In-Depth Travel / UI UX Design
Travel Taipei
Skills
User Interview
Research Analysis
UI/UX Design
Usability Testing
My role
User Researcher
UI/UX Designer
Duration
July 2023 - September 2023
Members
Myself
Chen, Pin-Xin
Chen, Yi-Jie
Gao, Yi-Jia
Project Overview
By enhancing Travel Taipei's attraction information and itinerary planning features, we aim to help cultural enthusiasts discover more about Taipei's historical stories and culture. This initiative seeks to promote tourism while providing users with a memorable and enjoyable travel experience.
In a four-person design team, I was responsible for drafting the interview guide, leading the interviews, analyzing the results, and designing the gamified experience interface.
Challenge
How can we help enthusiasts of in-depth travel enjoy a seamless and comprehensive travel experience while encouraging them to repeatedly use Travel Taipei?
Solution
We focused on curating Taipei Pictorial’s itinerary information, restructuring the information architecture, and providing a comprehensive trip-planning process. Additionally, we introduced gamification features to enhance user motivation for engaging with Travel Taipei.
1
We categorized the types of itineraries in Travel Taipei, making it easier for users to access information about the trips they are interested in. Additionally, we introduced and optimized themed itineraries inspired by Taipei Pictorial.
2
To further enhance usability, we organized itineraries by administrative districts and provided essential details in the attraction information, such as transportation options, ticket prices, and parking availability, enabling users to plan their trips more conveniently.
3
On the day of the trip, users can press the play button to create a sense of ceremony for their journey. During the trip, the app provides real-time information such as transportation options and travel duration, with detailed navigation seamlessly integrated via Google Maps.
4
Additionally, users can explore nearby attractions and add them to their current itinerary at any time, offering flexibility in trip planning.
5
By incorporating gamified designs, the app enhances users' immersion in the joy of their journey. Users can capture photos during each trip to document their experiences, which are stored in their travel records. Additionally, the app introduces an achievement system that motivates users to complete various themed itineraries and collect badges, adding a sense of accomplishment to their travels.
Current issues in planning itineraries in "Travel Taipei"
Problem Define
Why isn't the Travel Taipei app the first choice for Taipei travelers when planning their itineraries? Here are some issues when using Travel Taipei:
Unclear Information Architecture
The user flow is confusing, often redirecting to external apps, disrupting the experience.
Disorganized Itinerary Information
Insufficient categorization and lack of consolidated information make it difficult to navigate.
Lack of Engagement
The app lacks compelling motivation to participate in the itineraries and fails to highlight its unique features compared to other travel competitors.
Exploring the itinerary planning habits of travelers
User Interview
We interviewed six travelers who are passionate about arts and cultural activities and frequently participate in them. Through these interviews, we discovered that different stages of the itinerary come with different needs:
Research Insight
The interview results revealed key habits and insights for optimizing the Travel Taipei app. To make in-depth travel more engaging and attract more users interested in specific themes, it is essential to integrate existing content from Taipei Pictorial with the Travel Taipei platform for seamless themed travel planning. Additionally, incorporating gamified experiences can enhance user engagement and enjoyment.
Persona
Elsa: A traveler who loves to absorb new knowledge and cultural insights.
Based on the participants in our research, we decided to focus on helping travelers like Elsa, who struggles to arrange their itineraries for cultural events, with the goal of providing a smooth and enjoyable journey.
How does Elsa plan her Taipei Pictorial itinerary?
User Journey Map
To make itinerary planning smoother and more enjoyable.
Ideation
Based on interview results and insights, we focused the product optimization directions on basic needs, expected needs, and delightful needs. From this first round of ideation, our team came up with 3 initial ideas.
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Enable users to quickly find and browse itineraries of interest, creating a clearer information architecture throughout the app.
Streamlining Travel Pictorial Itinerary Information
One-Click Itinerary Import Feature
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Allow users to efficiently arrange pictorial itineraries with flexibility to adjust them as needed.
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Provide essential trip-planning information, enabling users to complete their itinerary planning entirely within the app.
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Boost user motivation to participate in itineraries by allowing them to record memories during trips and unlock achievements, making the overall travel experience more enjoyable and engaging.
Achievement System
Low-fidelity concepts
We split up to create our own low-fidelity concepts to generate as many unique ideas as possible and disregarded constraints to explore the most creative solutions.We also used this as an opportunity to visualize and decide on the most efficient user flows.
Design a new way to plan an enjoyable itinerary
Information Architecture
With all the pieces in hand, we now need to link them together into a complete information architecture. The information architecture comprises of 4 major domains aimed to bring out enjoyable journey: Recommendation, Pictorial, Journey, and Mine.
Test out
Usability Testing
To help users easily plan and organize specific themed itineraries from Taipei Pictorial, we aim to ensure they can smoothly adjust their schedules, select transportation options, and manage itinerary details during the testing process. Additionally, we want them to explore the achievement badge system, adding an element of fun and engagement to their overall travel planning experience.
We tested 4 users with in-depth travel experience who had previously used package tour apps, as well as 4 users without such experience. The usability rating for the test averaged 1.45 out of 5, indicating that the overall process is easy to learn and operate.
"Combining it with the magazine is pretty cool. The gamification mechanics motivate me to dive deeper into the travel experience and discover places I wouldn’t normally include in my itinerary. The attraction information is both concise and comprehensive, making me want to keep using this app."