Map Experience for travel
One map experience to browse hotels, attractions, car rentals etc.
Overview of Map Experience
Design principles used while designing
Visual Hierarchy
Simplicity
Accessibility
Affordance
Why maps?
UX LABS
68.43%
Maps have 68.43% of click rate we’ve received across multiple UXLabs studies as well as where we’ve seen users interact with the map module on SERP.
TRAVEL RESEARCH
"For a destination, i would like to get the places on the map. I also look for restaurants and other places near my stay on google maps."
"I just look at the location of every place on the map to check that i do not take something which is very far because feasibility is important."
User problems
PRIYA SHARMA
She frequently travels for both work and leisure, often exploring new destinations. Priya values seamless experiences and efficient trip planning tools that cater to her needs.
PAIN POINTS
She finds it frustrating to switch between different apps and websites to gather information about hotels, flights, activities, and transit.
Sometimes she doesn't know which destination to travel and want the platform to suggest or help in deciding.
She wants to have a quick overview of destination in terms of average cost, time, best time to travel, theme etc.
She's not able to efficiently look for hotels near attractions or vice versa.
KEY PROBLEMS
Destination suggestions
App switching
Filtering search
#1 Destination suggestions
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Users often face uncertainty when choosing travel destinations and need a platform that provides helpful suggestions and decision-making support.
SOLUTION
Categorizing
Clubbing countries into continents with top destinations from them listed.
Travel nearby option if user is looking to travel nearby.
Shows the pricing based on your browsing location, which can be changed.
Themes
Destinations grouping into themes like beach, relaxing, adventure destinations.
Information about the country and culture.
Currency exchange value, visa status etc.
When to visit
Information about peak and off season to visit where prices are dependant on it.
Weather status.
Overview of destination like avg flight, hotel, theme and travel duration.
Look on the way cities or nearby.
#2 App switching
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Users experience frustration due to the need to switch between multiple apps and websites to gather information about hotels, flights, activities, and transit. This fragmentation leads to inefficiency and a disjointed travel planning experience.
SOLUTION
#3 Filtering search
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Users face difficulties efficiently searching for hotels near attractions or vice versa on the map and lack the ability to filter results according to their specific needs, leading to a suboptimal travel planning experience.
SOLUTION
User Journey
KEY LEARNINGS
While tackling this problem, I learned the importance of creating a spectrum of design explorations, ranging from mild to wild. Mild designs facilitate quick development in the early stages, allowing us to progressively evolve towards more ambitious concepts. It’s crucial to design without constraints initially, fostering creativity and innovation. Once the initial designs are ready, collaborating with PMs and developers helps refine and prioritize features for the MVP stage, ensuring a balanced approach between feasibility and vision.
MY ROLE
Responsible for conceptualisation, design, user testing and delivery of key modules and feature areas.
MY TEAM
3 Designers, 1 Product Managers and 3+ Software Engineers.
TIMELINE
November 2023 - January 2024