hikes and alerts you when you leave the customized area. You can share the GPS location with your community in cases of emergency. Altitude works even when cell phones fail.
Altitude: Rethinking Hiker Safety and Preparation
