A compelling experience for discovering a perfect cruise match.
MY ROLE: I worked with a senior UX designer to develop, research, and test the concept and prepare for the launch of V1.
COMPANY: See it by Sea
OVERVIEW
I have joined this project as an intern to help and support an experienced UX designer on her effort to create a completely new type of research tool for travelers. This product was meant to provide information and prioritize your unique needs in assisting users while exploring cruising options.
UNCOVERING THE PROBLEM
Each cruise line and ship has its own personality, and it's important to find you the best match.
If you have tried to book a cruise you know:
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the process of selecting a cruise vacation is overwhelming and complicated
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there are hundreds of ships to choose from and for the inexperienced traveler it is difficult to navigate through the options and understand cruise specific terminology
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the process of comparing and evaluating options is not obvious
OPPORTUNITY
The business opportunity was to create a differentiated product that would win over customers through a simple, intuitive and effective approach to the cruise travel business model.
How can we help travelers by simplifying the cruise booking experience?
EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH
Competitors' websites offer filtering options based on features and brand names that do not get to the heart of how customers make their decisions.
Travel agents are quick to sell popular travel plans, leaving customers wondering what else is there they don't see.
Travel magazines and blogs are helpful but do not provide the complete picture are oftentimes out of date.
ORGANIZING MY FINDINGS
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I explored competitors' websites and apps, analyzing what their offerings are and how they cater to their customers
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I organized specific information from cruise websites in a uniform manner, so it could be understood easily. This was particularly challenging because different data was available from different resources and was often changing based on marketing strategy.
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I documented travel suggestions and tips from travel-savvy sources.
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I categorized travelers based on their needs and expectations.
ZOOMING IN
By structuring and collecting data we realized how complex the task was. People make decisions based on many different factors.
We made a decision to focus on family cruises first:
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Families were the primary audience for our business so we focused on understanding their priorities and behavior
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42% of cruise parties are traveling with children under the age of 18. The cruise industry invests in family-based activities and services in order to satisfy them
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As mothers, we understand what it takes to plan and book vacations for the whole family
To help me think about possible scenarios, I started documenting what traveling with children might be like. I built a mind map and outlined a set of questions I need to ask in order to understand my user needs and priorities.
An evolving set of user needs, business goals, and design factors were established in order to design appropriate user flow.
FAMILY TRAVELING MIND MAP
On average about 41% of cruisers say they are interested in kids’ services, including babysitting, and programs for children and teens. But only 13% are reporting they actually use these services.
PROTOTYPES
The STEP BY STEP concept focused on filtering options based on customer preferences while providing explanations and additional information to help guide educated decisions.
YOUR TRAVEL STYLE concept was focused on "getting to know what you like" first, so we could recommend vacations that meet expectations.
This type of UI could be appealing to first-time cruisers, or open-minded travelers, who looking for quick and fun recommendations.
USER TESTING
During User testing, we realized the importance of providing content to help the user make informed decisions.
I also needed to explain why specific questions were being asked, so the user would feel as though they were an informed and involved part of the process.
I didn't want to overwhelm users with too many questions. But at the same time, wanted to offer enough choices to satisfy every customers' demands.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
DESIGN VALIDATION
Going live requires attention to every last detail. Are we missing anything?
Are we meeting industry standards? Have we forgotten a customers subset?
To answer those questions, I:
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initiated multiple conversations with travel agents
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tested online travel platforms
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analyzed conversations and user flows
By identifying pain points and frustrations, I was able to focus on delivering the best possible experience for our users and avoid possible problems.
Travel agents are still very popular in the cruising industry. Cruisers like to use travel agents far more than non-cruisers, in general. 37% percent of cruisers say they “always” or “most of the time” use agents.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Once the first version is built, we will test and improve current product features and usability. Ultimately, this platform can be integrated with a chatbot to deliver more conversational experience.
This product is currently being shipped for development.