Latch & Appalachian Trail Conservancy

We had the fortune of starting a great partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy through a project we kicked off with an entrepreneur and Appalachian Trail enthusiast.

Our team traveled down to the ATC Headquarters in Harpers Ferry, WV to facilitate and participate in a collaborative workshop. We generated ideas for a digital experience related to the Appalachian Trail and had one of our most favorite workshop moments when Laurie Poetteiger (ATC's information Services Manager and a bit of an AT celebrity - she makes a cameo in Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods), expressed:

In our research for the project, we uncovered tension and varied perceptions regarding the etiquette of using technology on the trail. Through the workshop process, we were able to facilitate a conversation around this topic, which led to teams creating manifestos around the use of technology on the trail. We then used these manifestos as guidelines for the many ideas we would generate and discuss through the course of the workshop.  

We worked through exercises that asked teams to identify the best and worst moments before, during, and after a hike – and then asked them to select one of these moments to solve or celebrate through technology. This lead to several exciting and plausible potential directions for a mobile app and website - with a stamp of approval and support from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy!