PlanPal
Your Ultimate Travel Companion!
Moodboard
Name Brainstorming
REFINE
TEST
PROTOTYPE
Task Flow
Project Overview
The Design Process
What is the Problem?
Diving Into the Problem Space
Diving Into the Problem Space
of millennials use technology to
help save money when traveling
of travellers prioritize lowest
cost when booking travel
travellers allow 30% less travel planning time when researching and booking trips
of travellers will travel in 2023 related to trips or events that were delayed by the pandemic
Millennials are planning to
take the most trips of any generation: an average of 4.4 trips in the next 12 months
69%
37%
4.4 trips
30%
29%
Secondary Research
With all things UX, I wanted to take a human-centred design approach. Focussing on the five key phases of the methodology I was able to create an effective and impactful solution that could not only millennial travellers who but any traveller who struggles with travel plannings
Travellers often face challenges in planning their trips effectively, which can result in wasted time, unnecessary expenses, and missed opportunities for creating memorable experiences.
Existing travel planning methods and resources are often fragmented, overwhelming, and time-consuming, leading to frustration and suboptimal travel experiences.
User Stories follow a simple format of "as a ___ I want to ___ so that I can ___".
I used this method to author 20+ user stories that would help me understand Jessica and his desired goal to efficiently plan a trip with her friends. Under different Epics (themes) I was able to think about different functions I'd like my digital solution to have that would benefit Jessica and likeminded users.
I found that majority of the user stories were concentrated on Trip Planning Simplified, Personalized Trip Recommendations, and Seamless Collaboration. All three of these are important components of the process that relate back to the pain points I had discovered earlier when I conducted user interviews.
Chosen Epic: Simplified Trip Planning
Task:
As a millennial traveler, I want to create an itinerary so that I can efficiently plan and organize my trip, ensuring I don't miss out on any exciting experiences and make the most of my time exploring new destinations.
Product:
An app that helps you plan your trip efficiently
After selecting my chosen epics of simplified trip planning, I created this task flow diagram to see directly how Jessica could interact with an application to achieve her desired goal. Here Jessica can complete all his tasks within one application rather than using several different ones to achieve the same goal.
Now with a clear path that Jessica can follow, keeping all her pain points and behaviours in mind, I can now relate these to the application’s functionality and begin the prototyping stage.
PlanPal is an app aimed to help travellers plan their trip itinerary and add their friends to the trip planning process.
Role:
UX Designer/Researcher, Brand Development
Project Type:
Capstone case study - BrainStation UX design course
Short on Time?
Qualitative Data
Research Objectives
EMPATHIZE
Problem Space
Secondary Research
Primary Research
Persona
Experience Map
User Stories
Task Flow
Concept Sketching
Wireframes
Mid Fidelity Prototype
User Testing
Incorporating Feedback
Brand Identity
Hi-Fidelity
DEFINE
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
TEST
REFINE
EMPATHIZE
I conducted 3 1:1 interviews with people familiar with the problem space aged 27-40 all who had travelled at least twice in the past year. Hearing their stories and experiences with trip planning allowed me to empathize and better understand the issues surrounding the problem space.
Understand the current pain points and challenges faced by millennial travellers when planning their trips, particularly in terms of efficiency, time management, and cost-saving measures.
Identify the key factors that contribute to a memorable travel experience for millennial travellers and explore how these can be integrated into the trip planning process.
Explore existing trip planning tools, platforms, and technologies that are commonly used by millennial travellers and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of efficiency and cost savings.
Develop and test new features or enhancements for trip planning tools that address the identified pain points and optimize the planning process for millennial travellers, focusing on saving time and money.
Evaluate the usability and user satisfaction of the proposed solutions through user testing and feedback to ensure that the redesigned trip planning process meets the needs and expectations of millennial travellers.
Assumptions
Millennial travellers prioritize efficiency and time management in their trip planning process.
Millennial travellers seek ways to save money while planning their trips without compromising their desired experience.
Millennial travellers are open to using technology and digital platforms for trip planning and are familiar with commonly used tools in the market.
Millennial travellers value personalized and tailored recommendations to enhance their travel experience and are willing to provide relevant information for better recommendations.
Once the interviews were conducted, the information gathered is categorized into pain points, motivations and behaviours. This helps us understand why they experience the situation and what they consider important.
Once the information from the interviews was synthesized and categorized then into 3 themes.
The 3 themes I came up with are the following:
Meet My Interviewees
Synthesizing Data
Adam
27 years old
Software Engineer
Brampton, ON
30 years old
Social Media Marketing
Toronto, ON
33 years old
Graphic Design
Mississauga, ON
Jessie
Ashley
Themes
How might we help millennial travellers plan their trips efficiently in order to create a memorable experience while saving time and money?
DEFINE
User Stories + Epics
Sketches
Wireframes
Added confirmation modals
More Detailed Itinerary Selection and Overview
Better Layout for Itinerary Overview
Final HMW
I chose the theme of personalization and authentic experiences because it resonates with the preferences of millennial travelers who seek unique and meaningful interactions. By focusing on personalization and authenticity, travel experiences can be tailored to individual interests, leading to more memorable and fulfilling trips.
Chosen Theme - Personalization & Authentic Experiences
Themes
Trip Planning
Challenges
2
Personalization &
Authentic Experiences
3
1
Tech +
Digital Tools
Timeline:
10 weeks
Tools:
Figma and Adobe Illustrator
View Prototype
Motivations
Behaviours
Pain-Points
I feel overwhelmed with the countless amount of information online while planning a trip
Finding reliable sources for local recommendations, hidden gems, and insider tips can be difficult, especially when relying on generic travel guides or online resources
It is difficult to find authentic local experiences and personalized travel recommendations
Language barrier is often the biggest challenge I experience when travelling.
I hate when popular tourist destinations have long lines
The process of making reservations for accommodations, flights, and activities is time-consuming and frustrating. I hate dealing with complex booking systems, unreliable availability, and hidden fees can add stress to the travel planning process.
I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information online while researching and planning for a trip, which is time consuming and confusing
It’s hard finding affordable accommodations,
transportation, and activities that aligns with my budget
I’m so busy with my 9-5 and personal commitments that I don’t have time to properly plan my trip which stresses me out and leads me to making a rushed decisions
It’s frustrating how all the recommendations online are mostly tourist spots
Travelling helps me relax, provides rejuvenation, and a break from the stresses of everyday life and work burnout
I want an app that combines all aspects of travel planning so I can save time
I want to meet new people, make friends from different backgrounds, and engage in shared experiences
I want to try local cuisines, exploring street food scenes, and discovering new flavours
I want an app that that makes the overwhelming travel planning process easy and efficient
I want to learn more about the historical sites and culture of the country I’m visiting
I want to immerse myself in different cultures, experience new traditions, and gain a deeper understanding of the world
Travelling helps me with self-discovery, personal development, expands my perspective and helps me step outside my comfort zone
Travelling helps me with self-discovery, personal development, expands my perspective and helps me step outside my comfort zone
I want to visit landmarks, scenic locations, and picturesque destinations so that I can share it on social media
Iike connecting with locals and learning about their favourite spots in the country I visit
I research on sites like Hopper, Booking.com, Airbnb, Google, Youtube
I like experiences like local cooking classes
I look for cost-effective accommodations, transportation options, and activities that offer a good balance between affordability and quality
I research and gather information extensively online before making decisions for my travel
I seek unique local experiences
ike trying new food and going to underrated spots
I like looking at recommendations from friend and online when I am making travel decisions
After synthesizing my interview notes and finalizing my How Might We question, I knew it was time I could start focusing on my user's wants and needs. I started to think about my target audience, what kind of people they are and what they would be looking for in this digital solution. Keeping empathy in the forefront and honing in on the frustrations and behaviours that I learnt during my interviews, I was able to create Jessica, a single persona that represents many.
Meet Jessica Jones, She is a social media marketing manger in Toronto, Ontario. Jessica has always been a creative at heart and she loves to travel. Jessica wants to plan a trip with her friends but find’s the process to be very time-consuming.
Persona & Journey Map
Now with Jessica at the forefront, I started to think about the current online/in-person journey he has to endure to find a new artist. By making this journey map I was able to see the current challenges Jessica is facing and find the right moment for design intervention.
With the problem spaced fully outlined, and the needs and wants of Jessica in sight, I began the ideation stage. By creating user stories from Jesica’s frustrations, wants and needs, I am able to see the features most necessary for a digital solution and create a potential task flow that shows how Jessica could use this solution.
Jessica’s Experience Map
IDEATE
More A than B List
THANK YOU!
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Application Icon
Final Prototype