A website that helps tourists in Tokyo find a local guide based on their interests - make friends, meet people and explore Tokyo as locals do.
TOKYO LOCAL
What
Website
Why
Study Project (Interactive Design Cours, Shenkar)
Who
Team of Two Designers
Role
Designer
Category
Travel
When
Jun-2021
Why do we create this project?
Created as a UX UI design study case and developed as part of a web design course for a master's degree program.
Research Resume
There is a growing need for a convenient, accessible platform for searching the locals in Japan that can provide better communication tools for travelers looking for an exact match with a local guide.
The Claim
On a global scale, Israel has recovered quickly from the pandemic shock, especially in Japan's experience section of tourism, seeking out traditional cultural experiences such as tea ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, fashion, and visits to a local small business. In addition, many Israeli tourists search to uncover the unique Japanese culture through online research before traveling and finding local guides on Airbnb or online forums.
The worldwide tourism revenue in Japan is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 0.09%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$40.42bn by 2027.
The Problem
Due to the experience section of tourism in Japan growing, it's not as easy to find and write much to cover the expectations of Israeli tourists, especially with a vast cultural difference.
Market Research:
Shira Ben-David
Traveler
Tour guides are expected to take us through all the worthy places and make us actually connected to them. Tell the stories about the place. And be calm.
Avi Golan
Traveler
The guide needs to know about new destinations and interesting local places. He needs to be polite and helpful and help us figure out an apt plan to make the best of our time and money.
Adi Goldstein
Traveler
I'd actually consider them [the gudes] a fellow traveler who lives in a particular city and knows about it more than me and will help me when needed.
Notable Comments:
Onboarding
In the onboarding process, our goal was to gather essential behavioral information in a fun and engaging way. This would enable us to filter through and match travelers with the perfect guide for their needs. We understand that time is precious, and we've ensured the process is brief yet informative. We aim to create an enjoyable experience by keeping things playful and light-hearted.
The Solution:
Airbnb Experiences
A service offered by Airbnb that allows travelers to book unique and authentic activities hosted by local experts in the destination they are visiting.
Magical Trip Tours
A travel company that offers a range of immersive food and cultural tours in various cities across Japan.
Get Your Guide
An online platform that offers a wide range of travel experiences and activities, such as tours, tickets to attractions, and other unique experiences worldwide.
The Good
Airbnb has high-quality images, detailed descriptions, user reviews, and a messaging system for direct communication between guests and hosts. Magical Trip offers immersive tours and experiences led by passionate locals. GetYourGuide allows users to easily search and book unique experiences worldwide, with reviews and ratings from previous guests to inform their decisions.
The Bad
One potential drawback of Airbnb's user experience is that the platform can be overwhelming, with many listings and options to choose from. Additionally, some users may find the platform's search and filter options to be limited or insufficient for their needs. While Magical Trip's user experience is generally positive, some users may find the platform's focus on food and cultural tours to be limiting.GetYourGuide's user experience can be frustrating, with a cluttered and confusing interface that can make it difficult to find the desired experiences or activities.
Competitive Analysis:
User Survey
I conducted a quick user survey among travelers on Twitter. To gather more data on the most important factors people consider when searching for a tour guide, I also asked the recipients more open questions, like:
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What role does a Tour guide play in their travel?
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What should a traveler expect from a tour guide?
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Are you willing to pay any incentive other than a fixed amount if you are happy with their work?
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Do you consider them fellow travelers or just a person doing their job?
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Do you think a good experience with the tour guide will encourage you to plan more trips with the same company?
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How much do you think the photo of the tour guide will influence your choice?
Flow Diagram:
To outline all the necessary functionality, I created a simple flow diagram of the main tracks that users can do. One of the flows is shown below. Fail state flows are also made but are not shown due to space constraints.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes:
Once the flow diagram was established I started creating low-fidelity wireframes of the main flows.
According to statistics, most people use web platforms for travel research and planning. To cater to this trend, we have designed a website-based platform with a mobile version.
Platform
This website is designed to help tourists find the perfect local guide to explore Tokyo city with.Based on extensive research data, our goal was to create an instrument that helps people find a perfect match with the travel guide. By asking travelers, we understood everyone has different interests, so our website allows users to filter their search by interest, ensuring they're paired with a guide who shares their passions.
Concept
Throw the research and interviews, we have learned that trust is essential when exploring a new place with a stranger, so we've incorporated video interviews as a way for users to get to know their local guide before meeting in person. This feature provides users with more information and helps build trust and foster relationships between tourists and guides.
We utilized plain white backgrounds and straight lines to depict the traditional order in Japan. We added vibrant colors that we took from the Japanese traditional arts to narrate the excitement and cultural shock of first-time visitors to Japan.
Main Decisions
Design Process:
Main Flow
We used video interviews for users to get to know their local guide before meeting in person. It helps to build trust and foster relationships between tourists and guides. That's why we have introduced this unique feature, which allows users to access more information about their guide and make informed decisions.
Home Page
The home page's primary functions are the search/filter feature and the question section. To enhance user experience, we employed a simplistic line design that draws attention to various categories, making navigation more intuitive.
Moreover, we developed a unique FAQ format that presents information playfully and engagingly and effectively caters to the user's search queries. Through our design choices, we aimed to create a seamless user journey that optimizes usability and user satisfaction.
Mobile
As we began our project, we initially focused on the desktop version, which resulted in the need to adapt all the concept details to the mobile format. This presented a considerable challenge, as we had to ensure that the user experience remained consistent across all platforms. However, we approached this challenge with a user-centric mindset.
We successfully adapted our design to the mobile format while maintaining our platform's functionality and visual appeal. Through this process, we learned the importance of designing with a mobile-first approach, which has become a critical component of our design philosophy.
We validated our prototype with 3 users. Each was given a subset of the prototype dedicated to the category, guide, and guide detail views. We wanted to be sure users understand that guides are attached to special activities and that each guide has a dedicated page.
This was tested over a zoom call, where we introduced the user to the website and asked them questions. The questions were dedicated to finding out whether the category and guide tabs were easy enough to understand.
Prototype Validation
66% of users (2 out of 3) were unsure that they could choose the guide only by seeing (hovering over) the profile photo before clicking on the particular guide. They quickly understood how to book the guide but expected more information to access by hovering on the home page. That means that the task success rate was just 33%.
Study Results
Because of time constraints, we couldn't run a second usability study on the updated prototype. However, we have updated it by adding more information on the top of the guide's profile photo, like age, profession, and the period they live in Tokyo.
Update
Project Summary
During this project, we evaluated the market, did a quick user survey on Twitter, performed a mini usability study (online), created high-fidelity designs, and built them into a prototype.