MODERN TRAVEL APP

OVERVIEW

With the restrictions for travel caused by the global pandemic, Users need a modernized, easy-to-use travel planning platform that provides User’s a personalized planning experience. The “trekk” was designed to provide Users a one-stop-shop interface for making travel plans on their own or by creating their list of needs to send to a professional, on-call travel expert that handles all their trip’s needs.

Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools: Miro, Figma, Google Suite, Zoom

Deliverables: User & Competitor Research, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Testing w/User Testing Plan & Notes, Links to Test Recordings, Digital iOS Wireframes, Clickable Figma Prototype

Sections

user research

We wanted to gain a greater understanding of how the modern traveler makes plans, what they enjoy about travel, and what pain points they have when trying to go on trips. Over the course of one week, 31 participant screens were collected resulting in five interviews, and a total of 27 people participated in a “Travel Survey” to gain insight into larger trends of travel planning.

Of the between the interviews and the survey participants, many had similar reasons for wanting to travel, namely to visit family & friends, for pleasure, and for visiting new places. Of the 27 survey participants, while all stated they enjoy traveling, 50% said they hate planning to travel due to difficulties finding the best pricing options, coordinating schedules, and packing for the trip.

The data from their answers were then compiled into an affinity diagram, an empathy map, and then created into a user personas.

define and iterate

Through this research the following Problem Statement was created: Travel apps and websites were designed to allow users to book lodging and transportation for their trips however we have observed that these apps and websites are not meeting the needs of last minute, spontaneous travelers who dislike having to navigate through the planning process.

How might “trekk” improve the travel experience for these users so they have limited contact with the planning process but also have their needs met and arranged in a short amount of time?

ideation

To better understand what “trekk” could offer to the user experience, direct and indirect companies were assessed based on the following criteria:

Onboarding: Are the registration/login buttons obvious? Is the process easy? Are there multiple options for onboarding to the site?
Site Navigation: Is it easy to navigate from screen to screen?
Package Options: Is it easy to add multiple parts to a trip?
Overall Likes, Difficulties, and Dislikes

Based on our observations, “trekk” focused on the following experiences:

Likes: Obvious Registration/Login Buttons, Multiple Registration/Login Options, Easy Site Navigation, Prominent/Accurate Pricing Details, Bundles, Direct Contact with Help
Dislikes: Misleading Pricing, Nowhere to Register/Login, Incomplete Bundle Option, Confusing/Misleading Search Categories for Site Navigation

After reviewing the pain points discovered in the competitor analysis, we devised a User Flow that would make interacting with the app and it’s features simple to use and navigate. These were used to define potential hang-ups in the app navigation process.

prototyping

We used wireframes to map out the layout for "trekk" based on our user research which were then created as digital frames in Figma. These low fidelity, digital wireframes make the app features more tangible and highlighted some potential oversights from our original sketches.

With the digital wireframes created, we designed a low fidelity, click flow for the screens to test the navigation for the app.

We then created a mid fidelity prototype to begin prototype testing. During the testing phase, we connected with five participants who walked through the prototype.

user testing

Our objectives for the usability test were to see how the user goes through the onboarding process and the trip bio phases of the app. This also allowed us to identify any pain points while attempting to move through the tasks.

TESTING OBJECTIVES

Signing Up for the App
Continuing their Account Setup After Sign In
Creating a Trip Bio
Navigating to the Profile Page

Even though the app was new to them, some users selected the “Login” option instead of “Sign Up”. Because we assumed our users would naturally move towards the “Sign Up” option, none of the other buttons were available to the participant to use except the “Back” arrow. To fix this, we added button response options for the “Login” button.

In the Trip Bio, participants were looking for places to input rewards numbers for hotels, flights, and rental cars. They also were looking for a place to get information on potential activities as opposed to just listing things to do as they may not know what options are available in a new place. To fix this, we added a place for rewards numbers and a checkbox option to receive bookings for activities and/or suggestions for activities from the agent.

In the Trip Bio, participants were looking for a place to save a trip before submitting it to the agent so we added a “Save” button in the Trip Bio section.

CONCLUSIONS

Following additional critiques and prototyping, we will move forward into the development phase of the "trekk" app to bring the travel planning experience to the public at the touch of a button.

Future iterations include subscription options for the user as follows:

"trekk" Travel Guide - Agent Books for You
"trekk" Trip Companion - Agent Provides Booking Assistance
"trekk" Original - Planned/Booked by User