Responsive web app that allows users to connect with travel experts around the world, to access their advice for independent travel planning
Away is a responsive web app that allows users to connect with travel experts around the world, to access their advice for independent travel planning
In this step I made a first attempt to define the core problem I wanted to address in this project, keeping in consideration both the business objectives and the user goals:
Travellers need a way to find reliable travel recommendations because they want accurate information and an authentic, local experience that suits their interests.
The following is a possible solution I propose for this particular problem:
By creating an app that allows users to chat with local experts in different fields and get advice when planning a trip, we will help them make better-informed decisions and reduce the uncertainty that comes with planning a trip to an unknown destination.
In order to see what similar apps are offering, as well as to detect unmet user needs, I conducted a competitive analysis on the following travel apps:
Here I discovered that currently there isn’t an app in the market that allows users to connect with locals for travel advice, whilst giving them the flexibility to plan their trips by themselves with the amount of detail they prefer.
With the purpose of proving my hypotheses and obtaining information about the user's goals, motivations, and pain points, I conducted user research with 30 online surveys and 4 interviews. All participants travel internationally 1-2 times a year for holidays, and always plan their trips by themselves, instead of hiring a travel agency. These were the main findings.
Research ReportAfter having conducted user research, I discovered that the veracity of online travel information is not a cause of concern for most travellers. A bigger issue for them is the complexity and time it takes for a person to plan a successful trip independently. Using this information, I changed the direction of the problem statement:
Travellers need a way to plan their trips easily and quickly because they want an enjoyable planning experience.
We will know this to be true when we see a high number of users using our app to get help from local experts around the world when planning their trips.
I created two personas based on two different levels of planning I observed during my user research: Users who prefer to travel freely and leave room for improvisation, and travellers who are organised and like detailed itineraries.
"I need a trip that helps me escape from my stressful routine"
34 years old
Sales
UK
Julian works in sales and his job is very demanding. His time is his most valuable resource, which he splits between his job, wife, friends, and personal activities. He sees travel as a way to decompress. He loves discovering new places and travels once a year with his wife.
• Simplified planning process
• Travelling freely
• Peace of mind about travel requirements
• Working in an office
• Household obligations
• Social commitments
• A relaxing break from work
• Living new experiences
• Discovering local life abroad
• Lack of time and energy
• Aversion to strict schedules
• Limited time to travel
"I enjoy planning trips as much as I enjoy travelling"
27 years old
Marketing
Brazil
Monica works in digital marketing as a freelancer. Her schedule is quite flexible, which allows her to travel frequently. She really enjoys planning trips and is very organised. She’s always dreaming of her next trip and is on constant search of inspiration.
• A trip plan with room for improvisation
• Confidence about her plans
• Simple and comprehensive organisation tools
• Spending time with friends and family
• Remote work
• Exercise
• Checking places from her travel bucket list
• Feeling accomplished after planning a memorable trip by herself
• Keeping all her travel details organised
• Uncertainty about safety
• Buying airfare
In this phase I tested the most important features of the app to verify if users could accomplish the tasks associated with them in an easy and intuitive way. Those features were:
• Destination guides
• Creating a trip plan
• Booking a call with an expert
During the first round, five usability tests were carried out in person and remotely. While all participants expressed finding the app easy to use, some of them were unclear about the purpose of certain features, mostly due to lack of information in the onboarding process, or them skipping the walkthrough screens.
This research revealed some usability issues that were prioritized according to their severity and frequency. After having fixed those issues, a second round of tests was conducted to verify if they were corrected successfully.
My Sights & Activities is one of the 5 features included in the app's trip dashboard. It allows users to save things they want to do in their chosen destination. These are some errors that were found in the usability tests related to this feature.
Screen recordings from the usability tests show that all participants skipped the walkthrough and tapped immediately the Let's Start button after reading only the text on the first screen, missing important information on the following ones.
The most surprising insight found during the usability tests was that the majority of the participants expected to be able to make reservations through the app.
Although this wasn't considered in the initial stages of the project, it made sense to add buttons linked to the most popular booking platforms to address this user need.
