boulder buddies

How I Designed an App to Help Indoor Climbers Transition Outdoors with Guidance from Experienced Mentors

The Problem
Indoor climbing is booming, but many gym climbers struggle to take their first steps outside. The gear is different, the environment less predictable, and the social norms unclear. I originally assumed they needed a solo exploration tool, but early research proved otherwise.
What they needed was connection, mentorship, and reassurance.

My Role
I led this project end-to-end as a solo UX designer:

  • Conducted interviews with climbers across experience levels

  • Framed strategic design challenges based on research

  • Designed, prototyped, and tested multiple iterations

  • Prioritized clarity, safety, and cultural alignment with outdoor climbing norms

Research: Replacing Assumptions with Insight

I began with user interviews expecting to build a self-guided outdoor climbing app. But my first five interviews flipped that idea upside down.

Key Insights:

  • Outdoor bouldering is more dangerous, and beginners rarely go out alone

  • Nearly every outdoor climber began with a mentor

  • Community, safety, and connection were more critical than independence

This shifted my direction: Boulder Buddies needed to be a mentorship platform, not just a tool for solo explorers.

affinity mapping after interviews

Strategy: Framing the Right Questions

I converted my insights into 5 guiding design questions:

  • How might we reduce risk while supporting independence?

  • How might we make mentorship feel natural, not formal?

  • How might we mirror real-world climbing social norms in the digital world?

  • How might we build trust when connecting with strangers?

  • How might we reduce the friction of getting outdoors for the first time?

These questions shaped every design decision that followed.

Design: From Bloat to Focused Value

Early wireframes were overloaded with features: gear-sharing, carpooling, social walls. Testing quickly showed these distracted from the core need.

initial sketches

Through usability testing and iteration, I focused the experience around two pillars:

  • Find a Buddy: connect with experienced climbers

  • Find a Route: explore verified outdoor spots)

Key refinements:

  1. Simplified the navigation and user flow

  2. Added a “request to climb” feature for safer interactions

  3. Introduced messaging before committing to climb with someone

  4. Added “Recently Climbed By” and mutual connections for trust signals

Testing & Iteration: Letting the Users Lead

Usability Testing Round 1: The Wake-Up Call:

  • Overcomplicated user flows

  • Poor prioritization of content

  • Unclear CTAs and confusing labels

Learning: Fancy features distracted from the core purpose

Redesign Highlights:

  • Removed low-value features

  • Simplified navigation and user flows

  • Focused on the purpose of the app

confusing flows
boulder buddies updates

Usability Testing Round 2: Validation & Fine-Tuning

  • Users responded positively to the mentor request system (like a “friend request”)

  • Users wanted to message potential partners before committing

  • Maps needed clearer markers and context

Final Updates:

  • The “Ask to climb” feature now functions with a request-and-approval system

  • A “Recently Climbed By” section was added to route profiles for trust-building

  • Introduced mutual connections for added security in climbing partnerships

Final Outcome

Boulder Buddies is now a focused prototype designed to help climbers transition outdoors safely by connecting with mentors, not just maps.

  • Trust-first partner matching

  • Simple route discovery

  • Culturally aligned interaction model

  • Early testing validation of concept direction

While not yet live, the design earned strong interest from testers and sets the stage for further development with outdoor mentors and safety organizations.

Reflection & Growth

This project taught me to:

  • Prioritizing core value: Focus on what matters most to users.

  • Strategic design decisions: Cutting features that weren’t aligned with the core purpose.

  • Use testing early to avoid costly assumptions

  • User-driven iteration: Utilizing early and frequent testing to avoid assumptions and costly mistakes.

Key Takeaway
What started as a idea evolved into a trust-centered mentorship tool grounded in user insight, safety norms, and strategic iteration. This project deepened my belief in designing for culture as much as for need, and that the best product ideas often come from being wrong at the start.

What’s Next?

  • Further testing with outdoor mentors to improve onboarding.

  • Exploration of structured “first climb” event flows to help users take the first step outside.

  • Add safety verification for mentor profiles to enhance trust.

  • Improve in-app messaging for real-time coordination between climbers.