01. Problem background
The Challenge
The SOLO project was inspired by a lack of online resources that cater to the specific needs of solo travelers. As a unique and diverse community of daring go-getters who often go beyond the norms of mainstream tourism travel, solo travelers need a resource that can provide them trustworthy, reliable, and relevant information. No matter their experience level, all solo travelers deserve a welcoming space to learn and be part of a community that helps them feel safe and supported on their adventures.
The Objective
Here at SOLO, we believe that solo travel doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Solo travelers are drawn to traveling to form connections – with different cultures, landscapes, and of course people.
As a travel planning and social media platform, SOLO aims to …
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Cultivate a welcoming community around solo travel
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Cater to the needs of solo travelers of all experience levels
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Consolidate the travel research process by offering multiple resources of information
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Make the travel planning process more interactive by encouraging users to share their knowledge, advice, and experiences with the community
02. Research
Target Audience
Solo travelers of all experience levels and anyone who is interested in trying solo travel.
User Interviews
I conducted a series of interviews with solo travelers of various experience levels to better understand their perspectives on travel and their unique needs and desires for online resources.
"As a young woman safety is a major concern when it comes to traveling. I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling alone without a solid support system."
"I'd love to be able to learn about more local spots beyond just the tourist stuff. But it's not always easy to find that info online."
"I do most of my itinerary planning in a massive word document. It can be labor intensive because I have to search through so many different websites and gather the info manually. It's also difficult to plan collaboratively with other people."
"I travel back and forth between home and college, so I've gotten comfortable taking flights alone. But the thought of going abroad completely solo still scares me. I don't even know where I would begin with that process."
"Most of my inspiration towards traveling comes from hearing about the cool experiences that other people have had. It makes me want to go out and live that sort of lifestyle for myself."
"Solo travel gives you a sort of freedom that you just can't get with other people around. But it also means you have so much more responsibility."
Key Takeaways
Through the analysis of these interviews, I discovered that solo travelers...
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Need a community to support them on their journeys
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Need a resource to streamline the travel planning process
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Are inspired by other solo travelers and enjoy living a free lifestyle
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Want to discover unique experiences beyond the tourist stuff
Competitive Analysis
To gain insights into the UX strategies employed by established travel brands, I conducted an analysis of various online resources dedicated to travel planning and research, including: Trip Advisor, Expedia, Trivago, and Wanderlust.
For each website, I explored two different user workflows. The key takaways from these analyses were...
Workflow 1: An inexperienced traveler trying to create a travel itinerary
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A map-view is a great way to visualize locations and activities
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These websites fail to create a sense of community and there are not enough ways to interact with other users.
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Itineraries need the ability to block off times for activites and transport.
Workflow 2: An inexperienced traveler trying to conduct travel research
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Presenting information in a simplified way helps reduce stress and streamline the process
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Website needs to have a clear route to follow, or incremental steps that provide guidance on how to navigate the information
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Travel guides are a helpful feature, but how can we provide credibility for these resources?
03. Ideation
Sitemap
Based on the information gathered from the research, I began developing the structure of the website focusing on the main workflows of our target audience.
Wireframes
To conceptualize the UI designs for the website pages, I initially created rough hand-drawn wireframes which were later refined into mid-fidelity digital wireframes.
Storyboarding
To enhance our comprehension of the user experience on the SOLO website, I generated storyboards to illustrate potential user journeys.
04. prototype
First Iteration
Based on the digital wireframes, I developed the initial homepage prototype. While the color palette aimed to convey a natural and outdoor ambiance, this design approach ultimately proved ineffective.
Design Critique
I shared these designs with both design colleagues and our target audience for evaluation. Although they appreciated the homepage layout, they found the stylistic choices ineffective in conveying the desired brand personality.
"It feels more like a website focused around camping or hiking rather than travel."
"The colors don't give off a sense of excitement or energy. They're a bit bland."
"I don't think the current design properly conveys the diverse and global nature of travel."
Final Designs
Taking the design critique and user feedback into account, I continued developing the solo website to improve usability and streamline user flows.
Homepage - Signed out / Signed In
Communities Page / Blog Page
Itinerary Planning Page
Community Forum Page / Forum Post
Article Page
05. Conclusion
Lessons
Through this project, I learned the significance of user-centered design and continuous involvement of the target audience throughout development. Interactions with the target audience were pivotal in shaping design decisions and gaining insights into their specific needs and desires for an online travel resource. I gained experience working through an iterative design processes and recognized the value of incorporating user feedback and critique to inform the final designs.
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