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Eric Reyna
Case Studies
Other Works
- Made safety data more accessible, interpretable, and non-prescriptive
- Reduced cognitive load by visualizing high-signal data in place
- Enabled paddlers to build trust in PaddleWays as a source of insight
- Supported a spectrum of users, new paddlers, river guides, and whitewater veterans alike
In the MyWaters tab, I helped paddlers track flow rate, gage height, and weather conditions for their saved river sections.
Rather than label conditions as “good” or “bad,” I surfaced raw data with visual indicators and left the interpretation to the user knowing what’s risky for a beginner might be ideal for a seasoned paddler.
I worked with our GIS team to visualize flow readings and rapid class levels directly on waterbodies and waypoints making it easier for users to understand what to expect without needing to decode raw data.
Weather wasn’t just an extra, it was a safety factor.
I layered in weather conditions contextually, including wind speed for lakes/oceans and storm warnings for rivers.
When designing waypoint submission, I included hazard types like caves, low bridges, or timber foot entrapments, while allowing users to mark them with an optional severity label. Contributors could optionally attach photos to help others assess relevance and subjective severity.
I learned on this project that designing for safety isn’t about drawing red flags, it’s about giving users the clarity to make their own informed decisions.
Working with our GIS team and subject matter experts helped ensure that data was accurate, timely, and unbiased.
In future iterations, I’d explore customizable safety alerts based on a user’s self reported experience level and route history.
