Travel Planning with Meta
concept feature design
Improving Group Travel Planning with Meta: An Integrated Solution to Streamline Communication and Collaboration. Concept design unaffiliated with Meta.
ux / ui designer
ux research
8 week timeline
figma
photoshop
miro
problem
Many Facebook users utilize existing features to initiate group travel, but current feature limitations make the experience frustrating and disjointed.
Facebook (Meta) is the world's largest social media platform with consistent usage of Events and Messenger features. While its main features for social sharing have remained strong, there's an unmet need for facilitating travel planning among users.
What do current user behaviors say about the problem?
I originally noticed this problem through peripheral actions by Meta users that I know. I noticed that although Facebook didn't have travel planning features, users improvise through Events page to plan and organize travel ideas on Facebook.
Travel decisions made through posts, links, and comments
Plans and itinerary posted through screenshots
Travel ideas on external platforms are scattered and disconnected from the planning space.
Ideas are shared through chat messages and hard to organize
Saved lists are private and cannot be shared
Gaining insights through user conversations.
To tailor my research to the needs of current Facebook users, I limited my selection of participants to those who had planned at least one trip on the platform within the past 12 months. 15 surveys and 3 interviews were conducted that revealed major insights for user needs.
Why improve Meta instead of starting a new platform?
Key findings revealed a pain point between friends planning travel: users would much rather work through service limitations on an existing platform than to get everyone onboard a new service. Therefore, I aimed to enhance a service that users already turn to for basic communication and collaboration.
Observations already showcase that users often rely on Meta's Messenger and Events features for travel collaboration. Meta's large user base and strategic partnerships with popular platforms like Instagram and Airbnb give it a competitive edge, making it an ideal choice for tackling the problem.
competitive analysis and feature matrix
Improving the experience with current users in mind.
From there on, my focus was targeted toward existing Facebook users. Current long term Meta users were are the forefront of our designs.
user persona
UPDATED PROBLEM
Facebook users that utilize FB to plan travel lack a centralized location to share suggestions and confirm travel details, making collaboration and planning between friends difficult and frustrating.
Ideation for the redefined problem
By strategically evaluating and prioritizing features, I streamlined efforts and aligned the project with its objectives. 3 main task flows were created to satisfy the travel planning experience.
priority matrix
task flow
Iterations and improvements through user testing
Initial user testing via mid-fidelity wireframes with 100% task flow completion via user testing. Updates were made prior to hi-fidelity prototyping.
A close look at the solutions for better planning and coordination.
HI-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
Getting started: Share directly from other platforms to Facebook integration i.e. instagram
Added itinerary for planning and organization, calendar, to do list, and link to messenger.
Consolidated page to share travel ideas and engage in planning.
Learning from hidden opportunities and continual improvement.
Through this project, I've learned that a great product requires continual refinement, even after achieved success and a strong user base. The travel experience on Facebook is still in its nascent stage and holds immense potential for improvement, should FB choose to tap into the travel industry. However, businesses may not proceed if they fail to see a profit in feature additions.
The user journey is filled with tangential behaviors and indirect user feedback. Within these gaps lie untapped opportunities for new ideas and improvements that could lead to a better user experience. With more time, I'd love to continue to expand on:
• Integration with booking sites
• Custom generated suggestions
• Improved voting and polling experience
• Interactive planning for travel members
• Record keeping for budgets and expenses
© 2024 Pamela Hsiung