“End to End” Mobile App
Role
Duration
Tool
UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
8 weeks
Figma
Overview
Introducing instaTRIP – the ultimate travel companion for spontaneous explorers and go-with-the-flow adventurers. Designed for short-term trips, instaTRIP makes it effortless to create simple itineraries with easy-to-use search features, showcasing the top must-see sights, foods, and excursions in any city. Skip the detailed schedules and advance bookings; instaTRIP helps you discover popular recommendations quickly, allowing you to draft flexible plans that can be easily adjusted on the go. Perfect for the indecisive traveler, instaTRIP ensures your next adventure is as carefree and exciting as you are.
The Problem
Detailed, hour-by-hour itineraries can be stressful and overwhelming for many travelers. These rigid schedules leave little room for spontaneity, forcing people to adhere to strict timelines that can lead to anxiety if plans change or delays occur. Travelers often feel pressured to stick to every planned activity, which can make the trip feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience. Additionally, detailed itineraries usually require advance bookings, adding a layer of inflexibility and limiting the ability to adapt plans based on mood, weather, or newfound recommendations.
The Solution
InstaTRIP offers a refreshing solution to these problems by providing a more relaxed approach to travel planning. The app is designed for those who prefer to explore on a whim, allowing users to quickly discover popular sights, foods, and activities in a city without committing to a rigid schedule. With easy-to-use search features and a flexible itinerary that’s simple to update, instaTRIP lets travelers embrace the unexpected, enjoy spontaneous experiences, and make changes to their plans effortlessly. It's the perfect tool for crafting a stress-free, adaptable travel experience.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis is used in research to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in existing travel apps, guiding design decisions to create a more user-friendly and differentiated product.
Survey
Here are some open-ended survey questions that could help gather insights into people's methods for researching trips and creating itineraries:
Result
All these apps share common features, including travel itinerary creation, route planning, and integration of travel details like flight information, accommodations, and attractions. They typically require users to import bookings, make reservations, or add detailed travel plans manually. While some offer automated imports from email or customizable routes, they often rely on structured schedules and booking features within the app, adding complexity to the planning process.
In contrast, InstaTrip stands out by embracing simplicity and spontaneity. It focuses on flexible, easy-to-change itineraries without the need for advance bookings or detailed schedules. Instead of overwhelming users with options for reservations, InstaTrip allows travelers to quickly find popular sights, foods, and activities, making it ideal for those who prefer a go-with-the-flow approach.
How do you typically start researching for a trip?
What resources or platforms do you use, and why?
What do you find most challenging when planning a trip or creating an itinerary?
How do you overcome these challenges?
When searching for activities, sights, or excursions, what factors influence your decisions the most?
Is it reviews, popularity, cost, convenience, or something else?
Can you describe your ideal travel itinerary?
Do you prefer a detailed schedule, a general outline, or no plan at all?
What platforms, apps, or websites do you use to search for travel recommendations?
Why do you prefer using these platforms?
How would you describe your travel style in three words?
Are you more of a spontaneous, go-with-the-flow traveler, or do you prefer structured, detailed planning?
What are the most important features you look for in a travel app?
Are there any specific functions that would make your trip planning easier?
How much flexibility do you usually leave in your travel plans?
Do you like to book things in advance, or are you more comfortable making last-minute decisions?
These questions should help uncover preferences, behaviors, and frustrations that travelers experience when planning trips, providing valuable insights for developing instaTRIP.
Survey
Here are some open-ended survey questions that could help gather insights into people's methods for researching trips and creating itineraries:
Survey Key Points
Based on the survey responses, here is an organized summary highlighting the common themes, contrasts, advantages, and challenges of planning a trip itinerary.
Common Themes
Challenges with Organization: Many users struggle to keep track of all trip details in one place, often using a combination of tools like Google Sheets, notes apps, and search engines.
Overwhelming Information: Users often feel overwhelmed by the volume of information when researching new destinations, including reviews, pricing, and recommendations.
Personalized Itinerary Planning: Users appreciate auto-generated suggestions and itineraries tailored to individual preferences, as well as features that consider pacing and activity type.
Advantages
Access to Information: There is a wide range of sources available to discover new places, such as Google, TripAdvisor, social media, and word-of-mouth.
Flexibility in Planning: Some users prefer to plan only a few key activities and decide the rest spontaneously, giving them room for flexibility during the trip.
Digital Tools: Apps like Google Maps, Google Sheets, and other digital notepads help users organize travel plans and store information.
Diverse Recommendations: Recommendations from locals, online reviews, and social media offer varied perspectives on destinations and experiences.
Challenges
Overwhelming Amount of Information: Users find it difficult to sift through excessive data when researching a new place, often leading to decision fatigue.
Difficulty in Optimizing Itineraries: Many struggle with arranging activities in a way that minimizes travel time between locations while maximizing the number of things they can do.
Organization Tools are Fragmented: The lack of a unified tool forces users to rely on multiple apps (e.g., notes, Google Docs, Maps) to organize their travel plans.
Travel Logistics: Managing factors like transportation, scheduling, and accommodation can be daunting, especially when accounting for time constraints, safety concerns, or group preferences.
Overall, the survey reveals that while there are many resources available for planning trips, users face challenges in finding reliable information, organizing their plans efficiently, and optimizing their itineraries. An ideal travel app would address these issues by providing a centralized, user-friendly platform that offers trustworthy recommendations, itinerary optimization, and personalized planning options.
Personas
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"I usually just show up in a new city and figure things out as I go. InstaTrip sounds great for keeping things flexible while still giving me some ideas."
Lily N.
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"InstaTrip seems perfect for my short business trips—quickly finding things to do and good places to eat without needing a ton of planning."
Aaron L.
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"I’m not big on detailed schedules. I’d rather explore at my own pace, and InstaTrip makes it easy to find interesting spots without locking me into a strict plan."
Susie H.
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"Travel apps can be pretty complicated for me to use. I just want something simple and easy to navigate, and InstaTrip sounds like it would be much more senior-friendly."
The Legend
User Flow
Utilizing a user flow before designing the travel app ensures a smooth and intuitive experience by mapping out the user's journey step by step.
Site Map
Creating a site map before designing the travel app helps organize content and features, ensuring a clear structure and easy navigation for users.
Sketches/ Low-Fidelity Wireframes
For the low-fidelity wireframe of InstaTrip, I utilized FigJam to sketch and brainstorm my ideas alongside my mentor. This collaborative process allowed us to translate the insights gathered from extensive research into a tangible UX layout. By focusing on the basic structure and functionality, we identified key elements and user flows without getting bogged down by visual details. This iterative approach helped us quickly explore different concepts and refine the user experience before moving on to high-fidelity designs. Ultimately, creating a low-fidelity wireframe was invaluable for establishing a solid foundation, ensuring that the final product would meet user needs effectively and intuitively.
UI Design and Branding
"InstaTRIP" and its branding strategy embody the app's core purpose of facilitating spontaneous, easy-to-plan travel experiences. The name InstaTRIP is a blend of "instant" and "trip," conveying the app’s emphasis on quickly generating flexible travel itineraries without the burden of detailed pre-planning. The branding aligns with this concept by featuring a logo with a simple check mark, symbolizing the ease of "checking off" tasks and activities while traveling.
The use of vibrant earthy tones adds a lively yet grounded feel, appealing to travelers who seek authentic, local experiences. To balance these tones and enhance user engagement, a touch of animation is incorporated throughout the app, adding a fun and lively feel to the overall experience. These subtle animations, make navigation more enjoyable and create a sense of dynamism, keeping users excited about their travel plans.
Overall, InstaTRIP’s name, logo, and visual theme together create a cohesive identity that resonates with modern, spontaneous travelers looking for a user-friendly and adaptable trip-planning tool.
High-Fidelity Prototype
I transformed my initial sketches into polished designs using Figma. This involved applying the vibrant earthy tones and engaging animations to create an interactive experience that closely resembles the final product. By incorporating feedback from earlier wireframes and user testing, I refined the interface to align with user expectations. This detailed prototype not only visualized the app's functionality but also facilitated usability testing, helping identify areas for improvement before development. Ultimately, the high-fidelity prototype is a crucial step in bringing the InstaTrip concept to life as a user-friendly travel planning tool.
Usability Testing
For usability testing, three individuals were selected to evaluate the design. Due to time constraints, the focus was placed on identifying and prioritizing fundamental issues. Only the most critical problems impacting the user experience were addressed for iteration to ensure quick improvements.
Three individuals participated in the usability testing, providing valuable insights into the design of InstaTrip. Overall, users found the UI to be friendly and easy to navigate, praising the design and concept. However, several issues were identified, leading to the following problems and solutions:
Problem 1: Notification and Bookmark Button Placement
Issue: Users noted that the app was missing a bookmark button next to the notification button, making it less convenient to access both features quickly.
Solution: The notification and bookmark buttons were moved alongside each other in the top-right corner, allowing for a more streamlined and accessible layout.
Problem 2: Misalignment and Inconsistency
Issue: There were minor misalignment issues and inconsistencies in the sizing of some buttons and boxes, which affected the app’s visual uniformity.
Solution: The alignment of all interactive elements was corrected, and consistent spacing was applied throughout the interface to ensure a seamless and uniform look across all components.
Problem 3: Overly Large Elements
Issue: Some interface elements, such as buttons and icons, were considered too large, taking up unnecessary space on the screen.
Solution: The sizes of oversized elements were adjusted to better fit the overall design, enhancing the app's aesthetic and making the layout feel more balanced and visually appealing.
These changes helped refine the app, ensuring a more cohesive and user-friendly experience.
