Overview
Imagine that you want to show someone around your beloved hometown.
In response to Sustainable Cities and Communities from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, our design aims to address tourism overgrowth and cultural erosion caused by surface-level travel trends that overshadow local culture and disrupt communities.
Wanderly addresses this issue through fostering genuine connections between locals of destinations and travellers, and creating a community for locals to exchange tips and recommendations with travellers.
The Problem
There is a lack of efficient and effective interaction design regarding systems that can properly manage the flow of tourists, educate on proper tourist behavior in their respective traveling areas, and allow local communities to share their history and stories. Ethical tourism is important and allows places to preserve and share their culture without harming the local population.
While we acknowledge we cannot completely solve overtourism, our solution aims to mitigate its impacts by promoting mindful travel through curated recommendations that foster authentic cultural exchange and preserve the destination's heritage.
Researching the Issue
Desk research
How do we help tattoo customers reach their goals?
Complicit tourists are traveling to locations for surface-level recommendations and trends, rather than focusing on the importance of the area’s cultural value. Due to this, culturally significant tourist attractions are suffering from cultural erosion, local businesses are losing customers, and regional history is being overshadowed. Ideally, tourists want to experience the important parts of the destination’s culture, such as notable places and authentic food.
An example of a cultural tour in Japan.
As of now, there are some methods to try to address this issue:
Travel tours can work well if structured to respect the area’s culture and community, but they have a reputation for overcrowding areas and feeding into tourist traps.
Cultural guides and educational programs do work well in involving the local community in tourism and preserving culture, but they are often less popular among tourists and require time and effort from communities that they may not have.
Competitive analysis
Our main problem is the lack of efficient systems for facilitating cultural education and conscious travel tips between locals and tourists. For this, we need our solution to support a couple of things:
A robust messaging system where locals and tourists can communicate
A robust messaging system where locals and tourists can communicate
A space where locals can make recommendations and tourists can browse through them
A space where locals can make recommendations and tourists can browse through them
Educational information on cultural and historical sites that tourists need to know before visiting
Educational information on cultural and historical sites that tourists need to know before visiting
We decided to look at two platforms that are popular in the tourist space, Airbnb and Tripadvisor:
Reflections on existing solutions
Overall, there is a lack of opportunity to make connections and cultural exchange.
There also seems to be a lack of options for more private or introverted travelers who still want to educate themselves on the local culture but do not necessarily want to engage in large group experiences.
In seeing how these platforms aim to provide authentic experiences to travelers, we want to extend off of that in a non-transactional way, allowing locals to create connections with travelers by being able to share personal favorites.
User interviews
“You should be curious about the place’s culture that you’re traveling to.”
We talked to 5 locals and 5 travelers of varying popular travel destinations, such as New York City and Bangkok. After discussing insights and affinity mapping our conversations to find common themes, the two main insights came up.
We asked travelers about their experiences with traveling:
Use search engines online and on search engines to find information on travel destinations, i.e. local tour guides. However, recommendations from can be inaccurate, overcrowded, and/or inauthentic.
Use search engines online and on search engines to find information on travel destinations, i.e. local tour guides. However, recommendations from can be inaccurate, overcrowded, and/or inauthentic.
Use search engines online and on search engines to find information on travel destinations, i.e. local tour guides. However, recommendations from can be inaccurate, overcrowded, and/or inauthentic.
Enjoy finding “hidden gems” and experiencing local culture.
Enjoy finding “hidden gems” and experiencing local culture.
Enjoy finding “hidden gems” and experiencing local culture.
Generally enjoy meeting and learning from locals.
Generally enjoy meeting and learning from locals.
Generally enjoy meeting and learning from locals.
We asked locals about their experiences with tourism in their hometown:
Often talked about tourists disrespecting local customs and disturbing the community.
Often talked about tourists disrespecting local customs and disturbing the community.
Often talked about tourists disrespecting local customs and disturbing the community.
Vary on how much they want to interact with travelers, but would like to provide authentic recommendations like small businesses (this could also be through social media, etc.)
Vary on how much they want to interact with travelers, but would like to provide authentic recommendations like small businesses (this could also be through social media, etc.)
Vary on how much they want to interact with travelers, but would like to provide authentic recommendations like small businesses (this could also be through social media, etc.)
Storyboards
We created scenarios and accompanying storyboards to understand what different types of issues potential users might experience in the context of travel.
By walking through their perspectives, we could identify key opportunities and areas where design solutions can directly address user frustrations. We also highlighted the nuances of travel experiences in order to demonstrate how cultural and logistical challenges impact the user’s experiences.
The first storyboard depicts our Casual Traveler, who cannot get into La Sagrada Familia, a popular tourist destination, in Barcelona. He finds a local recommendation online and enjoys his scenic and quiet time there.
The second storyboard depicts our Intense Traveler, who books a local tour in Kyoto but is dissatisfied by the tour and how crowded it is. She consults her local guide and is able to have a more quiet and authentic experience.
Brainstorming the solution
Iterating with a low-fidelity prototype
After the knowledge we gained from our research, we had the following informing goals:
Travelers and locals can vary greatly in how much they want to engage with each other. Knowing this, we want to create a range of interactions that can cater to these different users.
Travelers and locals can vary greatly in how much they want to engage with each other. Knowing this, we want to create a range of interactions that can cater to these different users.
Travelers and locals can vary greatly in how much they want to engage with each other. Knowing this, we want to create a range of interactions that can cater to these different users.
We want to stray away from a transactional model and promote connection between travelers and locals.
We want to stray away from a transactional model and promote connection between travelers and locals.
We want to stray away from a transactional model and promote connection between travelers and locals.
We want travelers to be able to experience a destination authentically and respectfully.
We want travelers to be able to experience a destination authentically and respectfully.
We want travelers to be able to experience a destination authentically and respectfully.
Learning about travel destinations from social media was also mentioned very often in our interviews, and we ourselves found examples of locals online sharing personal recommendations for travelers. For example, on Tiktok, locals will make videos about their favorite spots in their local destination:
Overall, for our rapid ideation, we had the following guiding thought:
We want to encourage locals to share their beloved favorite spots to travelers, and for locals to be motivated to learn from locals about their travel destinations.
Brainstorm highlights
We voted on our favorite ideas that best addressed our insights, and the following stood outL
A way for locals to curate recommendations for travellers
A way for locals to curate recommendations for travellers
A way for locals to curate recommendations for travellers
This idea allows an easy way for locals to provide authentic recommendations without directly having to communicate with travelers if they do not prefer to do so.
Locals give travelers tips on safety
Locals give travelers tips on safety
Locals give travelers tips on safety
Locals can inform travelers on how to stay safe in their area—we extended this to giving tips on cultural customs as well.
Locals and travelers can have conversations with each other
Locals and travelers can have conversations with each other
Locals and travelers can have conversations with each other
Locals and travelers can build connections with each other. For example, the traveler provides language practice and the local provides authentic recommendations.
Lo-fi to Hi-fi Prototype
User flow
Our user flow first focused on the main functions of saving and making recommendation lists, and talking to locals, providing a structure for us to build on. This map would help us achieve the minimum goals of allowing users to find authentic recommendations and connect with locals.
Our user flow first focused on the main functions of saving and making recommendation lists, and talking to locals, providing a structure for us to build on. This map would help us achieve the minimum goals of allowing users to find authentic recommendations and connect with locals.
Our user flow first focused on the main functions of saving and making recommendation lists, and talking to locals, providing a structure for us to build on. This map would help us achieve the minimum goals of allowing users to find authentic recommendations and connect with locals.
Required additional features
We then focused more on smaller features that would add to enhancing the authenticity of a user's experience, such as being able to view tips from other travelers. These would be added into the lo-fi prototype and features on the screens described in the user flow.
We then focused more on smaller features that would add to enhancing the authenticity of a user's experience, such as being able to view tips from other travelers. These would be added into the lo-fi prototype and features on the screens described in the user flow.
We then focused more on smaller features that would add to enhancing the authenticity of a user's experience, such as being able to view tips from other travelers. These would be added into the lo-fi prototype and features on the screens described in the user flow.
Personalized recommendations
Personalized recommendations
Personalized recommendations
User Memos
Users can add personal memos for each place they add to a list, sharing their personal experiences and memories with others.
User Memos
Users can add personal memos for each place they add to a list, sharing their personal experiences and memories with others.
User Memos
Users can add personal memos for each place they add to a list, sharing their personal experiences and memories with others.
Community boards and posts
The community board allows for users to discuss topics such as cultural expectations with travelers and locals alike.
Community boards and posts
The community board allows for users to discuss topics such as cultural expectations with travelers and locals alike.
Community boards and posts
The community board allows for users to discuss topics such as cultural expectations with travelers and locals alike.
Tips for specific places
Users can view tips from other travelers and locals on etiquette, tips, etc. at specific places like restaurants and monuments.
Tips for specific places
Users can view tips from other travelers and locals on etiquette, tips, etc. at specific places like restaurants and monuments.
Tips for specific places
Users can view tips from other travelers and locals on etiquette, tips, etc. at specific places like restaurants and monuments.
Homebases
Users can view each others “homebase” location which allows them to know whether they are locals or tourists.
Homebases
Users can view each others “homebase” location which allows them to know whether they are locals or tourists.
Homebases
Users can view each others “homebase” location which allows them to know whether they are locals or tourists.
Usability testing: Lo-fi to hi-fi prototype
We conducted usability testing with five users, having them explore the app, to ensure that the purpose of the features we designed were clear and apparent to users.
We started with a low-fidelity prototype to draft the information architecture and focus on functionality. Users tested this draft, and as we found usability issues, we would iterate and develop until we made our way to the high-fidelity prototype.
Some key insights and changes:
We conducted usability testing with five users, having them explore the app, to ensure that the purpose of the features we designed were clear and apparent to users.
We started with a low-fidelity prototype to draft the information architecture and focus on functionality. Users tested this draft, and as we found usability issues, we would iterate and develop until we made our way to the high-fidelity prototype.
Some key insights and changes:
We conducted usability testing with five users, having them explore the app, to ensure that the purpose of the features we designed were clear and apparent to users.
We started with a low-fidelity prototype to draft the information architecture and focus on functionality. Users tested this draft, and as we found usability issues, we would iterate and develop until we made our way to the high-fidelity prototype.
Some key insights and changes:
Users were confused upon clicking into a place's page about the list functionality and being able to save places to a list. A plus-sign button did not communicate the save function clearly. We made this clearer by adding the word "save" next to a bookmark icon, which was closer to user's mental models and expectations.
Users were confused upon clicking into a place's page about the list functionality and being able to save places to a list. A plus-sign button did not communicate the save function clearly. We made this clearer by adding the word "save" next to a bookmark icon, which was closer to user's mental models and expectations.
Users were confused upon clicking into a place's page about the list functionality and being able to save places to a list. A plus-sign button did not communicate the save function clearly. We made this clearer by adding the word "save" next to a bookmark icon, which was closer to user's mental models and expectations.
Searching for different aspects of a place
Searching for different aspects of a place
Searching for different aspects of a place
The search functionality was also confusing to users—they were confused about how to search for places, people, or lists, and were generally unsure about what could be searched for within the app. We added icons and color selected states to each category to make more visible the different aspects users could search for in a destination.
Branding guide and design system
We created a branding guide and design system to make prototyping easier, designating colors, test styles, and components for consistency across the Wanderly app and seamless changes.
Reflections and Next Steps 💬
This was a unique project in which five (five!) UX designers worked together on one app. Granted, we also took on other roles like user researcher, user tester, etc. at different points of the process. We learned as a team on how to collaborate and evaluate each other's ideas objectively, because our biggest goal was helping travelers and locals best achieve their goals in Wanderly. It was fulfilling to tackle an oversaturated market of travel apps and take a different approach based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
An insight for the future:
User testing with a formal structure
Due to the time constraints of the project, we were given limited time to conduct usability testing with many users. I believe we could receive more specific insights on functionality if we provided users with tasks that a user would typically want to achieve on Wanderly, making sure that the functionality of the whole app is complete.
