TraveLab

An app that helps users explore customized travel plans and share their trip experiences.

First of all, why I want to create this project?

Everyone has their own interests and preferences when it comes to traveling. Yet, at times, people need assistance with travel ideas. This could stem from uncertainty about where to visit, wanting a deeper familiarity with the destination, or concerns about the appeal of the place.

With these considerations in mind, I decided to create an app called Travel Lab. It's designed to explore great spots in cities, helping individuals find travel inspirations that resonate with them.

What makes Travelab different?

  1. Personalized Exploration: Tailors travel suggestions based on individual preferences and interests, ensuring every trip feels custom-made.

  2. Travel Inspiration Hub: Offers a platform for those feeling stuck in their travel planning or running out of destination ideas, reigniting their wanderlust.

  3. Shared Experiences: Allows users to share their travel stories and experiences, providing authentic insights and real-world travel advice.

What I want to achieve

  1. Assist users in discovering travel inspirations from fellow travelers.

  2. Enable users to document and share their own travel experiences.

So, how can I identify user needs and pain points?

What are the key insights I aim to extract from the research?

  1. Determine the specific targeted user groups.

  2. Understand users' travel behaviors and patterns.

  3. Identify users' key needs and preferences when planning trips.

Listening to the travelers

The user survey aims to know how people plan a trip and their travel planning habits.

What’s the insight? What did I learn?

  1. A notable percentage of respondents are keen on viewing travel plans shared by others, suggesting a strong interest in communal travel experiences.

  2. When reviewing shared plans, 55% of participants prioritize "Popularity", while 22.5% value photo opportunities, reflecting the importance of social validation and capturing memories during travel.

  3. Given the varied preferences for what participants seek in a new place, it underscores the potential for "Travel Lab" to feature diverse travel categories, catering to a range of interests and facilitating more personalized exploration experiences.

Then, how are our competitors performing?

Who will use our product?

Who exactly are they?

Mapping Out the Traveler's Journey

Let’s begin to design, start with the structure

Sketching the vision with low to mid-fidelity wireframes

Gathering feedback to refine the design

Test Scope

The usability test will be testing all scenarios from the Mid-Fidelity Wireframes of the App with 3 participants.

Goals

  1. To test if users can complete the tasks.

  2. Identify the problems and unclear parts participants encounter.

  3. Look for suggestions and improvement.

Methodology

  • Remote usability testing

  • In-person testing

What insights were gathered from the testing?

Building blocks of our visual language

Let’s look at the final design!

What I learned from this project

Key Takeaways from the Project

  1. Gaining clarity on the app's structure and content is crucial, encompassing aspects like its primary functions, highlighted features, task sequences, and the interrelation of pages.

  2. We must not assume our preferences represent those of our target users; diverse individuals will have varied needs and perspectives.

What's Next for Spotpod:

  1. Devise strategies to entice more professional travelers.

  2. Introduce features that enable professional travelers to expand their follower base and influence.