Hooked: the 21st-century pier-to-pier pirate map app
Background
A fishing enthusiast wanted an app to create the Airbnb of private fishing spots across the US.
My goal was to design a two-sided app for booking and managing private fishing locations.
Objective
Most sportfishing apps offer features like open-water fishing locations, angling tips, rules, records, species identification, and catch boards. I aimed to enhance these by creating a peer-to-peer platform, connecting anglers with owners and custodians of private or off-limits fishing spots for a unique, less-traveled fishing experience.
Solution
Hooked is an app that enables recreational anglers to find both public and private fishing spots around the US. When these spots are owned or managed by an entity, the app also provides a way to list and rent out the space to anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.
The percentage of Americans who fish recreationally in oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams each year.
If recreational fishing were a corporation, it would rank #54 on the Fortune 500, surpassing Google and Intel.
The economic impact of recreational fishing on the nation’s economy, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Research
Part of my design process included conducting market research and surveys of people who are the intended users of the app. Below are some of their response and how I implemented their feedback to improve the design:
“Add additional information regarding surrounding amenities.”
In response to this feedback, I incorporated a new set of icons to illustrate locations, items, amenities, and more in a way that users could easily understand.
“Change it to an overall outdoors or camping app.”
At first, I was not sure what to make of this feedback, but then I got the idea of adding additional features to create an end-to-end planning experience for fishing trips.
Features
I spent over a year transforming Hooked from a vague concept into a fully functional app. I developed the feature set, survey frames, wireframes, a clickable InVision prototype, and the website. Leading a team of developers, I worked extensively on debugging and iterating the app's functionality before and after its launch on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Explore
Users can enter their location to begin exploring the fishing waters in their area.
Make Reservations
Hooked includes specific fishing spots or properties, pricing info and links to booking capabilities.
Map Assets
With the map, users can see all the relevant fishing and camping locations in the vicinity.
Solution
I created over 164 wireframes and a clickable prototype in Sketch—the most extensive I’ve designed for any app.
Budget constraints limited some of my original designs, but they are planned for inclusion in future updates.
