This project is pertaining to my ongoing work with the Government of Bahrain.
For further background context, check out the preface linked here.
I have conceptualized and developed a prototype for PURL, a new way to plan travel once you’re in destination.
Designer (Lead), Serefin Travel — Interaction Design, Visual Design, User Flows, Rapid Prototyping, Development (Front-End)
Product Owner (Design), Project PURL — Project Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Steve Morgan, Director of Travel Technology Services
Paul Methot, Chief Technology Officer
Omar Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer
3 Month, North Star Prototype Delivered
I created the idea for and am designing PURL, a new way to plan in-destination travel
Reimagining the planning process of travel and generate exploration intent with PURL
Go beyond the air and hotel to blend together all elements of a visit, including activities, dining and cultural experiences.
I developed a North Star prototype using React to translate my designs into a real, useable prototype
This portfolio piece primarily concerns Product Design.
Okay so... what now?
Let's imagine we're in Kevin's situation. Flight tickets are costly, and traveling across the world just to watch a race for a couple of days doesn't seem practical. Most likely, you'd want to extend your stay to explore the country or visit other nearby destinations. But what will you do during those extra days?
Finding that spark
A Greenfield-type Project
I was challenged by the CTO to design a tool that assists users in planning activities after booking their trip. The name this project “PURL”, a shortened word for “Personalized URL”.
My first iteration of this tool was met with poor reception, as it was clear he wasn’t interested in any plain old itinerary manager. The goal was to create something that went above and beyond.
The main question we’re answering here is: What else am I going to do in Bahrain?
We need to go deeper.
What does "In-destination" mean?
Approximately three in five Gen Z (65%) and millennial (58%) confirmed they have traveled (within the last year) or plan to travel (within the next 12 months) more than 50 miles to attend in-person events such as live concerts, sporting events, comedy shows and book readings.
While in their destination, travellers want to take time to sightsee and explore before and/or after a live event with 62% noting they have included or are planning to bake in additional vacation time. Gen Z (72%) and Millennials (68%) lead the charge on extra time spent at a destination compared to Gen X (56%) and Baby Boomers (51%).
The Insight
Given that travellers are likely to extend their stays beyond the event itself, seeking additional experiences in the destination, this presents an opportunity to design a tool that offers curated suggestions to discover and plan activities during their extended stays, driving engagement and travel intent, and ultimately enhance their overall travel experience.
Gen Z and Millennial travellers want to take time to explore before and after a live event.
This presents an opportunity to design a tool that fills that time, offering curated suggestions to discover and plan activities during their stays.
The Trinity of Travel: Time, Space, and The Stars
Making sense of an opportunity
Every travel decision is influenced by three key components: the desire to engage in a particular activity, the proximity of that activity to the traveler's location, and whether their’s time to partake in the activity, or if the timing lines up with their schedule.
Travel Ideas & Inspiration (The Stars)
- Travellers discover what activities they would actually be interested in doing, whether it's exploring cultural landmarks, enjoying local cuisine, or attending live shows.
- As mentioned earlier in my part one of the portfolio, this is primarily social media driven.
Destination Planning (Space)
- Travellers assess how close these activities are to their current location or accommodation, weighing factors such as transportation options and travel time.
- This is usually determine with map apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps.
Events Planning (Time)
- Travellers evaluate their schedule to determine if they either have enough time to fully enjoy the event or if the event lines up with their itinerary.
- This is usually determined with event & reservation booking apps like OpenTable.
The travel industry has yet to see an app that effectively captures and integrates the three key elements of travel decision-making: the traveler's desires, the proximity of activities, and the timing of activities.
This presents an opportunity to design a tool that meets all three needs, showcasing activities you’d actually be interested in that are nearby and are going on right now.
Life Imitates Art.
A real gamer moment
During a moment of creative inspiration, I found myself drawing parallels between my design challenge and features of a video game I was playing - Civilization VI (as Peter the Great of course 😉). I began to conceptualize travel activities as "side quests" that users could explore during their trip.
What if travel was just a sandbox game? What would the pre-game lobby look like? How would I manage my character, my equipment, my base?
The Side-Quests (The Stars)
- Just as players in a game embark on side quests to enhance their gaming experience, travelers seek out additional activities beyond the main event to enrich their journeys.
The Minimap (Space)
- Minimaps help players navigate and locate points of interest. Similarly, proximity plays a crucial role in travel decision-making, as travelers often seek activities that are close to their location.
Time Management (Time)
- Just as players must strategically manage their time to complete tasks within a game, travelers must prioritize their time to make the most of their trip.
What if travel was really just a sandbox game? What would the pre-game lobby look like? How would I manage my character, stats, equipment, base, and side-quests?
The Iterative Design Process
With these insights, inspiration, and a clear direction, I began by creating basic designs for maps, starting with airport terminal and other 2D maps. I then proceeded to develop a series of mockups to visualize how these maps would be integrated into an overall design.
New Features
- Point of interests map
- Filters for interests
- Travel/Trip Members
Strengths
- Provides a visual representation of the area around you (Space)
Weaknesses
- Limited in filtering or showing personalized destination ideas (The Stars)
- The visual design is lacking
New Features
- Display only a few points of interests
- “Tinder-Like” swiping of cards to browse through destination options
- Immersive map mode
Strengths
- Intuitive navigation, making it easy for users to see destination options.
Weaknesses
- Would like to see more emphasis on content provided by other users instead of purely from the visit itself (i.e. User submitted videos)
New Features
- 3D representation of buildings and destinations
- Highlighting and showcasing details of locations
Strengths
- Better visualization of the space
- More interesting and immersive visual design
Weaknesses
- Removing the cards meant eliminating the travel exploration (the Stars), which is a step backwards
- The visual design
New Features
- Improve on the colour palette, assigning different colours to represent space
- Dark and light mode to distinguish day and night activities
Strengths
- Visually striking design
Weaknesses
- Overbearing, the home page view handles too much functionality (i.e. listing existing activities on the Itinerary, as well as the Explore feature)
I built a Northstar prototype of PURL using React, integrating the MapboxJS library and customizing Material UI components to suit the design needs. This was the first time I’ve ever developed an app using React on my own, which has led to a new found appreciation for the work of my fellow developers!
