OnBoard
Research
Before we started designing our solutions, we needed to conduct thorough research to understand the problem and the social complexities behind it. Here, we discuss our user research methods and insights.
User Research
First, we performed user research to identify whether or not travelers struggled with planning and itinerary building. Using the master-apprentice model, we developed a Google Forms survey to gauge people’s travel preferences, motivations, and experiences. Here are some of the most important insights we received from the survey:
Survey Insights
Travel Planning Habits
20 of 24 interviewees typically travel with a group
5 of 24 interviewees mention using multiple platforms to create travel plans
Social Dynamics of Travel Planning
9 of 24 interviewees mention having difficulty coordinating while making plans with a group
Travel Interests
15 of 22 interviewees would be willing to meet other travelers in public spaces
We learned that the majority of people travel in groups and that it is not uncommon for planners to rely on multiple platforms to create travel plans. This highlighted potential factors that contribute to a stressful planning experience.
For this question, people wrote about dealing with "different habits" and "competing interests". This solidified our assumption that many travelers struggle to make plans in a group setting.
This informed us about specific interests travelers have, and emphasized traveling as a highly social activity.
Quantitative Data Visualizations
Fig 1. Survey responses rating the helpfulness of adding an itinerary to travel plans.
Fig 2. Survey responses measuring if respondents typically travel alone or with a group.
User Research Insights Summary
Overall, we noticed a common trend among interviewees of struggling to make plans with multiple people, even though the vast majority of interviewees typically traveled in a group. There are a vast number of platforms people can use to make planning a little easier, such as Google Sheets and Yelp, but it can be difficult to visually synthesize all of the information, especially across multiple people. Oftentimes, in a travel group, each person has their own individual preferences and special interests, so ensuring that every member is able to contribute to the planning process is extremely important.