TRAVERSE

UI / UX Case Study

Traverse is a travel planning application with the functions based loosely off creating a structured and organized method of the beginning stages of travel planning which primarily includes figuring out where to go, what to do there, how to book, and where to stay. My main challenge was to create a very fluid and easy to use system while being clear on hitting the main user objective points.

RESEARCH & GOALS

I started researching at the core of the problem which was that there were simply too many applications that I had to switch back and forth between in order to book or plan specifics with a trip that remembering which app meant constant checking and back and forth between email confirmations to the app and to multiple sites.

Goals

Organizing the main points of travel planning which are:

1. Where to go

2. How to get there

3. Cost

4. Where to stay

5. How to get around

6. What to do

7. What to eat

Interviews

Types of questions asked amongst a selected group of individuals ages 25-35:

1. What do you look for in planning for a trip? 
2. Where do you look first? 
3. Do you feel overwhelmed with choices? 
4. How do you know what is the best options?

Pain Points

• Too many options
• Takes too long to plan
• Double-checking multiple platforms
• Forgetting which platform was used 
• Too much information not pertaining to my interest

Summary

By the end of the interviews, I charted out the answers and grouped similar responses and organized the pain points to create a user flow and sitemap to address the needs.

SITEMAP & FEATURES

Mapping out the user flow helped figure out the transition between pages creating a clear image of the prioritized features along with navigation between the points.

I found through listing all the features and functions it became clear what to include and what would potentially become redundant information for the user.

DESIGN GUIDE

To display a strong contrast for text that were important I chose pink as the primary color of consistency throughout. Using Hind for all the titles and main CTA’s with Apple LiGothic in descriptive text. Icons were used primarily in the navigation and favorites column to guide users like a physical button would do.

FEATURED SCREENS

Navigating through the explore function after on-boarding creates a general overview of the destinations users would like to visit as a starting point to the app’s main focus.

Clear cut navigation was key to addressing the problems of having too much information. Having large tabs helps users focus on the important priorities in the ‘what to do’ stage.

Large placed images and clear call to actions to help navigate and aid in decision making with functions to save and view later if the user wants to add the location to their itinerary.

STRUCTURE & WIREFRAME

Sketching out and creating a space to show prioritizations of functions and intended behavious within pages was fundamental to ensuring the user experience can be translated into fluid and clear transitions between pages.

PROTOTYPE

Along with creating a space to show prioritization of content prototyping to make sure these steps translated visually with design and experience.

Traverse is a great tool and asset for those looking to plan for travel without the bulky context of most booking and travel centered apps on the market today. It is presented in a fashion to clearly show users that the process does not have to be a long frustrating and arduous process.

This UX case study has taught me as a designer to really think beyond just the visual perspective and more so, solving the problems necessary to achieve a fluid function and form of experience and design.