Connecting guests through seamless digital experiences
Our redesign of Grouse Mountain’s guest services app improves the overall user experience, including innovative augmented reality elements. Service Design | Web & App Development | UI/UXProject summary
Situation
Grouse Mountain resort, located in Vancouver, maintained two separate mobile applications, which divided the app’s user group. With over 1.3 million guests per year, they needed a stable, single platform that used innovative technology like augmented reality, supported multiple languages and provided feature parity across iOS and Android. Solution
EY teams combined the functionality of two existing iOS apps while adding feature parity to the Android version. Using the JIBE’s API, we took advantage of the back- end, as well as an augmented reality implementation for Grouse Grind, a steep 3 km hike up the mountain.
These strategic updates helped us increase visitor engagement in major ways. Augmented reality created map elements offered entirely new ways for users to explore Grouse Mountain. Meanwhile, a summer-winter toggle, ticket purchasing portal, webcam feeds, event lists, snow reports, dining locations, Grouse Grind tracking and ‘What’s open?’ features offered users entirely new ways to get excited about the mountain and explore its possibilities.
With a relentless focus on functionality, this redesigned user experience included multi-language support in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese.
The app is now a comprehensive user resource, empowering folks with the up-to-the-minute information needed to enjoy Grouse Mountain, track their Grouse Grinds® hikes, snap up tickets and navigate the mountain itself. 
"EY Design Studio Canada helped in delivering a high-quality and stable app… it’s been a seamless collaboration. The team offers valuable solutions to each challenge… and shows a strong commitment to the final product’s success."
Jodi Westbury
Marketing and Communications, Grouse Mountain
Servicing a large audienceWe're all about functionality and stability at scale
A full house1.3m+ guests
TechnologyThe Grouse Mountain app was built from scratch, combining the functionality of multiple apps in a singular experience.
FunctionalityUsing on-device capabilities (like AR) to power technologies allowed us to build a leading-class user experience.
What’s nextGrouse Mountain already has plans for the next version of the mobile app. Major highlight? The new iteration will allow users to buy all types of Grouse Mountain tickets directly from their phones. The app will also expand to include a tracking capability for the Snowshoe Grind®, and use 360° video to offer an even more interactive experience while visiting Grouse Mountain.
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“They not only wanted to deliver something that worked but something they’d be proud to share.”Jodi WestburyDirector of Marketing and Communications, Grouse Mountain
What’s openThe “What’s Open” section of the mobile application shows the status of summer activities, as well as that of the runs, terrain parks, and lifts in the winter.
WebcamThe Registries needed to actively track and manage citizen information, actions, timeline, status and outcomes so that the business community and citizens can be informed and aware of upcoming changes which affect them.
Ticket purchasingThe user can now purchase a mountain admission pass from within the app. These currently include snow tickets for skiing or riding, or a Grouse Grind download ticket.
Grouse Grind times and badgesThe mobile application lets a user track their Grouse Grind statistics. By signing up for an account, the user can also participate in the leaderboard community and compare their stats to those of other participants, and earn badges.
Weather reportingThe FreshWorks team created a toggle that lets a user switch from summer to winter and it shows the current conditions through imagery.
Augmented RealityThe new application includes an integrated augmented reality (AR) mode for walking navigation, to help point the way to the mountain’s activities and features.
