FamTrips
A mobile app that helps family to plan trips by AI generated scheduler based on user preferences.
About
As part of a four-person team, I served as both the UX researcher and Product Manager. Together, we developed a mobile app for efficient trip planning for families. Our innovative solution included an AI-generated scheduler that provided personalized recommendations based on user preferences.
Method
Problem Statement
How might we ease online travel planning for families with children?
- Exploring destinations - Families need more trust-worthy and diversified sources of information to explore and decide on destinations for travel plannings.
- Booking accommodations - During travel planning, families are sometimes challenged by finding accommodations online that meets their goals.
- Time coordination - Families are having difficulties in deciding on a time frame for travel that fits everyone’s schedule in the family.
- Itinerary management - During travels, families are occasionally having troubles in managing their itineraries, especially when unanticipated situation arises.
- Finding activities - Exploring kids-friendly activities around the destination that fits everyone’s interest is a struggling and laborious process.
Ideation
Reverse Assumptions
We selected this method since it helped us break away and question our assumptions. It gave us a new perspective on our research questions and user behavior.
User Research
Semi-Structured Interviews
Conducted 5 user interviews, each with two contextual inquiry models (directed storytelling using photographs and user-journey time-lining).Participants were parents of children between the ages 3-12 who have recently gone on vacation with their families.
User Quotes
User Travel Plan Timeline
Analysis & Synthesize
Affinity Clustering
Emotional Journey During the Planning Process
Insights & Implications
1. Inaccurate information on travel booking sites lead to uncomfortable experiences.
2. Flexibility in travel plan is a non-negotiable when traveling with kids.
3. Distributed modes of research add to the difficulty of travel planning with children.
4. Finding activities that include the entire family is a time consuming process.
5. Families rely on recommendations from trusted sources to mitigate unknown risks.
Idea Generation
Crazy 8's
We used the Crazy 8’s to each generated 8 ideas based on our ‘why statement’ and insights. We then combined the needs into buckets and within the team voted to rank the needs and identify the top 5 important ones. As a team we then divided the needs amongst us to generate ideas and storyboards.
User Needs & Storyboard
Opportunities
Solution
Product Design
Task 1: Sign in and create a new trip
Task 2: Find a destination and auto generate a travel plan
Task 3: Writing review
Usability Testing
Insights
1. Flexibility in travel planning is crucial for user before and during the trip to give them confidence in the plan generated.
2. Narrowed personalized options saves time as well as cognitive load required while planning a trip
3. Users are NOT positively encouraged by prompted windows for soliciting reviews within our design solution, but they can be otherwise interested to share their experiences.
4. Users responded positively to the idea of an auto-generated travel plan when also given the option to be able to make changes.
5. On trip itinerary changes are driven primarily by unanticipated situations rather than personal travel preferences
What's next?
We learned a lot from our usability tests. We aim to incorporate the feedback we received from our participants and reduce the issues they faced in navigating the app. We will work to make the concept easier to understand and improve the UI elements. we can make the concept easier to understand and work on the smaller UI elements.
Some UI elements need to update:
The top section of the swipe page was not really intuitive to most of our users
The review pop-up should not be so significant every time they open the app
Minor changes in finalizing the destination and reviewing the generated plan across days