Recreation.gov: Transforming
Public Access to Federal Lands

Project Overview

In response to a government RFP, Hella Creative Solutions collaborated with Booz Allen Hamilton to redesign Recreation.gov, the central platform for booking federal recreational activities across the United States. What began as a specific RFP response evolved into a broader contract featuring an innovative profit-sharing model—a first for the Booz Allen Hamilton group.

The project aimed to modernize the platform's user experience, integrate new services, and build a cohesive brand identity that would unify multiple government agencies and foster long-term growth.

Challenge & Objectives

Recreation.gov was constrained by an outdated platform that failed to meet the demands of modern users. The system needed to accommodate new services, improve accessibility for underserved communities, and establish a unified brand identity.

Key Challenges

• An outdated platform struggling to support increasing demand and new services
• Navigating stakeholder engagement between multiple government agencies
• Establishing a cohesive brand identity for scalability and long-term growth
• Increasing participation from underserved and geographically dispersed communities

Objectives

• Build a scalable platform that could expand from 4 to 22+ services
• Streamline operations and improve user navigation to decrease customer service contacts
• Create a unified brand identity across all services
• Address logistical challenges including wireless communications for campgrounds

Discovery & Research

A significant portion of the project timeline was dedicated to in-depth research, covering a wide range of critical areas to inform the platform's strategy, design, and technical implementation.

Competitive Analysis

Extensive analysis of travel, tourism, and recreation markets, with a particular focus on camping and day-use facilities, helped us identify best practices for user engagement and platform design.

Community Impact Research

We explored strategies to increase participation from underserved and geographically dispersed communities, understanding the logistical challenges and communication requirements for remote locations.

Key Insights

• Users required a more streamlined experience with fewer barriers to service access
• Community involvement was key to driving participation among underserved populations
• Platform needed to handle both growing user demands and specific logistical challenges

Strategy & Planning

Our strategic approach was designed to address the challenges highlighted by research and align with Booz Allen Hamilton's broader business goals, as well as the objectives of multiple government agencies.

Brand Identity Creation

We developed a cohesive brand identity for Recreation.gov, ensuring all services were unified under one consistent user experience. This brand identity would provide the foundation for future scalability and agency collaboration.

Service Integration & CMS

Implementing a robust content management system allowed the platform to scale from 4 to over 22 services, seamlessly managing growth without compromising user experience.

Profit-Share Model

The project's success was underpinned by a profit-sharing contract model, the first of its kind for Booz Allen Hamilton, which provided ongoing value and sustainability.

Design & Implementation

The platform was redesigned using a mobile-first, responsive design to ensure accessibility across all devices.

User Journey & Prototyping

Prototypes and wireframes were developed in collaboration with both user groups and stakeholders. The final design prioritized ease of navigation and intuitive service discovery.

Scalable Infrastructure

A robust backend was built to support the integration of over 22 services, ensuring that as the platform grew, performance and usability were not compromised.

Results & Impact

The redesign and modernization of Recreation.gov delivered exceptional outcomes for both users and stakeholders.

Quantitative Impact

• 1.2 billion+ page views since the platform's redesign
• 40 million+ reservations made
• 41 million+ annual site visitors
• 23 million+ total user accounts
• 6.7 million app downloads
• 400 million+ online sessions
• 75% reduction in customer contact center volume

Qualitative Impact

• The platform's new brand identity established a unified experience across multiple services
• Stakeholders praised the platform's improved efficiency and ability to support diverse recreational needs

Lessons Learned

Research Is Critical to Success

The depth and breadth of research we conducted proved essential in building a platform that could accommodate both current and future demands. Investment in thorough research early in the project ensured all design and technical decisions were data-driven.

Creating a Scalable Platform from the Outset

The decision to build a scalable backend and CMS from the very start allowed the platform to grow from 4 services to over 22 without requiring a major overhaul each time.

User-Centered Design Delivers Measurable Results

The user-centric design approach significantly improved key performance metrics, including a 75% reduction in customer contact center volume and a 20-point increase in NPS.