Re-design a User-centered experience
Ironhack UX/UI Bootcamp Prework Challenge 3: Tripadvisor case study.
What we’re going to experience in this exercize will give an idea about how to come closer to the User, understand how our mind reacts when we make rapid choices and why and how this drives Ux designers to think user-centered!
Wanderlust to Chichen Itza
1.User type:
From Ironhack Brief_Worldtrotter, Backpacker 18–38 y/o (1)
You’ve decided to finally go visit that wonder that has been sitting in your dreams for a long time now. You don’t have a long time to plan but also you don’t need it. You’ll be travelling in 6 months and are open to almost any possibility but have a budget constraint. You are price-cautious and prefer experiences where you have a chance to meet people and make acquaintances enjoying the wonder together. You are not picky and you can accommodate the most affordable, adventurous, genuine experience.
2. Research Destination:
Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic period. The archaeological site is located in Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán State, Mexico.
When to Go:
Visiting Chichén Itzá on the spring equinox. Considering the weather, prices, and traffic, the best times to visit the Yucatán Peninsula are from late November to mid-December and from mid-January to early May. You’ll avoid the intense heat from June to August, possible hurricanes in September and October, as well as the crowds and high prices around the winter holidays.
Avoid the big caveats in the period of March/April and Semana Santa and the week before Easter, when American, Canadian students, and then Mexican tourists turn out in force and prices spike.
Nearest Airport and alternatives:
Merida (MID) Airport is 117.8 km away. Other nearby airports include Cancun (CUN) (180.7 km), San Pedro (SPR) (312.2 km), Caye Caulker (CUK) (330.8 km), and Belize City Goldson Intl Apt (BZE) (349.1 km).
Currency:
1 Mexican Peso equals 0,041 Euro
22 May, 10:02 UTC · Disclaimer
Medical needs:
No special vaccines are required when travelling to the Yucatán Peninsula, but it’s a good idea to be up-to-date on the standard travel immunizations, including hepatitis A, MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), tetanus-diphtheria, and typhoid.
Visa:
American and Canadian travellers are required to have a valid passport to travel to and from Mexico. Tourist visas are issued upon entry; you technically are allowed up to 180 days, but agents often issue just 30 or 60 days. If you want to stay longer, request the time when you present your passport. To extend your visa, visit the immigration office in Cancún.
Dress for success:
Keeping in mind how sprawling Chichén Itzá is, proper footwear is crucial, forget flip-flops. The uneven pathways are paved with errant rocks and sticks. It can be extremely hot, especially around El Castillo and the Great Ballcourt where there isn’t any shade. Lots of water on hand is fundamental, along with a hat and sunscreen.
The time needed to visit the Ruins:
Between 1 to 6hours.
3. Benchmarking
To compare the best offers and services to reach and enjoy the destination, I navigate four of the most known applications on the web.
After downloading the applications on my phone I conduct the Usability Heuristics evaluation with Nielsen’s Principles. I compared these apps when searching for our set user type/scenario and identified the one that performs better about the destination considering accessibility, value proposition, and features. I performed usability testing to understand how to better help people travel the world!
And the winner of our research is Tripadvisor!
The first reason why I choose Tripadvisor is because of its smooth flow. The second one is a new Plan feature that allows the user to store information about almost anything included external links and pin activities and locations on a personalized map.
I have to admit that one of its competitors, Skyscanner, has done a good job having a similar feature named Trips where it's only possible to select tickets and hotels. It offers a nice smooth experience while information accessibility is easy.
4. Testing
The Process:
Our hypothetical Users - Stefano, Greg, and Mimi are backpackers. I asked them to download and navigate the application.
Tripadvisor App has been selected too as the best option by the interviewees. Afterwards, they were asked to simulate the scenario you’ve read about just at the beginning of this article, and they performed a list of tasks using the product while I observed and took notes.
I gave the user 5 seconds to take a look at the home screen of the metasearch. After 5 seconds, I covered the screen and asked them: What did you see? What can this tool do for you? Where would you search for a flight?
5. Insights
Findings:
We found out that the overall experience on Tripadvisor has been a pleasant one, it's easy to find everything you need to navigate at ease, the UI is appealing and the text easy to read. What must be improved and implemented into the first screen is a search bar that will lead to our destination of choice with the consequence of the need for reorganization of the content. Also, the Plan feature would be a great one if in evidence. The options: Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, and forums should be all visible.
Pain points:
- I cannot find the search bar
- Have to look at many options and directions can be overwhelming.
One extra solution I would love to implement is a feature that allows us to choose from Trip Styles. The user can identify faster more suitable options and navigate comfortably between possible solutions. The major reason that brought me to this idea is the feedback of Stefano who was searching for suggestions, lost in a vast jungle of offers that wouldn’t appeal to his taste.
6. Redesign Wireframes
Key Learnings
“Simplify! Think functionally! Make it work smoothly!
I had fun redesigning and wireframing some of the Tripadvisor app pages. The more I get to know the rules and the tools and the more I feel free to expand my knowledge and boundaries.”
