Scope: 2 weeks

Tools Used: Pen and Sketch book, Marvel and POP

This helped me narrow down my thoughts on some major traveling themes and my intended users. I then came up with some more research questions to really understand my intended users. Some of my questions included:

1. Can you describe your packing process and prep for trips?

2. Can you describe your most frustrating pre-trip preparation process?

3. Can you tell me your experiences with packing list apps?

I sent out a quick survey to a sample size of about 50 people in my professional network to get an idea of how many people used packing apps and how they felt about it. With this survey, I wanted to know the quantitative as well as giving people the option to provide more insight on their pre-trip planning experience. My survey gave me the perceived age range that were more concerned about their pre-trip prep and were also using trip packing and planning apps.

During my survey I asked for people to leave their emails for follow up interviews. Most people left their emails. Out of the 36 responses, 28 of them were willing to talk further so I reached out to them to interview them further. Some of my interview questions were:

1. Describe a time you travelled to another country, how did you pack for it? 

2. Did you find yourself struggling with finding the right items to pack? 3. Was packing the right items important to you and why? 

4. Did you think that was a huge part of your trip? 

5. If you had a solution that will help you pack effectively for your trip and time in that country, what would it look like (ie. Item categories like clothing, toiletries etc?

These questions provided some insights as to what people were thinking around their pre-trip planning. Some of the insights received was that:

1. Most people wished they knew the weather at the time of where they were traveling to

2. Most people wished they had more insight on cultural norms and currency exchange rates as well as some safety tips for where they were traveling to

3. Other wished they had something more than a packing list app

I also discovered through the interviews that while a packing list was great, my intended users needed something more. My research proved that while a packing list was also necessary, a packing solution that helped someone manage their trip more would be better. 

I went back to ask another sample of foreign exchange students(my intended users) and they confirmed that having a trip management app would be more useful than just a packing list app. Many even mentioned some of their favorite packing apps that they use but expressed a need for something more. 

With some pen and paper i began my initial sketches and card sorting to figure out some features and layouts of this app. 

Through a closed card sorting observation, i noticed that 3 major themes came up:

1. What to pack

2. Weather patterns

3. Quick tips on where you are going. 

This confirmed my initial findings from my user research. So i started designing and sketching out the app.

I quickly used Marvel (prototyping tool) to link the cut out pages together and quickly run through an app flow with my users. Through testing, I realized that my solution was scalable. Some of the users I tested it on were outside of my intended user's demographics. Also some users I tested it on proved the need for this solution. Some of the features that were well received were;

1. The travel tips

2. Creating and saving packing lists

3. Sharing lists and travel plans with friends and family

These were my MVP (Most Viable Product) features. Through some more testing, I found out that most people liked this solution better. They felt more in charge of their trip and well informed to make their trip packing a success. Overall, this prototype was a success. With my users in mind through out the whole design process, I was able to design a solution that was scalable, relevant and necessary for my users. This process also helped me build rewarding and useful research experiences that are necessary for my UX career journey.