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© 2024 Shraddha Shetti
Define
Point of View & How Might We| ProjectGoals & Feature Set | Information Architecture | User Flows
Design
Wireframes | Branding & UI Kit | High-Fidelity
Test
Testing | Iterations
Research
Competitor Analysis | Research Goal | User interviews & Affinity Map | Personas
Phoenix with Kids
Seamless fun and easy navigation for every family trip.
Project Type
Responsive Web Design
Role
UX/UI Designer
Project Duration
7 weeks
Background
Phoenix with kids is a local travel website based in Phoenix, Arizona. It provides comprehensive information, resources, booking options, and recommendations for families visiting or residing in the Phoenix area with children. The website offers insights into family-friendly activities, attractions, events, dining options, accommodations, and practical tips for parents traveling with kids.
The Problem
The website's design and navigation hinder user satisfaction and engagement. This directly impacts user retention, conversion rates, and overall brand perception.
There are potential challenges for users navigating seamlessly through the website which includes poor information structure, cluttered visual design elements making it hard for the users to find information. Additionally, excessive ads makes browsing difficult.
Target Audience
My audience consisted of parents residing in Phoenix as well as visitors who come to Phoenix looking for family-friendly activities and experiences.
Why Redesign?
While the website is widely used by parents in Phoenix, there are some features that could be improved to make the user experience better.
Implementing a streamlined booking process.
Enhancing brand identity representation
The site map and navigation were simplified to deliver a more intuitive and engaging user experience.
Design Process
Research
Define
Design
Test
Competitor Analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis of 2 local Phoenix websites and two popular travel websites. This helped me identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for differentiation, to help our platform stand out in the market.
Research Goal
My goal was to understand how parents use travel websites and apps to discover and assess the suitability of family-friendly activities.
User Interviews & Affinity Map
I conducted interviews with five parents to gain insights into their considerations when searching for family-friendly activities for their children. The goal was to understand how they seek information, what factors influence their decisions, and how they navigate the booking process.
After the interviews, I used affinity mapping to identify common patterns among users. A key finding was that most participants conducted Google searches to find suitable activities, then booked directly through the company websites.
Persona
The target audience for Phoenix with Kids is embodied in the user persona. Emily is a mother who enjoys spending her weekends exploring new places and activities with her children. Frustrated by the time-consuming task of gathering information from multiple websites, she seeks a platform that simplifies the planning and booking of family-friendly activities in Phoenix.
Point of view & How might we
Considering my user interviews perspectives, I wanted to explore ways to help parents in Phoenix to find suitable activities for their kids more efficiently because researching from various websites requires significant amount of time and effort.
How might we create a platform that consolidates comprehensive information on family friendly activities in Phoenix for quick and easy access?
How might we enhance the user experience to make the process of finding and booking activities more user friendly?
How might we prioritise and highlight relevant reviews from other parents in Phoenix?
How might we optimize the search functionality to quickly connect users with the information they need for booking activities?
Project Goals & Feature set
To ensure efficiency and focus on what matters most, I prioritized features that strike a balance between business objectives and user needs.
Customer Insight
"Parents want a website that saves time by having all the necessary information and booking options for family-friendly activities in one place, simplifying the entire process and making it more efficient."
Business Insight
“Integrating online booking into Phoenix with Kids is aimed at boosting user satisfaction and enhancing efficiency, making it easier for families to plan and reserve activities.”
Information Architecture
During user interviews, it became clear that navigating the website was confusing, prompting a redesign of the navigation structure. To better understand how users search for specific information, I conducted a card sorting exercise with five participants. The insights from this activity guided the refinement of the site map.
Key updates to the navigation include:
Reorganized “Places” into distinct categories like Things to Do > Indoor, and Outdoor. Previously, these were found under both Places and Guides > Things to Do.
Separated "Restaurants" and "Stays" as individual navigation items, which were previously located under Guides > Things to Do in Phoenix.
Additionally, I added a user account, which was previously missing from the website, to improve user engagement and personalization.
User Flows
To create a seamless experience for users navigating the website for the first time, I designed user flows that map out the steps involved in two key tasks: searching for an activity and booking it. These flows helped establish the logical progression between different pages and determine how many pages are necessary to guide users from discovery to booking.
Challenges
I aimed to implement a straightforward and seamless booking flow on the website, which required multiple iterations to refine. Given the variety of booking processes used on different websites, it took time to explore and test several options before identifying the most streamlined approach. Each iteration brought me closer to a booking flow that minimizes steps, reduces friction, and enhances the user experience, ultimately creating a process that is both efficient and user-friendly.
Wireframes
By further developing the initial layout concepts, I expanded the wireflows and added more detailed elements to the sketches. This allowed for a more comprehensive first round of user testing. The insights gained from this process helped validate the wireframes and guided the early stages of iteration, ensuring the designs aligned with user needs and expectations.
Testing
The usability testing revealed no major issues with the task flows, as participants completed their tasks with ease. However, it highlighted areas that need improvement to enhance the visual appearance, gradual progression of the payment process and highlight few information like cost, distance more visible.
Branding - UI Kit
Inspired by Phoenix city's desert landscape, I incorporated a desert color palette to evoke a sense of locality aiming to make parents feel at home and welcomed. Emphasizing the brand's family-friendly values, I chose Libre Franklin for headers, lending a modern yet approachable look, and Roboto for body text to ensure readability. The logo was redesigned to reinforce this welcoming and fresh aesthetic, reflecting the brand’s commitment to creating a warm, community-focused experience.
High-Fidelity
At this stage, I combined the visual design elements with the established content to create the high-fidelity wireframes.
Design Challenges
Designing a horizontal layout came with unique challenges, particularly in managing whitespace effectively and ensuring user engagement. The choice to use a horizontal layout aimed to display more content within a single view, allowing for an uninterrupted browsing experience. However, maintaining balance was essential to avoid large, distracting empty spaces that could break the flow. To achieve this, I tested various layouts to ensure components felt evenly distributed and cohesive across the full width, using alignment and padding adjustments to enhance the visual balance.
Simplifying the booking flow was also crucial for improving the user experience. Initially, I combined contact info and payment on a single page, but user testing revealed that separating these steps better matched users’ expectations. By presenting one piece of information at a time, users felt less overwhelmed and were able to progress more naturally through each step. This change aligned the process with the expected, gradual flow of a booking experience, reducing cognitive load and increasing ease of use.
Testing
Phoenix with Kids Testing
5 participants
Video call through Zoom
Designer & Developer
Task flows tested
Booking an activity
View booked activity
Success Metrics
All participants successfully completed the booking task and viewed their booking details.
All participants completed the tasks within 5 minutes, with minimal errors.
All participants appreciated the layout for its simplicity and clarity.
What went well
Participants found the homepage visually appealing, describing it as welcoming and aesthetically pleasing, which created a strong first impression. The layout’s simplicity and clarity were appreciated, helping users navigate the site effortlessly. They also noted the balance of information provided, with just the right details presented in a non-overwhelming way. The booking process was described as intuitive and straightforward, with all users successfully following the expected navigation flow to complete their bookings. Users could easily locate and access their booking details by going to the profile and selecting “Manage Booking,” reflecting the navigation’s alignment with natural user behavior.
Challenges Faced
The task flow was successfully completed, but users provided valuable feedback on areas for improvement. They told City is one of the important thing they would like to decide, which they want to see on the card. Additionally, users suggested adding an option to search by zip code or city because it would allow them to quickly narrow down activity options based on location, making it easier to find convenient and relevant options nearby.
Iterations
Since there were no issues with task completion, the flow remained unchanged. However, based on testing feedback and observations, few sections were modified and added to improve user interaction.
Modified the search function: added two separate sections where users can find an activity or search by zip code or city.
Added the city in the card.
Impact
Following usability tests, users reported a 9/10 overall satisfaction.
Here is what they had to say:
"I really appreciate the way the site organizes things to do by category - indoor, outdoor, and even by age group. It saved me time!"
— Shishira
“I love how easy it is to find family-friendly activities in Phoenix. The website is so user-friendly, and the layout is clear and welcoming.”
— Rahul
"The homepage is bright and inviting, which makes it perfect for parents like me who want to quickly plan activities with the kids."
— Vinny
Reflection
Project Highlights
This project reinforced the importance of consistently seeking and incorporating user feedback, as well as the value of iterative design. By continuously refining the design based on user input, I was able to create a more user-centered and effective final product.
Challenges
The main challenge was designing both the vertical and horizontal navigation. I had to frequently change and adjust my design to ensure it was user-friendly and visually appealing. Each iteration presented new obstacles, such as dealing with excessive whitespace in the top navigation. However, through persistent tweaking and testing, I eventually perfected the navigation.
User Feedback Impact
Feedback from my mentor, fellow designers, and a developer offered invaluable insights, pushing me to rethink solutions and refine my approach to design challenges.
What I enjoyed
I enjoyed creating UI and high-fidelity prototype. It was a challenging yet fascinating task to determine which element to include and which not. Watching the concept evolve into a functional and visually appealing product was incredibly gratifying. Having the freedom to be creative in the design process was a highlight of the project.
Growth and learning
This project presented me with the challenge of designing for desktop and then adapting the design seamlessly for mobile device. It required a keen focus on how the layout translates and adjusts between each device's screen size. Additionally, working on designing cards and creating reusable components provided a valuable learning experience. It taught me the importance of consistency in UI elements and efficient design practices.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, I plan to focus on several key areas to further enhance the app:
Social media integration - Integration with social media platforms for easy sharing of activities, reviews, and experiences with friends and family.
Seasonal Highlights - Highlight seasonal activities and events happening throughout the year, such as summer camps, holiday celebrations, and seasonal festivals.
Further User Testing and Iteration - Continue user testing with a broader audience to gather feedback on new features and refine existing ones, ensuring the website evolves in line with user needs.
