'Sidekick'
Your travel companion
With this project, I wanted to identify problems in 'n' around travel and find the best possible solution for the problems identified via user research and study.
Target Audience
Backpackers and Solo Travellers who plan multiple days trips with or without a group are our target audience.
Why are we doing this?
As per sources, Backpacking is on the rise. From 2021 to 2022, the number of domestic travellers increased by 155.45% in India. So, there is a huge scope of unidentified problems to build a solution around to help travellers.
Challenges
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Framing Bias - Frames questions in such a manner that suggests specific answers.
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Confirmation Bias - Refers to tendency to search for, interpret or assign value to information that reinforces our beliefs.
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False Consensus Bias - It involves the assumption that others think as we do and assumptions of everyone will agree to our design/idea without conducting research.
Assumptions
- The traveller will have data internet access all the time.
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The sidekicks are onboarded by the company and their datas are submitted to their local police station to avoid any misfortune.
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Company has all the geographical, demographical data of all over the world.
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Travellers guardians know how to operate mobile devices and apps.
Future Scope
For sidekick services, we have to build a back end interface for travel guide user’s operations.
Design Thinking
The Method or Framework I used to work through this project is Design Thinking approach. I am going to explain you each and every step taken and decision made with all logical reasoning and application.
1. Empathise
I tried to identify the user pain points of travellers by User Interviews.
2. Define
I collected all the data gathered through user interviews and funnel it down for problem statements.
3. Ideate
I designed Information architecture, user flow and wireframes during this stage.
4. Prototype
Sketching lo-fi wireframes and mid fidelity wireframes. User testing and iterations on the basis of observations.
5. Usability Test
Digital prototype of iterative screen designs. Usability testing based on given scenarios and tasks.
6. Visual Design
Designing Style guide, Components, Design system & Hi Fidelity Mockups based on all above.
7. Self Reflection
I do identify the take-aways and learning through out the journey of the project.
Empathise
During Empathise phase, I researched on industry trends, collected insights from articles, prepared a screener to get genuine participants for interviews, competitive analysis and conducted user interviews.
>60%
of U.S. travellers would consider an impulse trip based on a good hotel or flight deal.
1 in 3
international travellers are interested in using digital assistants to research or book travel.
57%
of U.S. travellers feel that brands should tailor their information based on personal preferences
36%
of travelers would likely pay more for services if a travel brand tailored its information and trip experiences to personal preferences
2 in 5
Online travel bookings are made on Mobile devices. Such travellers spend 50% more on tours and activities per trip and twice as likely to leave online reviews.
68%
of global travelers would consider participating in cultural exchanges to learn a new skill.
Participant Recruitment Survey
I prepared a screener to identify and recruit participants for the user interviews I wanted to conduct further as a part of the research process. Total 20 participants took survey and their responses are as given below.
Travel Enthusiasm
All 20 participants were travel enthusiastic.
Travel Frequency
This data shows, who travels more frequently and how many times. The more a person travels, the more problems he might have faced and can give us maximum amount of knowledge with personal experience.
We found that majority of participants (50%) travel 2-3 times a year.
Travel Preferences
This segment shows us the habit and behaviour of user when travelling. Whether one likes to travel with or without a group, family or any other company.
We found out majority of participants (55%) like to travel with friends.
Travel Destination Decision
With this segment, we get to know what is decision making pattern of participants when it comes to travelling destination.
We found out that majority of participants (50%) goes for personal preferences and list, followed by suggestions from friends and family (35%) and social media trends (15%).
Decision Making Factors
We asked participants about the decision affecting factors while deciding travel destination.
We found out that majority of participants are concerned about weather (75%), budget (70%) and transportation (45%).
Travel Planning
This segment helps getting information about planning part of participants' travel journey.
We got to know that, majority of them (70%) do all planning and research by themselves while few (20%) don't do research at all.
Wanderlog
A very flexible day to day itinerary planner which provides you a lot of details regarding the place and near by suggestions in terms of places, food, transport etc.
Save Trip
A very manual itinerary planner where you have to invest all efforts to add all details and create your custom itinerary.
Pick Your Trail
It provides a whole package inclusive of pricing for your travel itinerary based on your inputs and selection of stay, transport and places to visit.
User Interview #1
Important takeaways from user interview:
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People’s preferences of places mostly will be in contrast of their current demography unless there is a certain goal to accomplish.
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Google comes first when it comes to research about anything.
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Look for food recommendation. Relies on google reviews for places and food dishes recommendations.
User Interview #2
Important takeaways from user interview:
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Solo travel is getting a boost as it helps inner peace, finding yourself and scope of making new friends who are alike.
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Social media trends plays a huge role in deciding a place to travel now. People wants to live and experience what a famous travel influencer is doing.
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Web surfing, Social Media, Group Discussion hold the core of Decision making for the Destination of travel.
User Interview #3
Important takeaways from user interview:
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Social media Influencers plays major part in decision of travel destination. Road conditions and hygiene is most important.
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Uses booking apps and offline google maps for navigation.
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Weather, accommodation and transport are most important aspects of planning.
Define
During Define phase, I collected all take aways from User interviews held. I did affinity mapping based on the points taken out, reframed the problem, created user persona and did brainstorm for solutions.
Affinity Mapping
With all the take aways collected from user interviews, I converted them into pointers and grouped them based on the similarities. Later, I entitled the groups with a suitable title.
User Persona
Empathy Mapping
Empathy mapping is used to study and analyse user behaviours and actions. Users' actions and decisions are directly or indirectly influenced by what they hear, see, think and say. I divided interview takeaways into all segments Based on their relatability.
Based on Empathy map, I listed out 13 pain points. Out of 13, I am taking 3 pain points to solve. These 3 pain points are as mentioned below:
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Time consuming research
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Find experienced travellers community or guidance
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How technology can be helpful to travel with safety
Reframing the Problem
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Avid travellers travel to unknown places. It takes a lot of research and planning to be familiar with a new place without any guidance. In places like India, local guides are barely hired by local tourists due to travellers’ beliefs, budget and behaviour.
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A traveller can be reliable on technology for safety while travelling.
Problems Statements
So, I took 3 problems from all derived through research and interviews. Which are Travel Research, Itinerary & Travel with safety using Technology.
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User is using multiple sources to do research about a place. i.e. Google, Maps, AccuWeather, Wikipedia, Youtube etc.
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User doesn't have a perfect travel itinerary planner where they can plan a trip as detailed as hourly basis.
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User need to travel with safety, be it a solo trip or with family at an unknown place.
Possible App Structure
Search Destination
In this stage, user onboards and try to search and figure out where he/she needs to travel next.
Plan Itinerary
This stage allows users to plan a detailed itinerary for the destination decided.
Execute Itinerary
This stage is all about user executing and checking done all the to do things in itinerary.
Safety with Tech
This stage offers safety check to users while on the trip as per itinerary and solutions when required.
Ideate
During Define phase, I performed User Story Mapping to streamline the finalised the solutions I wanted to provide through this app. Also I worked on final app structure and user flow, based on which I created paper wireframes to bring all ideas and user flow to visuals.
What?
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What Problem you are trying to solve?
We are trying to enhance travel experiences of travellers and reduce their hassles in terms of Time Consuming Planning, Expert Guides & Safety while Travelling.
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What Product Do You Want to Build?
We Want to build a Travel Assistant app which Help user from Decision making & Planning trip to Ensure safety while Being on the same trip.
Who?
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Who are we building this for?
We are building this for travellers with high insecurity issues. Mostly solo travellers and female travellers.
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What benefits will user get from each of them?
They will get an expert advice based on the requirements provided to plan a trip. It will save their time. They can hire a local sidekick to solve language barrier and assure safety.
Why?
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What is benefit of this product?
This product can save customers’ precious time being wasted & feeling frustrated while planing a trip. They can also hire a sidekick to guide them while travelling to a new place. It will benefit them in many ways like, stay & food options, language barriers, local attractions, cultural expeditions and safety. Compared to any other travel assistance app, there is no such solution given yet.
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What is the value to the customer?
Customer can achieve 3 of the goals simply by using one app instead of many. Planning with less time investment, Expert Advice to achieve Travel Goals and Safety while travelling.
Prototype
With the help of prototyping, designers can help users experience how future product may feel like based on usability. Designers can test these prototype to evaluate how easy one user can help him/her self to reach desired screen or complete an action successfully.
Visual Design
To maintain visual consistency in Ui design, I used atomic design system named 'Moon Design System. I created repetitive elements into components where required using atomic level components. I designed a mood-board and created colour palette used for Ui screens.
Self Reflection
Self reflection is my learning while working on this project. Adding to that what constraints and challenges I faced while working though out the project.