Mobile travel app

Overview

The User Researcher seeks to gain insights into modern travelers' challenges and obstacles when making plans in the post-pandemic era. Through surveying, interviewing, planning, and collecting data, the User will work to improve the Mobile Travel app startup, ensuring a seamless booking experience for all users.

My Role

Designing
Prototyping
Sketching
User Research
User Interface
Wire-framing

Timeline: 3-weeks

Platform: Mobile, iOS

Full Case Study

Problem, Solution & Impact

Problem

In the post-pandemic era, travelers are looking to simplify their booking process by finding destinations and booking flights, cars, and accommodations with just one click.

Solution

Designing a mobile app that allows users to find and book travel accommodations with one click.

Impact

Designing a user-friendly travel app with many features can prevent users from missing out on opportunities.

How Might We?

How might we design a travel app that offers a range of features in a single, user-friendly platform? Many users revert to their previous search methods without this adequacy in a mobile app, resulting in lost opportunities.

Let's Begin

I followed a proven UX process in top frameworks to create a user-friendly product. I learned and implemented this process as a designer in all my projects. Below is the design process I use to solve problems effectively.

User Research

We conducted thorough research in the initial phases of designing our mobile travel agency application to ensure that it meets the expectations and requirements of our target audience. Our research revealed that some individuals still face difficulties while booking their travel, even with the availability of several travel applications. Moreover, third-party bookings can create further obstacles in case of unforeseen circumstances or refunds. Therefore, we aimed to create a seamless booking process by incorporating these findings into our design.

Hypothesis

People want an app that allows them to find their destination to travel, low-budget direct flight deals, transport, and accommodation, and book the needful in one app.

Methodology

The User survey was conducted as the first step in collecting closed-ended questions. It was sent out via Google Forms. A survey was sent out to identify candidates who would fit the criteria to use the newly started Mobile Travel app. Once the candidates were identified and screened, one-on-one interview appointments were set with five users to learn about the users' pain points and frustrations while booking online.

Our research team interviewed five participants between 18 and 60 to understand their preferences, needs, and frustrations when booking travel. Responses were recorded and analyzed to determine common patterns and themes. Each interview lasted about 20 minutes, as the User researchers asked multiple questions to identify the areas of frustration. The research identified popular needs, goals, ideas, frustrations, and pain points users experience when booking online travel.

The objectives are to understand :

How can we help our Users book a trip at the convenience of one finger click?
How can we program the app to filter and show the age-appropriate activities at the desired location?
Will the users be able to complete their booking under budget with one finger click?

Key Findings:

50% of the participants faced challenges finding good deals while booking online, while the others needed help finding a suitable accommodation place.
Of the selected participants, 40% were extroverts,40% were introverts, and 20% ambiverts.
It was identified that extroverts had no issues talking to others while making decisions with flight bookings.

Affinity Diagram

We compiled all the interview responses and feedback we received during our research to synthesize the data. We then analyzed and organized the information by grouping similar ideas and themes using an affinity diagram. This helped us better understand the common patterns and trends from the data, allowing us to draw insightful conclusions and make informed decisions.

Empathy Map

Following the affinity diagram phase, we wanted to know more about how the users think, feel, do, and say, so we started to conduct research to learn what your users do, say, think, and feel. We created a user empathy map by combining interview notes and feedback. This helped us understand our users better.

We gathered the key findings of the users- what they felt, what they thought, what they wanted to do, and how they felt.

Flight deals and comparisons

• Users spend much time searching for flight deals and find it hard to find affordable options.

• Some users prefer to use miles or points to book travel.

• Flight comparisons are not always available or viewable.

Budget-friendly options

• Users prefer direct flights for domestic travel if they are under budget.

• Some users are open to one-stop flights if their budget doesn't allow for direct flights.

• Users find it hard to find a preferred car on a budget.

Baggage allowance and information

• Users are concerned about not knowing the baggage allowance for their flights.

• Some users find it challenging to find information about baggage allowance.

Car rental and transportation

• Users want affordable options for renting a car.

• Users want options with price comparisons to the nearest airport.

Website issues and loading time

• Users experience issues with website crashing and slow loading times.

• Some users have internet issues that affect their travel planning.

Definition & Synthesis

Once the information was gathered from the Research, we started combining all the research, observing your users’ needs, and highlighting opportunities for innovation. This step was followed by thinking about the user, and we developed the User Insight.

User Insight

Our investigation revealed that our users need help finding apps that offer useful features for booking direct flights, affordable accommodations, car rentals, and nearby activities. Thus, integrating all essential features and launching a cost-effective app will enable us to deliver unparalleled assistance to our users.

The User insight provided a valuable understanding of the target audience's needs and preferences, allowing us to tailor our product to better meet their expectations.

User Persona

To customize our site for our audience, I created a User Persona named Alexis Abraham. She's a 25-year-old Design Engineer who loves to travel but finds it hard to book trips on a tight budget due to limited time.

Competitor Analysis

Before developing the app concept, I needed to learn more about what other apps and websites offered, including the opportunities and threats.

So, I researched similar apps and identified direct and indirect competitors for developing app concept

Some of the direct competitors are

Priceline
Kayak
Make my trip

Some of the indirect competitors are

Groupon
Mint

We got the competitive advantages, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We put our heads together to design an app that offered everything the user needed in one sitting.

Ideation

We revisited our notes and compared the pain points and frustrations we noted earlier. We used this information to develop an Ideation plan for our travel app. The plan includes what users like and wish for and any "what if" scenarios they may have.

I examined the requirements and user feedback, prioritized the most critical features, and created a roadmap for timely implementation. This approach helped us deliver a functional, user-friendly product that met our target audience's needs and expectations.

Soon after, we prioritized to see what was essential to the User and the effort it would take to design and develop it. We worked on Feature Prioritization to organize what was necessary.

Value Proposition

My organization, Mobile Travel App, is developing a User-friendly, low-budget Mobile App to help our customers on a tight budget find low-cost yet well-planned and fun-filled travel options.

We’re better because we care for our customers and help them achieve unachievable things.

We’re believable because we make all things possible.

After compiling all the notes, we obtained a clear comprehension of the user flow and the site flow of the map. However, we realized the importance of mapping out the user's journey as they navigate through the app. This is where our User Journey came into play. With the assistance of the User Persona 'Alexis,' we confidently mapped out her experience and the process.

User Flow

When interacting with a product, a user can take many different pathways. So, keeping our user persona in mind, I created a user flow, which is a visual representation of the path our user persona will take when using an app or website.

Once I felt it was perfect for the user, I tested the flow with my peers and family to see if it worked and made changes as needed.

Onboarding

Booking flight, transport and accommodation

Wireframes

I created many sketches on paper during the app's design process to connect its information architecture to its visual design. I created wireframes to establish a clear and consistent way of displaying specific types of information on the interface. This helped me ensure all the necessary information was included in the design and presented logically and efficiently.

Typeface

Looking at the appealing and bright colors, I chose pleasant colors for the app. Once that was in place, I created digital wireframe prototypes and tested their functionality. Iterations were made based on the feedback.

During iterations, I started looking into colors and fonts that complement each other. Out of all the colors that I glanced at, I liked the ones below. After playing with the combinations, I decided to interchange the background and the font colors.

The font that was used was SF Pro for the iPhone mobile app.

Digital Wireframes

Looking at the appealing and bright colors, I chose pleasant colors for the app. Once that was in place, I created digital wireframe prototypes and tested their functionality.

Added UI

Hi-Fi Wireframes

Once I added color, I prototyped the wireframes based on the user persona's userflow path.

Prototyping

Once the UI was added and Hi-Fi wireframes were created, I prototyped the wireframes keeping the user flow in mind.

Prototype

User Testing

The main goal is to collect data to determine the app's usability and identify any issues that need to be addressed. Is the app user-friendly and does it offer the necessary features for users?

I conducted seven user tests. All of the participants were 18 and older. I had them run through three tasks. Our first task aimed to identify how long it takes them to create and verify their account. Our second task aimed to assess how users could determine whether their matches were compatible based on their built profile. Our final task aimed to determine how seamless the process was for users to check and add items to their budget.

Tasks:

1. I want to know if the User can create an account effortlessly during the test.

2. I would like to know if the User booked a flight to the desired location.

3. I would like to determine if the User can make the Bill payment and get access to confirmation.

Key findings:

Confusing and Easy to Understand

• Some app parts were confusing, while others were easy to understand.

• The buttons needed clarification.

• Icons were helpful.

• The navigation was straightforward.

Missing Features

• Users wanted more details, explanations, and descriptions for destinations and accommodations.

• The app lacked a search filter, search button, and search feature for activities.

• Users wished for a flight tracker, budget calculator, baggage weigh-in feature, map for navigation, and a feature to select flight seats.

• Users also wanted the app to list travel requirements, restaurants near destinations, and famous places.

Positive Feedback

• Users liked the clean and helpful icons, straightforward navigation, and simple colors.

• The flight booking feature was praised for allowing users to book the lowest fare possible.

• Users appreciated the absence of overwhelming colors.

• The flight icon was particularly helpful.

Iterations Made Based on User Test

The investigation showed that the users need help finding apps for budget travel. Users liked the navigation and minimalist design but had issues with limited options for flights, cars, accommodations, calendar dates, and logging in. I improved the prototype by resizing action buttons, adjusting alignment and spacing, and ensuring it functions as users desire.

Users were pleased with the app's navigation, icons, and low-budget travel booking options. However, they faced limited flight and accommodation choices and a frustrating redirect to the login/sign-in screens. Additionally, the calendar displayed only a limited number of months.

Based on the feedback, I resized the action buttons, corrected alignment and spacing issues, and increased the available dates. The prototype now operates as users desire.

Conclusion

I decided to add profile sections for housing preferences to help users find compatible roommates and housing options. To improve the user experience, we'll also enhance the visibility and features of confirmed roommates.

Learnings from the project

Learned how to work within a defined time constraint of 4–5 days and make trade-offs in the design process.
As someone who's been through the hassle of house hunting multiple times, I also learned about other people's struggles. The user interviews were full of insights, and I could compare my house-hunting process with others, pointing out the similarities and differences.
Competitive analysis helps identify the gaps in existing platforms in the market so that the solution you're working on tries to cover all the gaps.
Desk research provides the "Who, what, where, and when" data, whereas primary user research provides the "how and why" behind every user decision.
Designers often assume user behavior with the product and its usage. This may occasionally lead us in the right direction, but the effectiveness of these decisions can't match the level of decisions taken based on accurate, actual data.

Final Thoughts

Researching and interviewing are crucial for future projects before designing an app. Due to the given time, I had to work through quickly and make necessary changes, yet I didn’t have a chance to re-test once the changes were made.

No matter the time frame, I believe the booking travel application that is currently in the works will help our users find apps that offer useful features for booking low-budget direct flights, affordable accommodations, car rentals, and nearby activities. I had a big vision for this app, but I am also learning that the more buttons I use, the more chaotic the screen looks. If I had more time, I could play around with it more to make it look clean and presentable.