Roam
UX design case study for a travel mobile app

DEFINE

From my user insights, I was able to identify the problem.

When travelers search for accommodations, they are unfamiliar with the local areas. I noticed travelers need accommodations that are near main points of interest. How might we develop a platform to help travelers find accommodations that are close in proximity to activities/attractions?

Next, I created a user persona based on my research. This is Sarah Millstone, she is a 30 year old recruiter from Atlanta. 

Then, I began Storyboarding to visualize how Sarah would experience the application, expressing her feelings through a specific scenario, finding Roam and utilizing the app to complete her goal.

IDEATE

After understanding who my user is, I then laid out key features mentioned from interviews and did an "I Like, I Wish and What If" exercise. I organized them into a Feature Matrix to prioritize which ones to include in the app. The lower right corner, high impact/low complexity is where most features landed.

Features such as Walk Score, Transit Score and filtering by points of interest were important to add as this is what makes Roam unique. 

Having a map view, reviews and ability to filter by price were also high on the list according to user research.

PROTOTYPE

For prototyping, I started with a user flow following a new user from signing in and onboarding to filtering and viewing the results. 

Initial user flow and sketches started with coaching screens before signing in, however, after the 2nd round of testing, I discovered users who have signed in before, have no need to view the onboarding screens again. 

I then converted my sketches into digital wireframes and added connections in Figma for a lo-fidelity digital prototype.

TEST

I tested the lo-fidelity prototype on five users, iterated and then tested a mid-fidelity prototype on four new users. Overall Feedback:

→ Users were hesitating on the second intro screen

→ Search bar on Results screen is too wordy

→ Would like to see a sort function

→ Would like to see more info on the walking man and train icons sooner, like on the intro screen

→ Do return users need to view the onboarding every time?

Lastly, I updated my design based on the two rounds of usability testing and applied iOS human-centered design elements. I created a UI Style Guide and applied those updated colors, buttons and icons to the high-fidelity prototype.

CONCLUSION

With more time, I would like to continue testing my design and iterate based on user feedback. I have also learned that scope creep is hard to reel in. I invested much of my time updating wireframes and adding additional details and screens that may not have been necessary for the prototype. Future iterations would include the “book now," "profile" and "favorites" functions.