Overview

Designing for Trust: Using Social Proof to Shape Travel Choices

Traditional marketing tactics in the travel industry, like magazine ads, are losing effectiveness as modern consumers increasingly rely on digital platforms and social media for trip inspiration.

Here’s what I did:

Card sorting

User research

Concept designs

Prototyping

Site Map

High fidelity designs

Usability Testing

Stakeholder presentations

Case study contents:
Discovery → Design solution →  How we got there →  What I learned

Discovery

Research Highlights

Forget flashy ads— savvy travelers want real stories and Insta-worthy snaps before they even think about packing their bags. Our user interviews indicated that users crave social proof, which inspires them to embark on new adventures and instills confidence in their travel purchases.

I get inspired to travel when scrolling Instagram and TikTok.

I care about most food and experiences.

I get really excited when I see people I know traveling.

If I can get a personal recommendation, I’ll stay there.

Is it safe? What do people with similar backgrounds say?

I scour reviews. I want to see what people are think before buying.

Discovery

Business Goals and User Objectives:

The business wants to drive traffic and start users on their travel journey.

The business wants to promote brand loyalty.

Users want user-generated content to help them make critical travel decisions.

Users want to feel part of a community.

Design Solution

Have Pizza, Will Design

I knew my priorities. First, I placed an order for pizza and dove headfirst into the project. I envisioned a platform where travelers could reminisce about their past adventures and share insights and recommendations with those planning their next escape.

This design includes:

• Guide home - The central hub for all your guides, where you can view, manage, and create new ones.
• Guide creator - A user-friendly interface to design and build new guides effortlessly.
• Trip guide - The polished, final version of your guide, ready to share or use.
  

How we got there

Why Travel Guides?

User-generated travel guides are valuable resources for those who want to reminisce about past trips and those seeking inspiration for future adventures. This creates a dynamic cycle of reflection and inspiration within the community. This approach enhances discoverability, making it easy for users to plan their next adventure.

How we got there

Polishing Up the Travel Guides

In a bustling market, you're surrounded by tempting stalls, each offering something unique. Unsure where to start, you look around for guidance from other shoppers. When you spot a crowd gathered around a stall, eagerly sampling its goods, you join in, trusting the collective wisdom of your fellow market-goers.

This trust in social proof echoes our approach with our travel guides.

Through user interviews, we discovered that users also want to vet the travel guide writers. They want to hear from individuals who share their travel style, ensuring relevance and trustworthiness in the recommendations they receive.

When it comes to traveling, food can be an adventure in itself! That's why providing restaurant recommendations is essential. We make money off restaurant recommendations, but user feedback made it clear this is a must-have.

We streamline the buying process by asking for users' home airports, enabling us to provide accurate prices. This follows the principle of least effort, allowing travel guides to offer a seamless, "one-click" buying experience.

How we got there

Effortless Travel Guide Creation

Users were clear: they loved the concept but weren't keen on investing hefty time into crafting guides. So, we made it a breeze. Slap on a headline, pick your purchases from our site, and voila! In mere minutes, you've got yourself a guide. You can opt for a minimalist approach or go all out with images and details.

Goodbye writer's block with an AI-powered headline generator; the lone required field is simple.

How we got there

Boost engagement with rewards

Incentivizing users with rewards adds excitement to writing travel guides and encourages engagement with the platform, with bigger rewards offered for more complete guides, fostering a vibrant community of contributors.

By nudging guide creation right at the trip's finale, we ride the wave of those euphoric peak moments, making your guide a true reflection of your adventure.

What I learned

Life Lessons

Social media is a popular source of inspiration and a way to validate your instincts before purchasing. However, it's essential to delve deeper and understand the credibility of the sources behind this inspiration.

Varied perspectives unlock a travel experience. It's not just about one itinerary written by a travel editor. From balling on a budget to thrill-seeking to wellness getaways, users are eager to hear from people who travel as they do.

Users are drawn to the allure of sharing travel tales, relishing in the memories the adventure is over. They genuinely love a community and the feeling of being an expert and being able to advise others.