Overview
VISTA is an immersive AR/VR feature within The North Face app that allows users to experience trails and natural landscapes through spatial audio and interactive environments. Designed for both outdoor explorers planning their next adventure and individuals who may not have physical access to these spaces, VISTA offers a more inclusive way to connect with nature. By combining environmental storytelling, sound, and immersive visuals, the platform invites users to slow down, observe, and engage with the outdoors in a meaningful and accessible way.
Roles / What I did
Logo/Visual System (Evan Fenley and Jess Garcia)
Brand Strategy/Identity (Evan Fenley and Jess Garcia)
UX/UI Design (Evan Fenley)
Marketing Material (Evan Fenley)
Tools
Illustartor
Photoshop
Figma
Sketchbook
How VISTA Came to Life
VISTA began as an exploration into how The North Face could extend its mission beyond physical products and into immersive experiences. The concept emerged from a desire to make the outdoors more accessible, not only for those planning their next trail but also for individuals who may not be able to physically reach these environments. By leveraging AR and VR technology within the existing app ecosystem, VISTA transforms trail discovery into a sensory journey. It bridges preparation, inspiration, and accessibility, allowing users to experience landscapes before they go, or from wherever they are.
Branding and Iconography
The VISTA identity was designed to live seamlessly within The North Face brand while introducing a distinct sense of adventure and immersion. The logo system retains the structural clarity and bold simplicity of the North Face mark, ensuring immediate brand recognition. To differentiate the feature, the “V” becomes a standalone symbol, a directional, summit-inspired form that represents exploration and forward movement. This separate app mark allows VISTA to function as both a sub-brand and a scalable digital product, maintaining brand equity while carving out its own visual presence.
The Feature
VISTA integrates directly into The North Face app, allowing users to explore curated trails and landscapes through immersive AR and VR experiences. Users can select a destination and enter a spatial preview that combines 360° visuals, environmental storytelling, and layered ambient sound to simulate the feeling of being there. Interactive hotspots provide trail insights such as elevation changes, terrain conditions, and key landmarks, helping users prepare with confidence.
For those unable to physically access these spaces, VISTA offers a fully immersive mode designed for stationary exploration. Whether experienced through a headset or mobile device, users can navigate environments at their own pace, engaging with soundscapes and visual cues that recreate the rhythm and presence of the outdoors. By blending practical trail information with sensory immersion, VISTA transforms planning into experience and access into inclusion.
Outcomes
VISTA demonstrates how The North Face can expand from outfitting exploration to facilitating it. The concept strengthens brand loyalty by positioning the app as a tool for inspiration, preparation, and accessibility, not just commerce. By integrating immersive technology, VISTA creates deeper emotional engagement with landscapes before users ever step outside, while also opening the outdoors to individuals who may not have physical access to these spaces.
Through conversations with members of The North Face team, we also explored the potential for smart gear integration, embedding tracking technology into products that could sync directly with VISTA. This would allow users to capture route data, environmental conditions, and performance metrics powered through the platform, further connecting physical gear with digital experience. The result is a more inclusive, experience-driven extension of the brand that bridges product, technology, and exploration.
Learnings
Designing VISTA reinforced the importance of balancing innovation with brand integrity. Creating a sub-brand within an established identity required restraint, knowing when to evolve and when to preserve. I also learned how immersive technology must serve a clear human purpose; accessibility and emotional connection became just as important as technical execution. Ultimately, this project strengthened my ability to think beyond product design and consider how digital experiences can expand a brand’s mission.
Personas
VISTA is designed for those who feel drawn to the outdoors in different ways. For Randy, it extends a lifetime of exploration beyond physical borders. For Gerry, it restores access to summits his body can no longer reach, honoring a dream that never left him. For Emerson, it transforms uncertainty into confidence, turning first steps into informed ones. Together, they represent a spectrum of ambition, limitation, and aspiration, revealing how immersive technology can expand not just access to landscapes but access to possibility.
