Introduction
PlanIt is an innovative travel app designed to simplify trip planning and management. It offers users a streamlined itinerary, the ability to mark off completed activities, and provides personalized recommendations based on their destination. Additionally, PlanIt features a budget-tracking tool, enabling users to monitor their spending effectively. Our approach to bringing PlanIt to life involved thorough research and the implementation of the Lean UX process to ensure our decisions were data-driven and user-centric.
Project Overview
In the PlanIt project, my role was pivotal as a Prototyper and UX Researcher. I was instrumental in bringing the application from concept to prototype, focusing on understanding user needs through research and translating insights into tangible designs. My contributions included conducting extensive user research, running experiments, and developing prototypes that informed the final product design.
Adopting the Lean UX methodology
We began by identifying the core problems facing our target users, which then informed our solution development. This iterative process allowed us to refine our designs based on user feedback and data analysis, culminating in a prototype that embodied our vision for an efficient and user-friendly travel app.
Defining the Product Challenge
To enhance user satisfaction, we identified key challenges within the travel industry, such as the lack of integrated solutions for travel planning that also addressed time management and stress reduction. Our research led us to understand that travelers needed a more cohesive planning experience, incorporating itinerary planning and budget tracking.
Through this discovery process, we hypothesized that addressing these issues would result in a product that travelers would recommend highly. Our solution was to develop an app that not only offered comprehensive trip planning tools but also facilitated budget management, tailored to the needs of our users.
Focusing on the User
Our journey began with defining a primary user group: college students struggling with travel planning. This focus led us to create a persona, Susie Spring, who epitomized our target user's challenges and needs. Our initial research and assumptions about Susie's preferences guided the development of features that would make travel planning both affordable and enjoyable for her.
As our understanding deepened through user research and testing, we refined Susie's persona. We discovered that her challenges were more nuanced, relating to budget management and finding suitable activities aligned with her interests and budget. This insight was crucial in tailoring our app's features to better meet our users' needs.
User Research Insights
Through various experiments, including filter and budget management tests, we gained valuable feedback on our design concepts. Surprisingly, users preferred more filter options, contradicting our initial assumptions about user preferences for simplicity. This finding led us to develop a more versatile filtering feature, enhancing the app's usability.
Similarly, budgeting experiments revealed users' desire for clear and manageable financial tracking. This feedback informed the design of our budget feature, which combines visual aids and straightforward expense tracking to help users stay within their budget without feeling overwhelmed.
Feature Development
The filter feature was designed to offer a wide range of options while remaining user-friendly, incorporating visual cues aligned with the app's theme to aid selection. Our budget feature, refined through user feedback, presents expenses in an accessible format, supplemented by a color-coded pie chart and a percentage bar indicating budget usage. These design choices were made to ensure that the app not only meets but exceeds user expectations for managing travel plans efficiently.
Reflections and Outcomes
This project was a journey of discovery, learning, and innovation. Our goal was to alleviate the stress associated with travel planning, and through our research and design efforts, we developed features that genuinely address travelers' needs. The PlanIt app, with its budget, filter, and itinerary functionalities, offers a comprehensive solution that empowers users to plan their trips with ease and confidence.
Discover PlanIt
I invite you to explore the final prototype of PlanIt, a testament to our team's dedication to creating an intuitive and user-centered travel planning app.
