OnBoard
Prototype 1
Based on our research, we decided to remedy the difficulty of coordinating travel plans in a group by generating a personalized itinerary for them. We accomplished this through VagaBond, our first prototype.
Prototype 1:
Vagabond
About VagaBond
VagaBond is a social traveling app that allows users to connect with others through similar interests on their itineraries. It would have features such as a private messaging system, a posting mechanism for itinerary ideas, and recommended sightseeing locations.
Our prototype aimed to answer the question:
How can travelers connect with other travelers?
Steps
Our prototype addressed multiple insights from our user research, such as the high interest in meeting other travelers and the difficulty of making travel plans while in a group. Here are the steps our audience took to participate in our prototype:
Step 1: Setting up the Scene
Audience receives group personas with various traits and interests
Step 2: Matching Groups
Groups are matched together based on similar interests
Step 3:
Build Itinerary
Participants select their favorite trip destinations on AhaSlides
Step 4: Present Final Itinerary
Most popular destinations are summarized and presented in itinerary form
Step 5: Post-Session Survey
Filled out short survey to gauge general opinions
Outdoors Group
Interests: desert, wildlife, tech experiences, national parks, historical monuments, museums
Traits: goofy, nerdy, intellectual, active, innovative, observant
Foodie Group
Interests: unique dining, sightseeing, live music, big cities, overlooks, cultural foods
Traits: outgoing, spontaneous, foodies, curious, independent, adaptable
Final travel groups
Vagabond in Action
These images reflect real responses and interactions with our prototype on AhaSlides. The polls reflect what proportion of participants preferred a certain travel destination, and the emoticons on the bottom right are reactions that participants provided during the prototyping session.
Figure 3. Poll for Foodies group
Figure 4. Poll for Outdoors group
What We Learned
Based on our post-session survey results, we learned that people enjoyed the binary nature of decision making as it made trip planning a lot easier, but almost the same number of people disliked having such a limited number of options. Our team also noticed that there was very little social interaction happening during the itinerary building phase, as most opted to silently choose their preference without contributing to a larger conversation.