mobile

Bon Voyage

Providing quality travel reviews.

overview

This was a mock project that I worked on alone.

Although the market is currently saturated with several apps that allow consumers to find travel information, the goal for this project was to find the gaps in the market and also consider user insights to create a product that would enhance a user's experience in planning for a trip.

deliverables

Domain Research
Competitive Analysis
Persona
App Map
Moodboards & Style tiles
Hi-fidelity wireframes & prototype

timeline

4 weeks

the challenge

How do we create an app that provides quality travel recommendations and information to users while standing out from the competition? How can we fill in the gaps that exist in the market? 

Research

user interviews

This project was based on three different user interviews. 
The interviews were already transcribed and I primarily
synthesized the results in order to find the main patterns
in the motivations, frustrations, and goals.
All three interviewees were millennials who travel regularly.
Michael
Contractor
St. Louis, MO
Oliver, 31
Motion Graphic Designer
East Village, NY
Christine, 32
Copywriter
Chicago, IL
1
Users want to see new
and unique attractions
Users want to see sights that are "off the beaten"
path. They want to avoid tourist traps and  
do what the locals do.
"...honestly nothing beats a local’s perspective. I love to meet people and have those special connections that really make a trip memorable."
2
Unreliable reviews have
let users down
Users have been frustrated with inaccurate
information and reviews.
"I'll often Google things near me and visit places based on reviews and general interest. I've been burned a few times by doing that, but that's not to say that it doesn't sometimes work out"
3
Despite the occasional
negative experiences,
users rely heavily on reviews
It is safe to say that a majority of the users would
research heavily while planning a trip and use the
information they found to drive their travel decisions
"I actually read a lot of reviews before I make a purchase or decide to go anywhere"

user persona

After synthesizing the user interviews, I identified the
main goals, frustrations, and motivations across all
three of the users and created the user persona below;
our target audience is a millennial who is married, travels
regularly, and someone with a middle class income.

there's a pattern here

Upon analyzing the user research, I realized that the number one painpoint was that all of the interviewees depend on reviews, yet have been let down by unreliable ones.

competitive analysis

For the next phase of research, I moved onto analyzing the competition.
I chose three direct competitors that were accomplishing similar goals
and three indirect competitors for inspiration.
I created a chart of their respective target audiences, goals, strengths,
weaknesses, and key features. Here are some key insights that were gathered.
Customizable
Suggestions
Users are able to indicate their interests and receive customized suggestions based on that
Reviews
and Ratings
Users can see other people's reviews and ratings of attractions, crucial information that helps them make travel decisions
Mobile
First
Research shows that going mobile first allows for a more flexible travel experience as travelers can make last minute adjustments
Honing in on Reviews
Because the user interviews told me that one of the biggest painpoints was the lack of quality reviews, I really wanted to understand how to cultivate an environment where users could post trustworthy reviews, so I took a deeper dive into the competition.
How is TripAdvisor Doing Reviews?
On the mobile app, users can create an account and leave reviews. When you click onto a reviewer's profile, you can see how many contributions they've made in addition to the number of photos they've uploaded, and how many times their reviews have been voted as "helpful."
Pros
• Users have a deeper sense of trust by seeing how many times a reviewer has been upvoted
Cons
• The app doesn't allow users to filter reviews according to different categories (top rated reviews, elite users) 
• Although the app does show who's reviews have been upvoted, it is difficult to see this at a glance; adding a verified check mark next to the user's name may help register credibility more immediately
Yelp's Elite Users
Yelp takes it one step further by creating a community of "elite" users; these elite users are vetted through an application process and only earn that status if they have proven over time that they are a trusted member.

let's reflect

After considering both the user interviews and competitive analysis, it became apparent that users really valued trustworthy information to help drive their travel decisions.

the problem is becoming clear

The traveler needs a pain-free way to find and save reliable travel information on unique cultural attractions so that they can maximize their time at any given destination.

Look & Feel

Before wireframing, I created two different moodboards and style tiles to plan out the look and feel of the prototype. I took into account that the main demographic for this app would be millennials and drafted styles that I felt would best appeal to this group. After receiving some feedback, I decided to go with the first visual direction.

bright • simple • adventurous

Moodboard
Style Tile

dark • techy • moody

Moodboard
Style Tile

Solution

To address the problem statement, the solution needs to include a way to find unique attractions and a way for users to find reliable information.

must-haves

Unique Attractions

Being able to look for unique attractions was important for users. They wanted to go to where the locals frequented and needed a way to filter out destinations accordingly.

Reliable Information

Being able to look for unique attractions was important for users. They wanted to go to where the locals frequented and needed a way to filter out destinations accordingly

key hi-fidelity screens

usability testing

Now, it was time to find out what real users would think
about the prototype. I tested it with two different users
who were in their early 30’s and traveled frequently.
The key takeaways are summarized below.

Stronger Visual Identity

One of the participants recommended bringing more of a visual identity into the explore page. He felt that there could be a backsplash behind the search bar with an image that would tell the user more about the brand and what it represents.

Copy & Content Strategy

On the intro page, one user suggested adding a short description such as “Reviews you can trust.” in bold letters so that the user could instantly know the biggest selling point of this app.

Keep it Simple

When asked what their favorite part about the prototype was, both users responded that they liked the clean, simple, and minimal design.

Reflection

Although the solution included a way to increase the quality and credibility of reviews, further ideation could have led to more innovative and unique ways to address the initial problem.

It was also a good lesson in how much content strategy and copywriting can affect the experience of a user as they interact with an app. From my usability test, one user made several comments about how if the copy was different here or if there was more explanation there, then the prototype would have stood out more to her. It made me realize that for future projects, UX design is not just an isolated aspect of a product - it needs to complement and work together with other aspects in order for a product to serve users in the best way possible.

eventurousspotivitybon voyage