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Agoda Feature Design: Plans
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1 week
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individual
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assignment
Process
Issue #1
There's a disconnect when searching with flights and hotels within the app, no connection between the two features.
Issue #2
Travel plans have a lot of commitment to them, prices can be scary
Issue #3
Users don't want to lose their process when going between different travel ideas
Identifying issues /1
In the Interface Design course at SIAT, we were tasked with finding an app to re-design or add a feature to in an individual project. We had to identify the flaws and the types of users that would use this application and design towards that. This meant identifying a problem that users were experiencing and designing a solution that allowed for a better user experience. I had decided to choose the application Agoda, which is for browsing and making travelling plans. The first thing I had to do was identify the problem, which to me was in the concept of travelling with hotels and flights. Personally the idea of the two felt very disconnected when you do them, you look at the two separately and it made the task of travelling very tedious. When you book flights or trips it’s tempting to book them right then and there, which also makes it feel like you’re committed to the plan as well.
Because of this I thought of a system where users could think about their options and save them within the app. This system was made with the intent to take the commitment of making travelling plans out of the picture, making the process of planning to travel something that users could pick up and put back down with ease. With that goal in mind I began thinking of similar systems. I looked at examples of such where people could upload to social media sites like Instagram, they can save their posts as drafts, or when people write emails, they can also store these as drafts. There’s no commitment to finishing the task and it could be made without ever being finalized.
Starting a system /2
I thought out the system to start with a simple question, prompting where the user would like to travel. After selecting an airport the users could then choose from different flights and select the flight and the duration of how long they plan on staying. A problem I encountered with the solution was that the prices of flights would often change if the user were to purchase them at a later date. This prompted the idea that the user would be sent an update if there were any changes in price with any of the plans they had made. Next the user was prompted for whether they were staying at their own accommodation or if they were choosing a hotel to stay in. When selecting a hotel it would bring up a list of hotels available in that area that the user could filter through.
Here the concept of the add-on had changed, and I decided that this feature could also work as an itinerary for the users. The next prompt would then have a calendar-like screen that prompted users to set up their own itinerary, with events or restaurants in the area of where they are listed below. This feature allowed users to explore what is in the area they are visiting without actually being there. Users could also book reservations through the app and explore local events or events. I also wanted users to be able to look through different travel options in the app, ranging from taxi services or trains, allowing users to book a taxi or buy train tickets from the app as well. This itinerary feature became a core feature of the add-on, truly allowing users to ideate their travel plans without having to commit to them.
After the users had planned out their itinerary (if they had chosen to) they can proceed to either booking their flights and hotels or either saving their plan as a draft. This allowed the users to go back and edit their itinerary or rethink of where they want to stay or travel to. Users are also able to plan several different trips if they wanted to compare the prices and events they could go to in other places without the commitment of making the trip.
Reflection
Agoda: Feature Design - Plans /4
I’m personally content with the outcome of this feature add-on for Agoda. I know that the functionality and design of this add-on isn’t perfect, but I had learned a lot about the UX/UI interactions of users such as catering to how humans are willing to stop if an idea takes too long to process. The outcome of this app has made me more aware of how humans will use an interface and how users would prefer not having too much commitment to the actions they are doing.