The IKON Pass from Alterra Mountain Co. is a premium ski pass that unlocks 50+ destinations across North America, the European Alps, Japan, and Australia. The Ikon Pass website aims to sell annual passes, and the native app enhances a skier's on-hill experience with stat tracking and competitive badges.

Alterra was focused on one thing: bold ideas that could redefine the on-hill experience for new skiers. By investing in digital innovation, they aimed to position themselves as leaders in the space and differentiate from their primary competitor, Vail Resorts.

One of the privileges of working with a longstanding client is the opportunity and trust to brainstorm and ideate about a company’s future. I designed and facilitated an “Idea Mapping Workshop” for my colleagues and Alterra’s digital strategy team.

1. creative ideas that are not limited by current thinking or beliefs.

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition

blue sky thinking

ˈblü-ˈskī - think·ing

noun

The Idea Mapping Workshop in Miro.

Discover the areas of opportunity.

I mapped the existing mobile app features on a ski pass holder's typical journey in these three stages:

• Pre-Trip
• On-Hill
• Post-Trip

Adding joy into the process.

Much to my delight, I received an overwhelmingly positive response to my workshop design. Stakeholders and my colleagues alike commented on how fun it was to see the customer journey mapped on a mountain. This custom design allowed them to visualize the experience and room for opportunity.

Enough ideas to build a multi-year roadmap.

After our initial brainstorming session, we refined the ideas down to 50 that had the potential to be in the mobile app. I asked the Alterra team to vote on their favourites to move forward with a plan for next steps.

Here are some of my favourite ideas:

♥️ Interactive 3D maps to view mountain elevations.
♥️ Push-to-talk functionality to reach friends on the mountain.
♥️ Locals offering tours/inside scoop information of the area.

"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

— Maya Angelou

Going forward

One of the ideas that went straight into design and development was the Year-Over-Year skiing stats. Working alongside a company called Wearlynx, my team and I designed the UX/UI of the YOY feature and released it in 2023 for the Ikon Pass Mobile App.

Banner image courtesy of IKON Pass.

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