Travel App UX reserach

Travel Plan - case study

Problem statement - Book an awesome holiday plan for a travel enthusiast

Project type - Individual

Tools - Figma, Google forms, Canva, Xtensio, Empathy Maps

Design Process - User research, User Personas, Scenarios, Storyboards, Task flow, Sitemap, Wireframing and Prototyping

Overview

The project is centered around designing a comprehensive travel booking system and user experience (UX) for travel enthusiasts who want to plan and book an awesome holiday. The goal is to create a digital platform that provides a seamless and delightful journey from the initial inspiration to the final booking, encompassing the entire travel planning process.

User Research

I conducted user research to gain quantitative and qualitative data about the user.

Surveys

I conducted surveys through google forms. 26 participants were presented with the questions related to the travelling experience. I centred the questions around people's behaviour while planning their tours. I wanted to understand how active people are while planning and what portion is the main component of the whole planning process?

I included responses from both male and female participants from the age group 21-35 years. The requirement for this group to participate was the participants have either planned or been a part of planning and organizing a trip.

Through this quantitative research we found out the following observations:

1. Major portion (38.5%) of the people travel in every 4 months

2. 61.5% people have never travelled solo

3. 76.9% people like to travel in small groups

4. 80.8% people travel domestically

5. Most people (19.2%) travel for 3-4 days

6. Most people (15.4%) use make my trip for planning their trips

Interviews

I interviewed 5 of my friends who are known to be avid travellers. I asked them questions such as;

1. How they decided their travel destinations?

2. What is their planning process?

3. How much importance does the budget holds in their planning process?

4. What difficulties do they come across in their planning process?

5. How open are they to trying out new tools and platforms to plan their tours and travels?

6. What are the safety features they look out for while planning for their trip?

Key insights from user interviews

1. My friends do not like to start from scratch and always edit some other people's itinerary and customize it according to their own needs.

2. The primary concern of the majority of the travellers was the authenticity of the packages.

3. Users do not want to pay for the services upfront.

4. Bright detailed images always capture user attention.

5. Mostly users have a go to tool which they often use to discover new places or activities.

Pain points

For travel enthusiasts, travelling pose the following problems:

1. People travelling to a certain destination, struggle to go for a specific location that excites them

2. Most of the times, travellers are misinformed about the activities and their prices

3. More often than not Google is not accessible for the travellers and they struggle to remember the stuff they saw online.

4. A major challenge is to create a curated itinerary that is specific for each traveller and is personalized according to their needs.

User Personas

I created 3 user personas based on my user research:

1. Naman (Adventure enthusiast)

2. Saniya (Luxury-loving)

3. Bala (Budget-conscious)

Scenarios

I created a scenario with the first user persona of Naman. As Naman is an adventure-seeker and is in constant search of thrilling activities on his travel plans so his inspiration comes from a social media post of his friend in Himachal Pradesh.

Inspiration:

A social media post

Naman then starts searching for adventure activities in Himachal Pradesh on Google and eventually lands on the travel app. The visuals are appealing and there are different types of activities in the pictures. This compels him to make a booking.

Naman then explores the travel app. He finds a search bar on the top of the application and searches for adventure activities in Himachal Pradesh. His search terms are, "Zip-lining" "Paragliding" "Bungee jumping". Naman finds different packages on the results page. Naman looks for an all-inclusive package where all the sports activities are included in a single package. He finds one package, "Bir billing and Adventure Package" and goes through the details of the package and reads the reviews. The user reviews of the package are quite good. He then customizes the package as per his travel dates using the calendar and itinerary planner on the app. The planner helps Naman to plan for the activities. After tailoring the package according to his needs, Naman moves to book the package. On the booking page, he is given the full payment with all the breakdowns and it is also mentioned that there are no hidden costs. There is also an option to pay in full or pay 30% to reserve his booking and pay the remaining amount on the spot. Naman selects 30% booking amount and clicks on "Book Now". Then the booking confirmation window comes up where Naman fills his name, age, contact number and email address and after entering the payment details clicks on "Confirm Booking". After successful payment confirmation is sent on the contact number as well as the email address provided by Naman. The confirmation contains the full itinerary, all inclusions in the package, and the unique PNR number.

Naman then starts preparing for his trip as per the checklist generated on the app after booking confirmation.

Pradesh.

Storyboard

For storyboarding, I considered the persona of Saniya.

User Task Flow

Task Flow: Booking an Awesome Holiday Plan for Travel Enthusiast

Step 1: Landing Page

1. User arrives at the landing page of the travel booking app.
2. The landing page should be visually appealing, showcasing popular travel destinations and holiday packages.
3. Provide an easy way to login or create an account for new users.

Step 2: User Authentication

1. If the user is new, they can create an account using their email or social media accounts.
2. If the user is returning, they can log in using their existing credentials.
3. Ensure a smooth and secure authentication process.

Step 3: User Profile

1. After logging in, the user is directed to their profile page.
2. Here, the user can update their personal information, preferences, and payment details.
3. Allow users to set notification preferences and save favourite destinations.

Step 4: Explore Destinations/Packages/Trips

1. Provide a "Search" or "Explore" feature on the main navigation bar.
2. Users can search for destinations or packages based on criteria like location, budget, type of travel (adventure, relaxation, etc.), and travel dates.
3. Display search results with high-quality images and brief descriptions.

Step 5: Select a Destination

1. Users click on a destination to view more details.
2. Show detailed information about the destination, including activities, accommodations, and reviews from other travellers.
3. Offer options to book available holiday packages for this destination.

Step 6: Booking

1. Users review their selected holiday package and enter the number of travellers and preferred travel dates.
2. They can customize their package by adding extra services (e.g., airport transfers, guided tours).
3. Provide clear pricing details and any applicable discounts or promotions.

Step 7: Payment

1. Users enter their payment information securely.
2. Offer various payment methods (credit/debit cards, PayPal, etc.).
3. Show a summary of the booking, including total cost, and any additional charges or taxes.

Step 8: Confirmation

1. After successful payment, display a booking confirmation page with all details.
2. Send a confirmation email or SMS to the user.
3. Provide an option to download or print the booking details.

Step 9: Post-Booking

1. Allow users to access their booking details in their profile.
2. Send reminders and updates about the upcoming trip.
3. Offer additional services like travel insurance, packing tips, and local guides.

Step 10: Feedback and Reviews/Further Assistance

1. After the trip, encourage users to leave reviews and ratings for the destination and the holiday package.
2. Use this feedback to improve the user experience and refine future offerings.

3. Provide customer support channels (chat, email, phone) for any inquiries or issues users may encounter before, during, or after their trip.

4. Keep users engaged by suggesting other destinations and holiday plans based on their preferences and past bookings.
5. Use personalized recommendations to enhance their travel experience.

This task flow covers the essential steps for a travel enthusiast to book an awesome holiday plan while ensuring a seamless and enjoyable user experience.

Information Architecture/ Sitemap

This information architecture aims to provide a clear and intuitive structure for the travel booking app, ensuring that users can easily navigate through the app's content and features. The hierarchy is designed to match the user's journey, from discovering destinations to booking and managing their trips, while also incorporating support, feedback, and additional resources to enhance the overall user experience.

Wireframing

Prototyping

Travel App UX reserach

Owner

Travel App UX reserach

Creative Fields