Experience Now is a travel platform designed to solve every travel issue you may stumble upon when vacation planning. Whether you have no idea where you want to go, or you have ideas, but not sure how to fit everything in—Experience Now is designed to relieve the stress that comes with planning a vacation.
This was a solo project where I was required to state the problem, design the brand, and execute the design that solves the problem at hand.
Personally, I hate planning for a trip or vacation unless I’m absolutely comfortable in the town or city I’m traveling to. This becomes a huge issue when I long for traveling outside of my comfort zone and meeting new people, learning about new cultures, experiencing new countries, etc. In addition to this, I also struggle with making decisions about where I want to go because there are so many options to choose from—and I’d love to see them all!Because of the chaos that ensues when planning a vacation, I tend to just book a flight and hotel somewhere and “wing it” from there in hopes of having an incredible experience once I’m there, rather than taking the time to plan for the duration of the vacation which is something that I, along with many others, dread.
Starting out with the “why,” I work with the mindset of determining what users need in order to clearly understand why users would benefit from this mobile app. Rather than asking directly what they would benefit from, I ask what they currently use and how they feel about their current experience. This allows me to get an unbiased perspective into the tools that are currently being used. Knowing this, I identify my interviews’ objectives, questions, and target audience from there.
Determine common pain points for travelers when planning and booking a vacation.
Highlight the ease in knowing and getting exactly what you want in a vacation experience.
Define how to solve the problem. What services are currently being used to plan and book vacations?
I conducted a competitor analysis to develop a strong marketing strategy and determine the underserved opportunities that are currently in the market. When researching competitors, I found three travel agencies that also offer surprise vacation packages. This analysis includes the competitors’ profile, marketing strategy, business model, and SWOT profile. Based on the analysis, I drew conclusions which will define my service’s core principles. My service’s core principles will be to offer surprise, personalized vacations and pre-planned vacations as well as personal one-on-one customer support throughout the process.
By conducting survey research and asking tailored questions to a wide range of people, I was able to determine what exactly users would benefit from in a vacation planning service such as Experience Now and ultimately design a better experience from it. Survey results are based on a sample size of 50 users, followed by more concise interviews with three people that answered the questionnaire.
Which option are you most likely to use if you didn't want a surprise vacation experience?
The primary target audience for Experience Now is millennials to the early years of generation Z (approximately aged 18–38). Based on my research, millennials are the age group that find travel to be one of the more important factors to life, but I personally found travel to be a major interest of mine and many of my friends soon after our high school graduation, hence the target audience including the early years of generation Z. That said though, travel should be something everyone can enjoy, therefore the app needs to be accessible to all.
From the home page of Experience Now, you can browse through live stories, pre-planned experiences, or search the app to find exactly what you want.
Watch stories and keep up to date with your friends as they share their experiences from around the globe
If you aren't a fan of surprises, browse through the wide selection of pre-planned experiences with multiple options to choose from before you decide to book your next experience.
With one single click you can preview any of the Pre-Planned Experience offers before deciding on your next vacation.
With three tiered packages to choose from, Experience Now gives you the freedom to enjoy the experience no matter what type of traveler you are — whether you want everything handled for you or you're more of the independent, nomad traveler.
Get the experience of your dreams by answering a simple questionnaire that allows the Experience Now team to organize and tailor a vacation that you have never even imagined.
A section of questions geared towards getting to know you, the simple questions like your birth date, home airports, etc.
This section of questions is geared towards getting to know you on a personal level, such as your interests, preferences, etc. Using these, the Experience Now team can plan the exact vacation you want.
Reminisce on your previous experiences or get excited for your upcoming experiences through the Trips Tab.
Access your profile, account settings, refer a friend, the FAQ and more through the Profile Tab.
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If I could change anything to the Experience Now prototype it would be what I focused on user-flow wise, I would definitely like to represent what the flow would look like booking an experience all the way through with the complete payment process shown and everything.
I would like to include a collection of print material that could represent what someone might receive in the mail when booking through Experience Now. For example, in a surprise experience package someone might receive an envelope with vague descriptors of the destination such as the weather, fashion style, average cost of goods in the area, etc. in order to help prepare for the vacation without ruining the surprise. I could also include mementos such as a "SURPRISE! YOU'RE GOING TO !" for users to post on social media.
