WorldWhirl: Rapid Prototyping for a Mobile Travel App

Student Project: Create a rapid interactive prototype of a mobile app for travel and exploration.

Timeline: One week

UX Practices: Product Research, Competitive Analysis, User Research, Affinity Map, Empathy Map, Idea Generation, Storyboard, User Flows, Wireframes, Low-fidelity Interactive Prototype.

Skills & Tools: Hand sketching, Balsamiq

The Need: There are innumerable travel apps out there. From apps and websites that help you book flights and hotels to those that help you organize your travel plans and of course plan your itinerary. But user research indicates there is a need for another level of information and interactive process that will provide useful research material for today’s unconventional traveller.

How the App will help

It has been conceived as a travel guide app with tools to help plan customized itineraries, based on individual interests and preferences. It is information-rich, user friendly and interactive; with focus on local hosts and experts, who provide curated experiences that are unique, authentic and non-touristy.

Storyboard

I created a storyboard with a fictional character — Sophie, a freelance travel photographer, is planning a trip to Greece for an assignment. I tried to show how Sophie (who represents a wide section of the younger generation) is using different resources, tools and methods to do her research for her upcoming trip, and not being fully satisfied finally comes across this new mobile app — WorldWhirl.

User Research

Interviews were conducted with three users, followed by Research Synthesis, which helped generate some themes for my topic. Based on these themes I created an empathy map.

Idea Generation / User Flows / Wireframes

User Flows and Usability Testing

The next step was to create some flow diagrams and wireframes that showed how the features will work. After making some paper prototypes based on the wireframe iterations, I conducted a few usability tests. The feedback led me to modify some features and refine the wireframes.

Clickable Prototype

Finally I created a simple prototype using ‘Balsamiq’ which has clickable features and shows a flow through five screens.