Responsibilities: Wireframing/Mockups, CSS Editing, Functionality, Visual Design, UX/UI

‘Paul’s Boots’ is a documentary film developed by REI in partnership with Seattle production company Duct Tape Then Beer.

The film tells the story of Paul—an avid hiker from Australia who always planned to complete the entire Appalachian trail. Unfortunately, he passed away before this dream could become reality. When Paul’s wife M’Lynn wrote to podcast The Dirtbag Diaries (produced by Duct Tape Then Beer), creator Fitz Cahall and his team were inspired to find a way for Paul’s boots to finish the trail. In January 2016, Dirtbag Diaries partnered with REI and asked the outdoor community for help carrying his boots the length of the Appalachian Trail. Out of the hundreds of people who volunteered the list was narrowed down to a couple dozen groups. As the hikers hit the trail, so did the filmmakers. The result is a captivating tale of how we can all help each other achieve our dreams.

When it came to telling the story online, REI asked us to create a micro-site that would act as the official home for Paul’s Boots, providing videos, photos and updates from the trail. We designed and developed a custom micro-site that was integrated into the existing Co-Op Journal WordPress theme.