Development diary

After five weeks of work the website has a first test version, visible only to the project team. All the pages are there: now it is a matter of filling them.

The test on the trail

We chose trail TP1, The Thematic Parks, as a complete example: description, technical data, map and photo gallery. Then we actually walked it, with the website open on the phone, noting down everything that did not work.

Next steps

• complete the technical data and GPX tracks for all trails;
• add places to stay and eat in the other villages;
• prepare the trail booklet in PDF;
• add the interactive maps and the aerial videos.

We will open the website to the public as soon as the trails are complete. In the meantime, keep following us here.

This week was all about the look of the website. We prepared five very different drafts and tried them out on a computer screen and on a phone.

Why Riviera

The “Riviera” draft uses the colours of the area: the deep blue of Lake Garda, the silvery green of the olive trees and the sandy tone of the dry-stone walls. Photos take centre stage, the text has room to breathe and the technical data can be read at a glance.

• large images at the top of each village page;
• identical tiles to choose where to start;
• trail sheets with length, elevation gain and time always in view;
• clear buttons to download the GPX track and the PDF sheet.

Easy to read, first of all

Many people will use the website outdoors, with the sun on the screen. That is why we chose large fonts, good contrast and pages that load quickly even with a weak signal.

1 September marks the official start of work on the new Trekking Paradise website. The idea is simple: bring together the trails of the Costermano sul Garda area in one place, describe them well and make them easy to choose, download and walk.

Why a new website

Until now, information about the trails was scattered across printed maps, GPS tracks passed from hand to hand and word of mouth from people who have always known the paths. Anyone coming to the lake for a weekend struggles to work out where to start, how long a walk is and where to stop for a meal.

The goals

• 50 trails described with length, elevation gain, times and GPX track;
• 10 starting villages, each with its own page;
• where to stay, where to eat and useful services along the way;
• a light website that is easy to read on your phone, even in the middle of the woods.

How we will work

We will go step by step: first gathering the material, then the page structure, and finally the design and the content. In this diary we will tell you where we are, week by week.