Empower
Solo Travelers
Balance your safety and adventure seamlessly.
Role -
UX Designer
UX Researcher
With -
1 UX Researcher
1 UX Designer
PROJECT GOAL
Redefine solo travel by prioritizing safety, empowerment, and peace of mind.
Nowadays, solo exploration is increasingly embraced, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted. As solo travel surges in popularity, our team recognizes the heightened importance of not only ensuring solo travelers' safety, but also promoting independent and immersive experiences.
How can we assist solo travelers in balancing safety priorities while fully engaging in their travel experiences ?
CORE EXPERIENCES
A comprehensive safety navigation solution tailored to your preferences.
Location-Based Map with Safety Alert Information
Get personalized and easily accessible safety alerts with detailed information about the incidents.
Safety Avoidance Based on Your Preferences
Select your safety concerns to receive tailored route suggestions, minimizing excessive alerts while staying safe.
Multiple Suggested Routes with Detailed Information
Choose the safest route, free of your safety concerns, or the fastest route with potential risks and detailed information.
PROJECT IMPACT
Empower solo travelers to balance exploration with safety, enhancing autonomy over their itineraries.
18%
Solo journeys constitute to all global travel bookings
RESEARCH 01
Conducted four research methods and project scope refinement.
SURVEY
Explore safety challenges encountered both during travel planning and throughout the travel itself.
01
GUERRILLA
INTERVIEW
Cross-verify the safety considerations identified in the survey and understand their universal applicability.
02
SCOPE REFINEMENT
Focus on safety considerations during travel based on two rationales:
Tackle dynamic context is more challenging- During travel, unexpected situations are more likely to occur compared to the planning phase.
Enhance solo travelers’ experiences- we were more interested in assisting solo travelers in seizing opportunities to immerse themselves in local culture.
2.5
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Research three identified tools, Citizen, Life 360, and SFT Solo Female Travel Safety (Google My Maps).
03
FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW
Target individuals who highlighted nighttime and transportation as key safety concerns.
04
RESEARCH 02
Synthesized research findings and identified user pain points.
Safety vs. Experience trade-off
Concerns about the timing and location of evening events lead some travelers to forego these experiences to avoid perceived risks.
Limitations of common safety practices
While sharing one's location with family and friends is a standard safety practice, its effectiveness diminishes in unfamiliar environments where immediate local support is absent.
Being fatigued by constant safety alerts
Safety takes center stage during the planning phase of a trip. However, once the journey begins, the focus shifts towards engaging in trip activities rather than safety considerations.
RESEARCH 03
Defined design requirements.
Travelers often face a dilemma between the desire to explore and staying safe, lacking real-time information to assess potential risks.
Reliable live information for independent decision-making
While safety is crucial, travelers do not want to be constantly reminded of potential dangers, which can increase anxiety and affect the travel experience.
Balanced safety alerts
Returning safely after evening activities can deter travelers from experiencing local culture, necessitating solutions for safe night navigation.
Assistance with nighttime navigation
Creating a reliable emergency network in unfamiliar places is challenging, highlighting the need for accessible local or traveler support.
Accessible support network
DESIGN 01
Utilized storyboard and flowchart to visualize the product usage scenario.
Miranda enjoys her nightlife at a bar during solo travel.
About to leave, she opens WanderWise and filters a safe route back to the hotel.
Miranda left the bar.
She follows the route suggested by WanderWise.
Miranda arrives at the hotel safely.
Following the storyboard, the team has detailed a flowchart that delineates how users navigate through the platform to achieve their objectives. This step involves a thorough exploration of the user flow based on the scenario depicted in the storyboard,
DESIGN 02
Crafted and iterated prototypes through usability testings.
Preference for direct explanation of icons.
FINAL DESIGN
Displayed safety alert information when users click the icons on the map. To balance information load and map space, only vital details such as the news title and report time were included.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Users often clicked on safety alert icons on the map, preferring direct explanations of their meaning rather than matching icons with details in the bottom sheet.
Clear status of the incident.
FINAL DESIGN
Included an external link to the original source of the safety incident. This gives users the autonomy to decide whether they want to delve into more details or not.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Users appreciated the detailed information about safety alerts but also wanted clarity on whether the issue had been resolved.
Importance of detailed safety information.
FINAL DESIGN
Added detailed safety information and incorporated various icon colors to represent varying safety levels.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Users highlighted the significance of both the time of the reported situation and the frequency of such incidents, as these conveyed different meanings to them.
Need of action feedbacks.
FINAL DESIGN
Replaced the "select all" button with a "done" button, considering that the safety consideration options were limited. A confirmation popup was added, providing users with feedback on their actions.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Users were unsure if they added extra safety considerations successfully, as the behavioral feedback was not immediately evident.
FEATURE 01
Receive location-based safety alerts and incident information.
This includes crucial data sourced from reliable outlets such as news sources, featuring the incident title, distance from your current location , time elapsed since the incident occurred, location details, and with the option to view original news articles.
FEATURE 02
Get multiple suggested routes with detailed safety information.
We offer safest and fastest routes, tailored to your safety preferences. Safest routes avoid selected safety issues, while fastest routes prioritize time, possibly posing risks. You can view risk details with color-coded indicators, enhancing confidence and supporting risk mitigation.
FEATURE 03
Minimize excessive alerts while staying safe.
You can conveniently add or remove safety considerations at any time, receiving tailored route suggestions in return. This feature prevents our users from feeling overwhelmed by excessive alerts, ensuring a smoother and more engaging travel experience.
Your Personal Navigation Guide
Independent and immersive solo travel experiences.
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