Ironhack UX/UI Bootcamp — Challenge 3: Usability Evaluation and Site Redesign
Introduction
The following task involves a usability test of a known travel search engine, which will be tested based on a specific task revolving around a specific user type, in order to improve and enhancing certain functionalities of the application.
The user type I chose for this scenario is that of a Young Couple, aged 20–40, who have been planning a special trip for more than half a year. The destination of choice is Machu Pichu in Peru, pared with a trip around the country to maximise the stay abroad.
Location & User Type
Our young couple is travelling to Machu Pichu, which is located closest to Jorge Chavez International Airport close to the capital Lima. Before setting off they are planning to exchange some money into Sol, Peru’s local currency, which will aid their arrival in Peru. Both travellers are healthy however, have taken the precaution to get the recommended vaccinations, such as Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid and Yellow Fever.
As Peru is located on the Southern Hemisphere, the couple is looking to travel in Summer, which suggests light clothing, as September — March tend to be very hot in South America. However, the rocky terrain and rural sights of Peru suggest functional outdoor wear and supplies will be necessary [solid shoes or boots, raincoats, reusable water bottle etc], in order to endure all possible terrains. In order to visit Machu Piccho in the best possible way, our travellers will need to calculate two days on-site, which excludes additional travel time to and from the venue. This suggests the total duration of the trip should be no less than two weeks minimum.
Benchmarking
Our user testing will involve assessing one popular flight search and comparison site, from the following four choices: Skyscanner, Kayak and Tripadvisor. Based on Niellen’s 10-step Usability Heuristic Evaluation we will initially assess each of the three meta search platforms, in order to determine the best fit for this test.
Kayak
Kayak makes a modern and clean impression and boasts a simple-to-use user interface. The landing page immediately identifies Kayak’s value proposition, namely to find and book the best and cheapest flight and accommodation deals. Kayak utilises a somewhat laissez-faire or relaxed approach to communicating with its user [‘Let’s do this’ or ‘Get ready for launch’], which somewhat manages to create a sense of community and belongingness.
The website is globally accessible and features multiple languages, currencies and payment options. Upon visiting the website, Kayak automatically identifies the location of the user [tested via VPN], providing a sense of recognition through the use of localized images and questions.
Kayak’s functionalities revolve around finding the best flights, accommodation and transport options through third party integrations with brokers and transport companies. The layout of the website is clear and especially the task bar on the left side of the screen significantly enhanced usability and navigation through the site. Kayak’s user flow is relatively simple, as the user is redirected to a third party site after choosing the best deal for his or her needs. Kayak has recently introduced a ‘things to do’ section, addressing the new experience economy, which has grown significantly especially amongst millennials.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner provides an intuitive platform that invites the user immediately through warm colours and imagery, as well as a simple-to-use booking tool. In contrast to Kayak, the value proposition is clear, but not as apparent.
The user interface is clear and easy to navigate and focusses on the search tool, which is featured directly on the landing page. Skyscanner focusses on its three core pillars, namely bookings for Flights, Hotels and Car Hire. The website is accessible globally and provides multiple languages, currencies and payment methods.
Although initially there appears to be a recommendation section when scrolling vertically, clicking these simply leads to a booking tool for that particular choice, which suggests a purely transactional focus of the platform. The Covid-19 live map is a great feature, which provides the user with an additional element of engagement.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor has created a more minimalistic and clean, yet recognizable structure to its platform, which is additionally underlined through the use of artwork over photography. The layout is clear and highlighted through boxes and icons, which underline the Tripadvisor value proposition. Unlike Kajak and Skyscanner, Tripadvisor focusses on finding the right accommodation, flight, travel or experience [Restaurants, Museums etc] option, rather than being a transactional website.
Tripadvisor takes a community-focussed approach, giving the user a sense of freedom and convenience, while remaining recognizable through the focus on engagement within the platform, rather than redirecting users to affiliates. Tripadvisors features include Guides, Recommendations and Reviews, next to finding the best accommodation and flight bookings.
Overall, Tripadvisor made the best impression to be used by our young couple planning their trip to Machu Picchu, as it drives a 360 degree platform, underlined by a strong community, in case additional recommendations, tips or even meetups are requested.
Task
In order to assess the usability of the website based on our scenario a multi-step task is developed to guide the interview process. Three interviews are conducted via video conference with couples in age of 25–33.
The task was outlined as follows:
- Create a trip itinerary from your current location to Machu Picchu in Peru.
- Select travel dates across a two-week timeframe.
- Find the best travel options.
- Add three stops on the way from Lima to Machu Picchu or vice versa. Find accommodation options and on-the-ground transport.
Insight
The five-second impression test resulted in all participants guessed correctly that the demonstrated app related to flight or accommodation search and bookings. Only one of the participants knew that the App was Tripadvisor. All participants had previously searched and booked a trip using either of the aforementioned platforms [Skyscanner, Kajak or Tripadvisor] however, no one had specifically used the mobile Tripadvisor app. None of the participants had previously used a digital tool to plan their entire trip itinerary.
The main paint points arose around the trip itinerary section in the Tripadvisor app. All participants could successfully search and find individual flights, accommodation and experiences however, compiling these into a multi-stop trip, while keeping in mind that the trip was to be planned on a budget, created issues with all participants. Based on this reasoning, I have decided to redesign the following three elements of the trip itinerary section:
- Add travel options to trips overview [e.g. date, time and price of the flight to Machu Picchu or the bus from the Airport to the Hostel].
- ‘Add to trips’ CTA on flight and accommodation search, in order for this to be added to the relevant itinerary for planning, saving and later booking.
- Provide route map incl. additional suggestions based on route criteria within the trips itinerary.
Wireframe
a. Add travel options to trips overview
We identified that the users had issues developing a coherent itinerary that included travel, transport and general route information. For this reason, a simple extension was added to the trips section, which allowed users to schedule their travel information alongside any other plans. As the current section already provides a vertical timeline based itinerary with large images and space for information, it fits smoothly into the current user flow and design of the Tripadvisor mobile application.
b. ‘Add to trips’ CTA on flight and accommodation search
To further improve the trips functionality, as well as the usability and convenience of the itinerary section, a call-to-action button, allowing the direct addition to an itinerary, was included on the meta search results page. This ensures flexibility to save interesting flight options to an itinerary, enhancing the ability to plan further ahead, while maintaining a consistent user flow and upholding design values.
c. Automatically generated experience recommendations
The final redesign aimed at enhancing the trips section included the integration of a dedicated recommendation engine, which provides users with the ability to explore interesting experiences along the route. Through entering the locations and corresponding dates of the trip in the individual submenu, users can unlock a variety of Tripadvisors recommendation features and gain insights into popular experiences.
By clicking on the ‘+’ button located in the corresponding location box, users will be redirected to a dedicated location guide, featuring an array of categories and popular recommendations to choose from. This provides a significant enhancement, as dedicated experiences can be planned into a trip in a flexible manner, allowing the users to visualise and plan the perfect trip at a higher convenience.
Concluding Remarks
This task was particular interesting, as it incorporated a range of elements and learnings from previous challenges and put the user at the heart of the problem. It allowed me to implement and use previously outlined tools and develop a solution to a real-world problem.
It highlighted the importance of finding unique users and assess their behavour and interaction with technology differ even though their environments and personal characteristics may be similar. Understanding the user and itheir unique journey, is the core of any development and this challenge allowed me to embrace the necessary workflow: starting with a vague user persona and building their story, conducting user research in order to identify pain points and finally create real-world solutions that address the identified issues.
As evidenced throughout the coursework, user experience design is a fundamental part of a having a product or service, stand out from the global marketplace. A poorly designed user experience can limit even the best technology or service and it has therefore become crucial to the success of any business, product or idea that the solutions it entails address real-world problems.
