Vagabond

A Travel Companion App designed for meeting others and finding group activities while traveling abroad.

Problem

Whether traveling alone or with a friend, most people need a social aspect to their vacation time. Planning a trip with friends and family is not always an option, and meeting people abroad can be a daunting task.

Hypothesis

Initial research showed that travelers want to share their travel experiences and feel connected while abroad, but not everyone likes to travel in a group. Users would benefit from a social platform that is specific to meeting locals or other tourists while abroad.

Methods

5 user interviews, online survey of 50 self-described travelers, competitive analysis with 4 similar platforms, usability testing.

Solution

Vagabond connects travelers or locals in any given area, allowing them to chat, ask for travel tips, or meet up for an activity.

Mobile phone mockup image of the Vagabond app.

Research

While the design brief for this project was broad, I decided to hone in on an aspect of travel that I've personally experienced challenges in, ultimately thinking of a way to make that aspect less daunting. Luckily for me, this was the first project I was tasked with after a long trip to South America, traveling on my own and navigating any and all the issues you can think of when abroad. While there are many aspects to travel planning, each more complicated than the last, I discovered that no one wants to feel alone abroad (big surprise!), but people have different ways of sharing their travel experiences. My challenge, then, was to create a platform that makes connecting with others abroad easier and more fun.

Forms response chart. Question title: Do you try to meet others while traveling?. Number of responses: 50 responses. — After conducting some initial interviews and surveys, it was clear that most people prefer to travel with a friend or family member.

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Forms response chart. Question title: Where are you most likely to meet someone while traveling (can select multiple)?. Number of responses: 50 responses. — However, even when traveling with someone, people seek social interaction through guided tours or communal activities such as bar crawls.

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Interview Insights

“When I travel alone I end up finding people along the way who might wanna join me with certain things”

“I think finding what the locals do versus what the 100% tourist attractions are, that is very difficult to weed through, and maybe that is why I then approach locals when I get to a city.”

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Competitive Analysis

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Design

Because the concept and functionality of the app was simple, I tried to keep the UI minimal and simple to reflect this. The first iteration showcases functionality, the second implements color and text styling, while the final iteration was developed using a style tile and focused primarily on UI improvements.

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The user flow for this product is pretty simple as the functionality of the app was also minimal. The main features were a map screen to locate other users, an activity board screen where users can view local activities that other users are participating in, and a chat function for users to speak and coordinate before meeting in person. The functionality did not change in future iterations as user testing proved initial functionality was clear and easy to follow.

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The final iteration of design required applying design principles such as color theory, typography, logo design, and iconography. Although the content on each screen remained practically identical, the changes in color pallette and the tweaking of small details completely revamped the app.

Lessons Learned

I'm glad I chose to focus the scope of the design challenge and design an app whose functionality directly spoke to my recent experiences abroad. Because I took time in between iterations on this project, I was able to test for specifics in user functionality or focus more on the UI aesthetics, which better informed subsequent iterations.

S.J.E Digital