overview

Dartmouth culture thrives on the outdoors — hiking, skiing, kayaking, organic farming, you name it. However, outdoor and wellness events are scattered across several platforms including email inboxes, websites, and group chats, making them hard to find and easy to miss.


Through a partnership between the Outdoor Engagement Committee and the DALI Lab, we are creating a new central, accessible database to streamline outdoor and campus event discovery, and reduce cross-platform confusion.

my contributions

I led and refined design for Deserto's home page and rentals catalog, as well as prototyping and initial branding, before handing off our designs to developers.

results

Deserto is currently undergoing further design additions and development, with an initial rollout released in fall 2025. More updates will be posted later!

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students impacted upon release

problem discovery

“A problem well stated is a problem half solved” — Charles Kettering

“A problem well stated is a problem half solved” — Charles Kettering

Problem Area #1

Problem Area #1

Information discovery was fragmented

Information discovery was fragmented

Information about outdoor activities, student events, and campus happenings was scattered across multiple platforms, making it difficult for students to stay informed or discover new opportunities.

Information about outdoor activities, student events, and campus happenings was scattered across multiple platforms, making it difficult for students to stay informed or discover new opportunities.

Student inboxes are flooded daily with dozens of event ads and school-wide emails.

Student inboxes are flooded daily with dozens of event ads and school-wide emails.

Clubs and organizations also use GroupMe to handle large message groups and event postings.

Clubs and organizations also use GroupMe to handle large message groups and event postings.

Dartmouth has several existing websites for facilities or organizations that host activities.

Dartmouth has several existing websites for facilities or organizations that host activities.

Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) posts student-led outdoor trips on a separate platform, Trailhead.

Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) posts student-led outdoor trips on a separate platform, Trailhead.

Dartmouth Groups also contained directory-style information about clubs, orgs, and events.

Dartmouth Groups also contained directory-style information about clubs, orgs, and events.

Often, events or activities are spread by word-of-mouth, which leaves some people out of the loop.

Often, events or activities are spread by word-of-mouth, which leaves some people out of the loop.

Problem Area #2

Problem Area #2

Unreliable information created barriers

Unreliable information created barriers

Even when students found events or activities to do, missing details about hours, availability, and equipment caused confusion and frustration. The result: missed opportunities and distrust in the information students were finding.

Even when students found events or activities to do, missing details about hours, availability, and equipment caused confusion and frustration. The result: missed opportunities and distrust in the information students were finding.

Without keeping up with emails, hour changes, cancellations, or weather disruptions could be missed.

Without keeping up with emails, hour changes, cancellations, or weather disruptions could be missed.

Too often, Dartmouth's existing facility websites showed outdated or hard-to-find information about hours and locations.

Too often, Dartmouth's existing facility websites showed outdated or hard-to-find information about hours and locations.

When signing up for outdoor trips or self-directed activities, it wasn't always clear for beginners how to rent equipment or what equipment to rent.

When signing up for outdoor trips or self-directed activities, it wasn't always clear for beginners how to rent equipment or what equipment to rent.

Problem Area #3

Problem Area #3

Admin-side workflows were outdated

Admin-side workflows were outdated

Information about facility closures or weather disruptions was often out of date, only posted on paper, or missing entirely, leaving students unaware of changes and caught off guard.

Information about facility closures or weather disruptions was often out of date, only posted on paper, or missing entirely, leaving students unaware of changes and caught off guard.

Rental items were still managed with pen-and-paper systems that relied on physical student IDs, making real-time inventory updates or renting in advance nearly impossible.

Rental items were still managed with pen-and-paper systems that relied on physical student IDs, making real-time inventory updates or renting in advance nearly impossible.

user research

We interviewed students to hear about their experiences.

We interviewed students to hear about their experiences.

We interviewed 5 undergraduates about their experiences with discovering and participating in Dartmouth events.

We interviewed 5 undergraduates about their experiences with discovering and participating in Dartmouth events.

Problem Area #1

Problem Area #1

Poor existing resources

Students found existing Dartmouth websites poorly developed, and not being able to find updated event hours made the limited resources seem untrustworthy and spontaneity difficult.

Difficulty on-the-go

Students noted poor mobile compatibility with existing platforms like Trailhead and facility websites, which deterred students from finding or planning activities.

Being out-of-the-know

One student remarked that as a freshman, she often stayed inside because she didn't know about resources and events. Most events she knew of were by word-of-mouth.

Problem Area #2

Problem Area #2

Feeling unprepared

Students want to try different sports, events, or outdoor activities for different seasons, but are sometimes unsure where to start for each season.

Uncertainty about gears and rentals

Some students were unsure how to dress for certain outdoor activities, especially for winter activities that require extra gear.

Messaging

Large GroupMe chats for event clubs could be intimidating to talk within — one student noted this as a barrier and hoped for an anonymous messaging board.

Accessibility levels

Difficulty levels of certain events weren't clearly communicated, which was not inclusive of students with different physical capabilities or preferences.

"I don't want to go all the way to where ice skating happens just to see that it’s closed."

— Undergraduate student interviewee

— Undergraduate student interviewee

Facility managers also shared their current operations.

Facility managers also shared their current operations.

I interviewed a student manager for one of the rental facilities on campus, as well as a staff manager for the Outdoor Programs office, which oversees all operations for outdoor events.

I interviewed a student manager for one of the rental facilities on campus, as well as a staff manager for the Outdoor Programs office, which oversees all operations for outdoor events.

Outdated rental systems

Rentals are currently tracked using paper and writing down names and dates. Student IDs have to be presented on the spot. Inventory is large and hard to track live, especially sizes, and the website only lists what exists, not quantities.

Closure notices

If a facility was closed for the day, sometimes the only notification was a sheet of paper taped to the door.

Existing external resources

The Dartmouth Outdoors Website, and websites like AllTrails and the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, already host accurate and live data, so Deserto should route users to trusted resources

Safety and live time info

Certain locations are intentionally not promoted at certain times (e.g. winter waterfront access) due to dangerous behavior

Wellness resources are underutilized

Faculty would like to bring more attention to Dartmouth's wellness activities and Wellness Center site using Deserto

scoping

Multiple stakeholders meant multiple interfaces to design.

Multiple stakeholders meant multiple interfaces to design.

With both event participants (students, alumni) and event organizers, we established needing a student facing side and an admin facing side.

Students

First-year students & students interested in outdoor events and events in general across campus.

Alumni

Dozens of alumni visit the Upper Valley area each year and continue their involvement in events and outdoor activities.

Facility admins & managers

Select students and faculty are in charge of outdoor facilities and event logistics.

Additional stakeholders were looped in on the project as well. We kept in consistent contact with them for their expertise.

Outdoor Programs Office (OPO)

Staff in charge of all the outdoor program committees, who were maintaining the existing Dartmouth Outdoors site.

Dartmouth Information, Technology, and Consulting (ITC)

A Dartmouth ITC team of 3 staff members was partnered with our team to maintain site development long-term.

Dartmouth administration

Dartmouth's president, President Beilock, and the president's office were also invested in the project.

constraints & tradeoffs

We navigated many constraints to design a sustainable, meaningful experience.

We navigated many constraints to design a sustainable, meaningful experience.

Not remaking existing sources

Much of the information, like facility hours, trail data, and trip sign-ups, is already available on the Dartmouth Outdoors Website and Trailhead. We focused instead on filling gaps and connecting these resources in a more usable way.

Finding the ideal tech platform

While we initially scoped Deserto as a mobile app, stakeholder feedback highlighted that a responsive web platform would be more sustainable. The challenge: preserve the speed and clarity of a mobile experience while scaling across devices.

Avoiding information overload

We did not want Deserto to be an exhaustive directory. We prioritized designing Deserto as a starting point for activity exploration, rather than listing everything all at once, which required many iterations.

process

Mapping out core flows helped us, and engineers, stay on the same page.

Mapping out core flows helped us, and engineers, stay on the same page.

Before starting any designs, we ensured that information hierarchy was clear by creating architecture diagrams. This was crucial in working out logical kinks, and aligning stakeholders, designers, and engineers so that everyone understood how the product functioned.

Before starting any designs, we ensured that information hierarchy was clear by creating architecture diagrams. This was crucial in working out logical kinks, and aligning stakeholders, designers, and engineers so that everyone understood how the product functioned.

  • Home page / Information architecture

  • Rentals page / Information architecture

  • Calendar page / Information architecture

ideation

We explored several design options for each core page.

We explored several design options for each core page.

I initially worked on rentals page, before expanding my work to the home page. Another designer on my team worked on the calendar events feature.

I initially worked on rentals page, before expanding my work to the home page. Another designer on my team worked on the calendar events feature.

  • Home page / Grayscale iterations

  • Rentals page / Grayscale iterations

  • Rentals page / Grayscale iterations

solution preview

Robinson Hall

Equipment rentals, DOC meeting rooms

Hours: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

See weekly hours >

Open

Home and discovery

Home and discovery

Entry point to find updated information on events, facilities, and things to do around Dartmouth.

Entry point to find updated information on events, facilities, and things to do around Dartmouth.

Figure ice skates

Footwear, WINTER SPORTS

Robinson Hall

20+ available

One-person tent

Camping

DOC House

8 available

Rentals

Rentals

Catalog of available equipment to rent for outdoor activities, to reduce barriers for event participation.

Catalog of available equipment to rent for outdoor activities, to reduce barriers for event participation.

Dartmouth outing club

Winter A Capella show

12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Occom Pond

View more details

Calendar

Calendar

Shows longer-term events so upcoming activities are easily accessible and plannable.

Shows longer-term events so upcoming activities are easily accessible and plannable.

CHECKOUT

Admin portal

Admin portal

Helps admins track rentals and inventory, post events, and monitor participation.

Helps admins track rentals and inventory, post events, and monitor participation.

Solution

An all-in-one campus event discovery hub with calendar and equipment rental features.

An all-in-one campus event discovery hub with calendar and equipment rental features.

As a single entry point web app developed for both web and mobile platforms, Deserto simplifies the event discovery process and makes going to events more spontaneous and accessible.

As a single entry point web app developed for both web and mobile platforms, Deserto simplifies the event discovery process and makes going to events more spontaneous and accessible.

"Deserto" comes from Dartmouth's motto "Vox clamantis in deserto," meaning "A voice crying out in the wilderness".

"Deserto" comes from Dartmouth's motto "Vox clamantis in deserto," meaning "A voice crying out in the wilderness".

Home page / Mobile

Home page / Mobile

  • Home page pt.2 / Mobile

  • Home page / Explore category / Mobile

  • Home page / Activity page / Mobile

  • Rentals page / Mobile

  • Rentals page / Mobile

  • Rentals page / Mobile

  • Calendar page / Mobile

  • Calendar event / Mobile

thanks for being here.
let's connect!

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Resumé

Rachael Huang © 2026

thanks for being here.
let's connect!

LinkedIn

Email

Twitter

Resumé

Rachael Huang © 2026

thanks for being here.
let's connect!

LinkedIn

Email

Twitter

Resumé

Rachael Huang © 2026