Puffin App Case Study

Discover

Looking for opportunities in the travel industry

Statistics show a 42% increase in solo travel since the pandemic. These solo travelers tend to seek “local”, “authentic”, and “meaningful” experiences. It could be said travelers are craving a deeper connection with their destination and its culture. This trend in adventurous, authentic, culturally conscious travelers supports opportunities for creative solutions that incorporate the latest tools in tech.

My hypothesis

The travel industry wants new ways to experience immersive travel. Tools like AI and AR can answer travel questions in real time and restore surroundings to craft bespoke adventures at any location. Travelers are looking for new ways to enjoy their adventures; AI and AR are the solution.

Research

Translating interviews to insights

I interviewed 7 travelers to learn about their experiences and thoughts on AI/AR integration, recent trips, and tools used when planning and exploring new destinations. Findings were grouped by themes surrounding their expectations, habits, and reservations.

As a result of this synthesis I discovered my assumption was wrong! My hypothesis was centered on AI and AR immersion while on travel. However, the travelers priority was not related to immersive experiences. Travelers true need was to relieve the burdens of planning and research.

“Going to tourist traps is inevitable. We usually go just to say we did it, but I just wish local spots were easy to find.”

Users want a unique itinerary with local influence, but still feel obligated to visit the stereotypical tourist locations.

“I always feel like I’m missing out when I travel, I just want to know if there’s something better I should be doing.”

Users want to know what is nearby and what they can do to optimize their time while traveling.

It’s so pressure to plan a trip. When I’m in charge it feels like I’m responsible for exceeding everyone’s expectations.

Solo travelers and group leads have all the burden of finding the “best” experience.

Getting to know the competition

My second round of research focused on tools that addressed travel research, planning, and navigation. I selected both direct and indirect competitors that were ranked in the app store or were mentioned in user interviews. Understanding competitor strengths was beneficial to see what elements Puffin could mimic or avoid when developing a solution.

Travel apps that help users plan and coordinate their trips.

What factors are most helpful when traveling?
What apps support those needs?
How does technology influence users travel?
How do apps support users in maintaining an itinerary?

Product Goals

Consolidate resources for itinerary planning and research.
Disperse planner responsibilities for group travel.
Decrease user frustrations with AI to support travel questions.

Illustration of Jess sitting with her knees hugged.

Define

Identifying the target user

Stephanie is the persona created from a culmination of my insights, interviews, and themes. She is a travel enthusiast driven by intrinsic values and eager to immerse herself in authentic local experiences. Her primary motivation lies in satisfying her inner urge for adventure.

Stephanie is often assigned the the leader in her travel groups due to her passion for researching destinations and planning itineraries. Although she enjoys controlling the planning process, she sometimes yearns for relief from the burdensome task and desires delegating it to someone trustworthy.

User persona called Stephanie created to represent Puffin users.

Developing a solution for each product goal

The site map began to form after understanding the need to organize travel planning for groups as well as solo trips. The highlighted sections of the task flow represent branches of the sitemap needed for usability testing. These sections are the cornerstone of Puffin’s key features.

Proposed site map detailing Puffin app structure.

Prioritizing an MVP mindset

It was critical at this point to ensure a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) mindset. What do I mean by that? All the focus is on developing an app that includes only the most essential features to solve the core problems. It’s incredibly tempting to want to solve everything at once. To avoid that problem I used my site map, user flows, and task flows as guidelines to keep me on track and within the MVP design.

Puffin MVP features for must have, nice to have, surprise and delight, and can come later.

Iteration

Iterating the design based on frequent user testing

At certain milestones of designing I felt it was important to test specific elements of the app. During the mid-fi stage I ran two tests. The first was an A/B test to verify users preferences for component design in the itinerary. The second test was an unmoderated click test to check flow structure and CTA placement.

Puffin mid-fidelity designs based on user testing.

Branding that is exciting, but not overwheling

While brainstorming the concept of this brand I thought about the travel industry and my target audience. The puffin logo created a cute and memorable "mascot" as well as introduced an element of approachability to users. Since travel can be daunting and sometimes pricey, I tried my best to find a color palette that conveyed a sense of adventure, trust, confidence, and affordability. The elements and font selection aim to keep a clean and youthful approach.

Components designed for Puffin branding.

Component examples designed for Puffin branding.

Pulling it all together

The cornerstone of Puffin’s MVP features were simplified planning, group integrated itineraries, and travel supported AI chats. The goal of the designs was to maintain travelers excitement for the anticipated travel without overwhelming them with clutter too many details. Minor adjustments were made to design elements and the itinerary flow which will be discussed in Results & Feedback.

First round of high fidelity designs for Puffin app.

test

Performing usability testing

When testing the MVP for Puffin, I interviewed 5 participants for my usability testing. They were all part of the target audience since they had previously used or planned to use travel related apps to organize their itineraries. All tests had been moderated to derive valuable insights and detailed feedback. Engaging users with pointed questions enabled them to discuss and elaborate on their experiences and reactions to specific elements of the test, task, and design.

Quick preview of results from Puffin usability testing.

Tasks

Create a trip and itinerary planning
Chatting with AI and adding a bookmark to a trip
Searching nearby attractions

Objectives

Observe user’s awareness for key CTA throughout the itinerary planning process.
Evaluate task flows for efficiency and overall efficacy.
Identify areas of user fatigue.

Reading between the lines

Task flows were intuitive and felt familiar to other processes users have experienced.
Users would like the ability to confirm events with the group to ensure everyone approved the itinerary.
I observed users tendency to plan by the selected day opposed to finding a location and assigning it to a particular day in their itinerary.

Task 1 results and feedback from Vanguard usability testing.

Task 2 results and feedback from Vanguard usability testing.

Task 3 results and feedback from Vanguard usability testing.

Priority Revisions

After collecting all the usability test feedback I identified changes that were either considered priority or future changes. The priority changes were defined as design or flow elements that would impact user's negatively if not updated immediately. In my iterations I made both flow and design updates to create a more harmonious and positive experience.

Though all users completed the tasks successfully, I wanted to make these updates to help users feel confident by improving the product’s clarity.

Before and after revision of designs to improve grey scale use and CTA buttons.

Before and after revision of designs to improve adding events to itinerary screens.

Before and after revision of designs to improve AI response structure in Chat feature.

Before and after revision of designs to improve resting states of buttons.

Before and after revision of designs to improve filters and total results banner display.

Introducing Puffin

Prototype GIF preview of the itinerary planning feature in Puffin.

Prototype preview of the itinerary planning feature

hi-fi Wireframes

hi-fi Prototype

Takeaways

Future updates to explore

Here are a few suggested features that require additional design iterations and workflows.

Adding a weather conditions preview to assist in travelers with itinerary planning at-a-glance.
Incorporating a distance and time calculator to initiate from the current location. This gives a better sense of proximity to travelers on foot.
Designing path maps to link pins from user itineraries. Users can rearrange their itinerary to best utilize their time and energy.
Create a “Pending” or “Share” flow to confirm proposed events with the travel group.

Illustration of Jess smiling with a hand in her pocket.

Lessons Learned

Try not to get too invested in a hypothesis. Sometimes the solution users need cannot be assumed by market trends or generalizations.
Testing often will give an element of confidence to designs. All the data and feedback can be later used to justify design decisions to stakeholders.
Be strategic when selecting test models. Moderated and unmoderated tests tend to give a varying amount and quality of feedback. It’s important to know the pros and cons of each and when to utilize one over the other.

Puffin