Matching screen
Overview
My Role
Timeline
Competitive Analysis
User Research
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
January - February 2022 (6 weeks)
Tools
Team Size
Figma
Google Workspace
2
The Project
Inspired by my frustration trying to find someone to travel with while I was 3,829 miles away from home, I came up with the idea of an app that would allow you to find people to travel with.
The Problem
Travelers have difficulty finding companions to travel with them while they're away from home.
This especially poses a risk for women who may feel uncomfortable traveling to certain places alone as a solo female. Our goal was to design an app where you can meet people interested in traveling with you in a safe and monitored digital environment.
Competitive Analysis
After conducting some competitive analysis, my partner and I discovered Travello, a social network for travelers used in over 180 countries. However, Travello was still lacking the main feature we wanted: to be able to easily connect with people to travel with. After some brainstorming, we decided to implement bumble-like technology that “matches” travellers based on their interests onto an already existing travelling social network app (Travello)
Interviews
We interviewed 20 people whose ages ranged from 20-58. They were a mix of males and females who enjoy traveling with their friends and family.
Insights from Interviews
• We were surprised to notice that most people are open to traveling with strangers but need some sort of verification that they are who they say they are and are genuine people looking for friends to travel with
• People are open to traveling with others but are reluctant to commit to traveling with someone they
have never met in person. They want to have complete certainty that they will be safe traveling with people they do not know.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Home + Registration Pages
The app includes a third party background check. Therefore, users are required to enter their SSN when they are first registering for the app.
Registration Questions
Travello's algorithm will use the answers to these questions to match up and recommend users to each other.
Personality Test Pages
These personality tests are optional but they give the app more information to help it match users.
Matching Page
This page shows matches recommended by the algorithm. Users can choose to accept or decline the match by swiping either left to accept or right to reject.
Profile page
Messaging Page
Once users accept the recommended match by swiping left, they will be able to message their match.
User Evaluation
We conducted user evaluations with the same 20 people we interviewed earlier.
Feedback from User Evaluations
• Overall, people like the idea of having a feature to match with other people based off of algorithms
• However, a majority of the people we talked to do not use the Travello app
• Need to attract people to the app
• Users had a general sense of security with the background check
Reflection
This was my first time designing a product for non-American users. I learned a lot about designing for people with a different cultural background as me. I also learned how to conduct user research in a country completely foreign to me.
Lessons
1. When conducting user research, use language that interviewees are familiar with. Even if you're not fluent in their native tongue, incorporate some words in that language that they know and use body language to communicate.
