Project Overview
Challenge
ZEIT is a time travel agency that made time travel possible for anyone to experience historical events.
Being the first of its kind to have time travel vacations, ZEIT needed help establishing itself in the travel industry. My challenge was to design an e-commerce platform for this evolved and new technology.
Objective
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Design a logo for the company that can be historic and futuristic at the same time.
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Design a responsive e-commerce website that is easy to use and that allows customers to browse through all different trips and time periods.
Scope
- Responsive Website
- Branding
Tools
- Figma
- FigJam
- Photo shop
- Optimal Workshop
Team
Self Directed, with feedback from a mentor and peers
Duration
- 80 hours
Let the Research Begin!
EMPATHIZE
To help me stay focused, I started by making a research plan, I found that the target audience is people in their mid. 20s to mid 30s who are looking to get away from the norm and spend time with their family at affordable prices.
Goals
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What sources are consumers using to book their trip
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What problems and enjoyment do travelers run into when booking their trip
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What is the most important to users when planning a trip
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What type of deals and offers do they look for when it comes to traveling
Methodologies
Following up with my goals in mind I broke down search into:
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Secondary Research - Market Research and Competitive Analysis
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Primary Research - Interview Users
Market Research & Competitive Analysis
Most competitors give a wide variety of locations, but do not give any packages or offers. Users can share their own trip experiences and give others tips and pictures of their travels. Travel sites have a hard time keeping users updated on safety and hidden fees. With this I was able to identify any gaps in the features that ZEIT might address in their website.
STRENGTHS
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Offers a varity of options
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End-to-end booking service
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Profile to track travel history
WEAKNESSESS
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Information is not always updated or correct
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Hidden fees may apply
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Site controls reviews and can edit without informing users
WEAKNESSESS
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Only offers lodging
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Company does not protect customers
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Limited options
STRENGTHS
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Unique accommodations
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Affordable prices
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Simple UI design
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Variety of locations
STRENGTHS
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Cancellation flexibility
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Mapped locations
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Members can use points
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Variety of locations
WEAKNESSESS
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Expensive
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No special offers
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Does not keep user informed of any changes
STRENGTHS
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Customer Reviews
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Favorite button to save
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Multiple categories and filter options
WEAKNESSESS
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Limited information on location
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Website overwhelming & busy
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No cancellation option
STRENGTHS
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Offers a varity of options
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Members can use points
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Beautiful Interface
WEAKNESSESS
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Package deals only for members
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Using points is confusing
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Not affordable for bigger families
Participant Interviews
I conducted 1-on-1 user interviews, using an interview guide. I invited the participants to share their stories. The 7 participants, 5 females and 2 male, ranged in age from 19 to 61. The interviews lasted from 20 minutes to an hour.
That's what they said
"If I can find a place that both my husband and I agree on and know it's safe, we just pack up and go."
"Anything involving a beach and food that my family can enjoy, we are there."
Clarifying User Goals & Needs
After grouping similar insights together, I synthesized common categories users shared.
From these categories, I narrowed down to three most common insights and corresponding needs.
User's Goal
Special Deals & Packages
6/7 participants
are more likely to book a trip when offered deals and packages.
Activities Offered
6/7 participants
look for activities to do near the location they plan to book .
Looks & Reviews
5/7 participants
rely on images and reviews from former travelers.
User's Frustrations
Affordability
7/7 of the participants
cancel vacation plans due to high cost.
Safety
5/7 participants
experience frustration when they are not informed of safety issues or if there is no safety information provided.
Availability Dates
5/7 participants get disappointed when dates are not available for the location they want.
Now Introducing Our User: Brooke
With all the information gathered so far, I was able to create ZEIT's target customer persona, Brooke.
Brooke, a 32 year old married chief who has two lovely girls. They love to try new foods and travel. She needs a site that is full of information about safety, adventures and deals that her family can afford in the time of their choosing. ZEIT can help Brooke find that perfect vacation for her family.
DEFINE
Time to Strategize the Project
Using the Venn diagram put me in the shoes of the company, consumer, and IT. I determined the best way to categorize the vital information that would contribute to the best experience for Brooke.
Feature Road Map
Analyzing data collected from the primary and secondary research, I built a list of most important features that Brooke would need to be able to browse and book her family's trip. To accomplish this I put together a product feature roadmap of any features that might be needed in order for ZEIT's site to work efficiently.
Card Sorting
To help keep the content of ZEIT's website organized, I conducted an open, individual, remote card sorting to understand how users go about finding their next travel experience.
Ancient Rome 753 BC - 476 AD
The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany 1989
Couple of Card Examples:
Age of the Samurai Japan 1500s
Opening of Disneyland, USA 1955
Man Landing on the Moon, 1969
Building the great pyramids Egypt 50 BC
First Olympics Greece 776 BC
Jurassic Period
BTS's First Concert Korea 2013
Completion of the Great Wall of China 1644
Participants categorized selections by:
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Continent/country
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Culture
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Events
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History (ancient history & wonders)
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Exploration
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Time periods
Findings include:
Site Map
Users are most likely to search by time period, content, and attraction, which will mainly be found in exploration. With that finding I was able to define the overall structure of the content on ZEIT's website in a way that would be easy for Brooke to navigate. The goal was keeping navigation of the website as simple as possible.
IDEATE
Mapping Out Brooke's Experience
Because Brooke is looking for a new and affordable adventure, I made the task and user flow to show how she would use ZEIT's site. Having access to packages offered to her throughout her booking process made it easier for Brooke to narrow her travel plans to what works best for her and her family.
Task/User Flow
From Ideation to Wireframing
Following both of Brooke's task and user flow charts, I made decisions on how the content of ZEIT's website would be organized and started sketching low-fidelity wireframing.
Wireframing 1
Wireframing 2
Wireframing 3
Low-Fid and Responsive Wireframing
Taking a couple of sketches, I went out and asked participants who were around Brooke's age what would make their travel experience better and more enjoyable. The participants decided that being able to see a map and select a year was the most desirable out of all the sketches.
Desktop
Tablet
Phone
Simple & Approachable UI Design
DESIGN
Once the low-fidelity wireframes were finalized, it was time for the fun UI design! Keeping in mind ZEIT's aesthetic and what Brooke would like, I concluded the brand's image should be simple, futuristic, and approachable.
Responsive UI Design
In order to make her experience informative and easy, I made sure she could look around the home page for descriptions and time periods, while also providing safety guidelines for time travel.
Style Tile
To further develop my design style for ZEIT, I designed a style tile. It served to document my brand ideas and inspirations gathered, incorporate logo design, color palette, typography, and imagery that guides UI design.
The Results are in!
6/6 Participants
found their overall experience enjoyable with the design and easy layout of the website.
5/6 Participants
found tabs on the search bar and the spacing of the sliding cards distracting and would like more space and everything on the search bar.
4/6 Participants
liked being able to find package deals on almost every page, including being offered a package that relates to their trip at check-out.
Final Takeaways
1. Users do not need a button to find everything they are looking for.
2. Participants enjoyed having all the information available on one site and without the need to use a third party source to plan a full trip. This made users want to explore more of what the site has to offer and want to come back.
3. Breaking down the checkout helps users fill out their information without feeling overwhelmed.
If I can continue working on this product, I would love to expand more on the AR feature and understand its concepts better.