Wolfly: The Magic Of Travel
Wolfly is a travel planning application that simplifies trip planning by offering an all-in-one app where users can organize their journey based on their budget in minutes, discover new destinations, and connect with travelers worldwide.
Overview
This project was undertaken as part of a UX/UI Master's Degree. Our goal was to create a solution from scratch that addresses a relevant user problem, focusing on understanding needs, rapid prototyping, and iterative development.
🔍 Objective
Develop a comprehensive, user-centric travel planning solution for budget travelers.
👣 Approach
We followed a human-centered design approach, leveraging the Double Diamond framework to guide us through understanding user needs, defining problems, developing solutions, and delivering outcomes.
Design Process
We followed the Double Diamond framework to structure our process:
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DiscoverUnderstanding user needs through research.
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DefineIdentifying the core problem.
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DevelopIdeating and prototyping solutions.
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DeliverFinalizing the product.
Background Motivation
Our team focused on the exciting topic of travel, generating ideas like trip planning, destination discovery, and travel reviews. We used mind maps to organize our thoughts.
We addressed key questions:
- What are our research goals?
- Which methods will help us understand our users?
- Who is our target audience?
- How will we recruit participants?
Our goal was understanding the challenges of budget travelers aged 20-50. By interviewing these travelers, we aim to improve their travel experiences.
Research & Brainstorming
We conducted thorough desk research by scouring the internet for relevant sources related to low-cost travel, including blogs, articles, news, and competitor reviews. Our aim was to identify potential areas for improvement and solutions by analyzing the weaknesses of major competitors in the low-cost travel space, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Trivago, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Kayak, and TripIt. Why are these so popular? Our team brainstormed and refined ideas using mind maps.
Interviews & Surveys
To gain insights, we conducted interviews with low-cost travelers and followed up with a survey. Key findings included:
79.7% travel to discover new places and break routines.
62.3% find it frustrating to search and compare offers across multiple sources.
93.1% prefer an all-in-one travel platform.
Insights
After conducting a total of eight interviews, we used various techniques such as the 4 W's and the 5 Whys to gain the following insights:
A majority of users express frustration with having to gather information and plan their trip using multiple sources, and prefer to have a single platform that can meet all their travel needs instead.
Most of users rely on reviews and comments from other users' past experiences when making decisions between travel options, as it gives them confidence and helps them make informed choices.
Travelers opt to pay for plane tickets and accommodations with credit cards as it enables them to have more cash to spend during their trip while feeling more secure.
Many users appreciate being able to customize their travel plans, adjusting itineraries, services, and activities to suit their specific preferences and needs, making their experience more satisfying.
Problem statement
🤔 Challange
Fragmented travel industry forces users to gather information from multiple sources, complicating trip planning and booking.
💡 Solution
An integrated platform simplifying travel planning, consolidating reviews, and offering flexible payment options.
Solution Ideation
We first imagined Wolfly as a simple, early version, concentrating on a few key features to make sure we were on the right track from the start. This is why we conceptualized our MVP. Our main focus areas included:
- Quick trip organization based on budget.
- Personalized recommendations through a moodboard feature.
- All-in-one platform for flights and accommodations.
User Persona
After qualitative and quantitative research, we developed a comprehensive user persona reflecting our target audience's needs and behaviors with their Empathy Map and Customer Journey Map. The user persona guided our design process to meet specific needs.
Joana
29 years old
Store Manager
Lives in Sevilla with her partner
Low Cost Traveller
They need to be able to easily organize their trip because they find it frustrating to spend so much time searching for and gathering necessary information from so many different websites.
Pains
- Organizing a trip takes up a lot of time due to comparing offers from so many different sources.
- Feels annoyed if she has to register or pay.
- Doubts the reliability of reviews and comments.
Gains
- Is looking for a place to organize her trip without having to compare prices and options from multiple sources.
- Loves and wants to brag about having traveled at a lower price than her friends.
Business Model
We adopted a freemium model with basic and premium features to generate revenue while providing value.
| 🚲 Basic | 🚀 Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Download | ✅ | ✅ |
| Private Area | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customer Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| In-app Travel Insurance | ❌ | ✅ |
| Offline Mode | ❌ | ✅ |
| Exclusive deals | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI Powered | ❌ | ✅ |
MVP
Wolfly is a quick and customizable travel planning app. Users can personalize their trips by selecting destinations, vehicles, travelers, accommodations, and extras. It includes an AI-powered moodboard for personalized travel recommendations based on user preferences, uploaded photos, and input sentences. Overall, Wolfly is an all-in-one platform for comprehensive trip planning.
User Flow and Information Architecture
After defining our MVP, we build a user flow, from the point of interest to final confirmation, with the goal of ensuring a satisfying overall experience:
Hey! How is it going? We're about to finish our journey! Here comes the best part (for me)
Wireframes and Prototyping
Starting with low-fidelity wireframes, we iterated to high-fidelity versions. We incorporated UX writing and branding elements, focusing on Android to reach budget-conscious travelers.
Branding and Visual Identity
Logo and Icon
Colours
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Persimmon
Primary
#FF5811
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Midnight
Dark
#14101D
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Clouds
Light
#F5F5F5
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Cheedar
Accent
#FFB931
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Coal
Text
#292929
-
Granite
Light Text
#606060
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Ash
Lightest Text
#E3E3E3
Typography
Nunito
Nunito was chosen to provide a modern and informal appearance. Its elegant and versatile design enhances the user experience by conveying accessibility and ease of use, making the app feel welcoming to all users.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789
Usability Testing
We conducted qualitative usability testing, using the HEART framework and the A/B testing methodology to analyze feedback. Key improvements included:
- More consistency in design elements.
- Simplified navigation and layout.
- Enhanced information hierarchy.
Quick checklist of what we have solved to our users
- Providing a user-friendly travel app that allows for quick trip organization.
- Consolidating flight and accommodation offers from various sources into one all-in-one solution.
- Offering flexibility to adjust the trip based on users' budgetary preferences.
- Enabling users to share their trips, discuss, inspire and connect with interesting profiles.
Future Tasks
Future tasks include developing a beta prototype and integrating features like local guides, real-time translation, and smart packing assistance.
- 📍 Local guides, activities and recommendations
- 🌍 Real time multi language translation
- 📦 Smart packing assistance
- 📄 Integrated travel documentation
What has this project taught me?
Not only is Wolfly the first UX project I have worked on, but it's also been a fantastic opportunity to broad my horizons and dive into this amazing world of UX design. Here are some learnings I have acquired during this journey:
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Don't fall in love with your design
Be adaptable and open to feedback, which fosters continuous improvement and innovative solutions.
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Harness the power of communication
Collaborate effectively by actively listening and valuing input from teammates, users, and stakeholders.
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Value the importance of time
Plan proactively, organize efficiently, and be prepared for setbacks to ensure steady progress.
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Balance user value and company revenue needs
Balance passion with financial viability by developing sustainable revenue models.
Thank you for reading!
For a detailed overview of the project, check out the Wolfly full case study on Medium.