🧳 GroupTrip
🔍 How might we transform the often-stressful process of group trip planning into a fun and collaborative adventure with all trip related information centralized in one place?
🏛️ Client: GroupTrip Travels LLC.
🗓️ Timeline: April 2019-October 2019 (6 months)
🧑🏽💼 Role: Product Designer & GroupTrip Travels Co-founder
Overview
GroupTrip is a mobile application designed to simplify and enhance the experience of planning, booking, and sharing memories of group trips. Targeting users aged 18-35 who enjoy traveling with friends, GroupTrip consolidates the fragmented process of coordinating group travel into a single, user-friendly platform.
My team:
I was the Product Designer
(1) Product Manager
(1) Software Engineer
Learning Objectives
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Objective #1
Understand the pain points and needs of young adults when planning group trips.
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Objective #2
Evaluate competitors in the industry and identify opportunities for differentiation.
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Objective #3
Identify key features and functionalities that would improve the group travel planning experience.
User Research
User research was conducted through surveys and interviews with individuals aged 18-35 who had experience traveling with friends. The following questions were explored:
Travel frequency and group composition.
Trip planning process and challenges.
Payment methods and expense sharing.
Apps used during planning and travel.
Photography and media sharing habits.
Preferences for travel activities and experiences.
Challenges in coordinating schedules and finding travel companions.
Key Findings:
Cost and Availability: Price and schedule compatibility are major factors in group trip decisions.
Communication is Key: Effective communication tools are essential for coordinating group travel.
Media Capture and Sharing: Users value the ability to capture and share travel memories.
Local Experiences: Immersing in local culture and meeting locals are highly valued aspects of travel.
Existing Solutions Fall Short: Current travel planning tools lack key features and have usability issues (e.g., Travefy's clunky interface, TripIt's email overload).
Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis was performed on existing travel planning platforms, including Travefy and TripIt. The analysis focused on identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for differentiation. Key takeaways included:
Travefy: Offers booking and expense tracking but suffers from a poor user interface and limited functionality.
TripIt: Automates itinerary creation but lacks collaborative planning tools and has a dated interface.
The Problem
Planning a group trip can be a complex and time-consuming process. Users often struggle with:
Fragmented Booking: Researching deals and booking accommodations across multiple websites.
Shared Expense Management: Tracking and splitting costs among group members.
Collaborative Planning: Coordinating schedules, preferences, and itineraries among multiple people.
Post-Trip Media Sharing: Finding a centralized platform to share and preserve travel photos and videos.
Communication Overload: Managing communication across different platforms (messaging apps, email, etc.).
Product Goals
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Effortless planning
Users can plan entire group trips from start to finish within a single, convenient app, eliminating the need to juggle multiple platforms.
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Stress-free booking
Users can easily find and book flights, accommodations, and activities, saving time and avoiding the frustration of navigating multiple booking sites.
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Seamless collaboration
Users can effortlessly collaborate with their friends on trip itineraries, budgets, and destination choices, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
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Transparent expense sharing
Users can easily track and split expenses with their group, eliminating awkward money conversations and ensuring fair cost distribution.
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Centralized memories
Users can easily share and preserve their travel photos and videos in a dedicated space, creating lasting memories of their group trips.
Mockups
Results
User-Centered Design: GroupTrip was designed with a focus on user needs and pain points, addressing the challenges identified in the research phase.
Comprehensive Solution: GroupTrip provides a single platform for all aspects of group trip planning, from initial brainstorming to post-trip sharing.
Competitive Differentiation: GroupTrip offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly experience compared to existing solutions, with a focus on collaborative planning and integrated features.
Next Steps
User Testing: Conduct user testing to gather feedback and iterate on the design.
Development and Launch: Develop the GroupTrip application and launch it on relevant app stores.
Post-Launch Analysis: Monitor user engagement and gather feedback to inform future updates and improvements.