The UX of Hiking and Biking in Switzerland
How user-friendly and data-rich iconography motivates bicyclists, hikers, and nature lovers to spend much time outdoors
Switzerland is a small country. It’s roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined.* But thanks to Switzerland’s topography of alpine mountains and valleys dotted with rivers and lakes, a rich outdoor culture of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and walking has become the favorite pastime of many citizens and tourists.
But how do they know where to go and safely arrive at their destination in a timely matter?
That is where the ingenious Swiss system of a most user-friendly iconography of various forms of mobility comes in. These icons animate pretty much every citizen and visitor to go outdoors and get active. A closer look at the intricate design system reveal a wealth of data.
Every time I visit Switzerland, I’m always amazed at how easy it is to understand their traffic sign system, even if one does not speak the local language. And on the topic of languages, there are four national Swiss languages, French, German, Italian, and Romansch, as well a many local dialects which are even more difficult to understand.
