NeCopilot - Holiday Events Booking App Case Study
Project Overview
This is a case study for the Uxcel 5-day contest task 'Holiday Event App Design'.
Contest Tasks
#Day 1
Choose a theme and an imaginary problem with a holiday-event search & booking experience that you’re willing to solve.
#Day 2
Describe who are the people that can use your solution and list all the ideas.
#Day 3
Do a competitive research, how do others solve this problem and what can be improved.
#Day 4
Time to design. Use the tool of your choice & create a design that you will be proud of.
#Day 5
Submit your work. Make sure to have all the artefacts ready to showcase your submission at it’s best.
Outcome
An AI-powered app that makes it easy to find and book holiday-related events and experiences in desired locations. The app supports multi-platforms: mobile apps and web apps.
My Role
Product designer in a company developing a fictional “NeCopilot” app
Tools
Figma, ChatGPT, Jupyter Notebook
Code
Python
Duration
5 Days
Introduction
Problem statement
People seeking leisure activities often struggle to find and book holiday-related events and experiences that match their personal preferences and schedule. Current market solutions frequently lack personalized event recommendations for desired locations and do not provide a transparent, seamless booking and cancellation experience.
There is a need for an AI-powered application that not only facilitates the discovery of unique, location-based holiday events and experiences but also streamlines the booking process with transparency and ease, tailored to the individual preferences of users.
Challenge
Personalization
Developing a user interface that intuitively understands and adapts to individual user preferences and needs for holiday-related events and experiences.
Location-Based Recommendations
Integrating an AI system capable of offering precise, location-specific event recommendations.
Seamless Booking Experience
Creating a booking system that is transparent and streamlined, allowing for easy reservation and cancellation processes.
User Interface Clarity
Designing a clear and user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of discovering and engaging with suitable events and activities.
Integrating AI Capabilities
Effectively incorporating AI technology to enhance the app's functionality without complicating the user experience.
Real-Time Updates and Notifications
Implementing a system for providing users with real-time updates and notifications relevant to their interests and bookings.
Market Research
Research into holiday and travel market trends ensures that the product is compatible with current market conditions and future potential, taking into account industry trends and changing consumer behaviour.
Expansion of the online travel market
The forecast shows a steady expansion of the online travel industry market until 2030.
Steady growth in the holiday business market
It captures the overall growth trend in holiday season sales over the past 20 years, 2023 is expected to be at a record high level.
User Research
Identify user groups interested in the holiday experience and gain a deep understanding of potential users' needs and preferences.
Survey with Yabbble
Access extended data consisting of ChatGPT, academic repositories, social media, web searches, etc., to collect responses from virtual audiences composed of different topics, markets and target groups.
01. Generate survey
Create a questionnaire to design a search and booking app to help people easily find holiday-related events and experiences.
02. Define the target demographic
Define the app's target audience as GenZ and Millennials and generate diverse groups of respondents from around the world, representing the target audience
03. Conduct survey to the virtual audience
Run surveys on virtual audiences consisting of respondent groups to explore and gain insights into the potential needs and interest in the app of the target audience.
User insight from survey
Collect and structurally compile survey responses and insights from virtual audiences.
01. Use and evaluation of similar existing applications
Summarise the findings on frequency of use and satisfaction with similar existing apps.
02. Negative points regarding existing applications
Summarise the results of surveys on dissatisfaction, suggestions and improvements to existing applications.
03. Apparent needs related to holiday event booking apps
Identify the specific needs that users are looking for.
04. Potential needs regarding holiday event booking apps.
Capture diverse needs and voices that are not specifically identified
Many target users are generally satisfied with the existing apps, but there is demand for more personalized, easy-to-use and diverse functionality, especially in the search and booking functions.
Potential customers using the app
Estimate which user groups could use your solution and list their needs.
Competitive Research
Research how competitors are solving this problem and what could be improved.
KKday
KKday is an online travel agency offering a wide range of activities, tours, tickets and hotel bookings worldwide. It is known for its excellent customer service and support.
All reviews, 54 of them, were scraped and analyzed in Python.
Frequent keywords of KKday
Word cloud of KKday
Sentiment analysis of KKday
Suggested Improvements for KKday
App Usability and Bug Fixes
Users encountering errors during the booking process indicate a need for improved app navigation and the resolution of bugs.
Enhanced Multilingual Support
Comments on the poor quality of English translations suggest the importance of providing better support for multiple languages.
Improved Customer Service
Feedback regarding inadequate service underscores the need for a more responsive and efficient customer support system.
Device Compatibility Improvements
Reports of the app not functioning well on tablets point to the necessity for optimizing the user experience on various devices.
*Sample of negative reviews for KKday
"Doing an order specifically on their APP to try and get a discount code they offer and it doesn't work. Waste of time." - Sentiment: -0.400
”I have been trying to book an experience ticket for days now and I keep getting errors. Not user friendly at all." - Sentiment: -0.0457
"Purchase other products later." - Sentiment: -0.0625
"If you are Chinese, it's probably great. If you are not, the English translation is terrible." - Sentiment: -0.0409
"Not sure why there is no easier way to put details in." - Sentiment: -0.250
"KKday offers a lot of options and is helpful in navigating the website, but their service is bad." - Sentiment: -0.0125
"The screen is too small I think this APP is designed only for phone but not tablet." - Sentiment: -0.250
Klook
Klook is an online travel agency offering a wide range of activities, tours, tickets and hotel bookings worldwide. Known for its competitive prices.
All reviews, 350 of them, were scraped and analyzed in Python.
Frequent keywords of Klook
Word cloud of Klook
Sentiment analysis of Klook
Suggested Improvements for Klook
User Interface (UI) Improvement
With feedback pointing out the app's poor usability, there is a clear need for UI enhancement to make the app more user-friendly.
Simplification and Transparency in the Refund Process
Given the complaints about the complexity of obtaining refunds, simplifying and clarifying the refund process is crucial.
Booking Confirmation Enhancement
Issues with inadequate booking confirmation suggest a need to strengthen the confirmation process within the app and via email.
Customer Service Quality Improvement
Numerous feedback about insufficient customer service calls for an upgrade in customer support responsiveness and efficiency.
Information Update and Notification Improvement
Cases where users were not notified about the closure of booked attractions indicate a need to improve the accuracy of information and the notification system.
*Sample of negative reviews for Klook
"UI app is not friendly" - Sentiment: -0.1875
"They cheating with Singapore tours, complicated to get refund." - Sentiment: -0.3067
"Absolutely no confirmation on bookings, in their app or email." - Sentiment: -0.05
"DO NOT BUY!! You will have a hard time to get a refund..." - Sentiment: -0.2917
"Bad experience in using this app to book the Osaka Amazing Pass." - Sentiment: -0.2371
"I have used this app for several years and now it's just awful." - Sentiment: -0.1133
"Terrible costumer service, know that if you get in trouble they won't help." - Sentiment: -1.0000
"You book from the app and the customer service is terrible." - Sentiment: -0.4188
"Booked a tour. Attraction was closed and klook didn't notify us." - Sentiment: -0.55
"Booked an airport transfer in Bangkok. The driver never showed up." - Sentiment: -0.0417
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is the world's largest travel review website with over 800 million reviews and opinions.
It offers a wide range of travel-related services, including activity and tour bookings, hotel and restaurant reservations, airline tickets and transport bookings.
All reviews, 54 of them, were scraped and analyzed in Python.
Frequent keywords of Tripadvisor
Word cloud of Tripadvisor
Sentiment analysis of Tripadvisor
Suggested Improvements for Tripadvisor
Enhanced Customer Service
With observations of low-quality customer service, it's important to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of customer support.
Improved App Usability
Feedback regarding the app's difficulty to use suggests a need for interface improvements and overall enhancement of usability.
Accuracy and Reliability of Information
Given that some users question the accuracy of information about recommended places and services, there's a demand for better quality control and reliability of reviews.
App Updates and Functional Enhancements
Reported issues with functionality regression after updates indicate the necessity for additions and improvements that align with user needs.
*Sample of negative reviews for Tripadvisor
"Wow, I never thought I would be writing a bad review for Tripadvisor..." - Sentiment: -0.1231
"Stopped in after reading reviews. We are moving on to another place." - Sentiment: -0.075
"I use trip advisor all the time for hotel stays, but their customer service is terrible." - Sentiment: -0.0036
"While the app has all the functions you would want, it's not user-friendly." - Sentiment: -0.0902
"This is my #1 go-to app but something changed. It's not as good as it used to be." - Sentiment: -0.0433
"This app can save you from wasting good money on a bad experience, but it has issues." - Sentiment: -0.0115
"I was disgusted with Jetline Vacations to Iceland. Tripadvisor's recommendations were misleading." - Sentiment: -0.175
"I've used this app numerous times for checking restaurant reviews, but I'm not happy with the latest update." - Sentiment: -0.0531
"I use TripAdvisor exclusively for travel destinations, but I'm disappointed with the last few experiences." - Sentiment: -0.15
"Last month, I used TripAdvisor for most of my trip, but some of the recommended places were a letdown." - Sentiment: -0.0617
Positioning of KKday, Klook and Tripadvisor
A radar chart was used to compare the platform positioning of KKday, Klook and Tripadvisor. The chart visualizes aspects of user focus, service quality, information relevance, app usability and customer service on each platform.
User Focus:
The degree to which a platform aligns its features and services with the needs and preferences of its users.
Service Quality:
The overall standard of service delivery, including reliability, professionalism, and the user's satisfaction with the service.
Information Relevance:
The usefulness and applicability of the content provided to users, particularly how it meets their needs for making informed decisions.
App Usability:
The ease with which users can navigate and utilize the app, including the intuitive design of the user interface and experience.
Customer Service:
The effectiveness of the platform in assisting users before, during, and after the service is delivered, including responsiveness to inquiries and problem-solving capabilities.
Insight from the radar chart
Platform Strengths:
Tripadvisor shows a clear lead across all attributes, indicating a strong, well-rounded platform. It excels particularly in the area of Information Relevance, which is critical for a travel platform where users seek trustworthy recommendations and content.
KKday appears to be competitive in User Focus, suggesting that it is effective in providing curated experiences and maintaining a high standard of offerings.
Klook demonstrates a commendable position in User Focus and App Usability, indicating that despite some negative feedback, the overall perception of their service offering is positive.
Common Challenges:
App Usability is a challenge that all platforms seem to grapple with to some extent. Given the mobile-first nature of travel booking, enhancing app interfaces to be more intuitive is imperative.
Customer Service and Service Quality is another area where there is a noticeable need for improvement for all platforms. This highlights the importance of responsive and helpful customer support in the travel industry.
Conclusion:
In summary, while Tripadvisor leads overall, KKday and Klook show strong potential in specific areas and could leverage this to close the gap. A focus on improving app design and customer service could enhance user experience and loyalty, which is crucial in the competitive travel industry.
UX Audit
Audit how similar, competing services approach search, booking experience and AI capabilities to gain insights on advantages, areas for improvement and areas for growth.
KKday
Search Experience:
KKday presents a clean interface for the search experience, with prompts for location services and notifications that are non-intrusive. The search bar is prominently placed, and recently viewed items are accessible, which is user-friendly.
Booking Process:
The booking screens are well-structured, with clear pricing, time selections, and package options. However, the process appears to have multiple steps which could be streamlined for efficiency. Also, consider making cancellation policies more visible to enhance transparency.
Klook
Search Experience
Klook's use of vibrant colors and illustrations in the onboarding process makes it visually appealing. The search function is easily accessible, with clear categorizations for different types of activities. Wishlist and trip features enhance personalization, though it may be beneficial to showcase more personalized content based on user behavior.
Booking Process
The booking interface on Klook is straightforward, with a focus on clarity and ease of use. The use of color to highlight important information, such as prices and dates, is effective. However, the onboarding process with multiple steps might feel cumbersome for some users and the steps involved in booking could be optimized to reduce the number of screens a user has to navigate.
Tripadvisor
Search Experience
Tripadvisor offers a dark theme that is easy on the eyes, which could be beneficial for night-time browsing. The search and filter options seem comprehensive, allowing for detailed searches. However, the interface could be made more intuitive by reducing the amount of text and increasing iconography.
Booking Process
The booking process seems efficient, with clear steps and minimal clutter. Transparency in pricing and options is evident, but Tripadvisor could improve by offering a summary view before finalizing the booking.
AI Itinerary Planner
An AI itinerary planner marks a considerable advance in enhancing user experiences. It aids users in selecting an ideal destination, arranging travel dates, times, and duration, accommodating the number of travelers, and choosing a specific type of travel experience. Utilizing these inputs, the AI is engineered to efficiently develop comprehensive itineraries. This methodology is not only time-efficient but also adept at revealing less-known destinations and activities that traditional search methods may not highlight. To realize its full potential, an AI itinerary planner need to utilize an extensive dataset, which includes users' travel preferences, historical booking data, reviews, bookmarks, and even time-sensitive and local event information. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the planner to provide users with the option to personalize and refine their itineraries, catering to their unique preferences and requirements.
Visual Design
Design a holiday event booking app taking into account insights from the research.
Visual inspiration
*Ghibli Studio distributes images free of charge for creators to use. The credit is "*※画像は常識の範囲でご自由にお使いください。;Feel free to use the images within the limits of common sense."
Component
Customized for the NeCopilot brand using Google Material 3 Design kit for Figma.
Style Guide
Logo Design
