IXD104: Travel App Research
For our first project in IXD104 we are tasked with designing a travel app, and we have been given the creative freedom to base the app on whatever aspect we want as long as it falls into the travel app category. Before brainstorming some potential ideas, I may have for my app I decided to conduct some research about the current market of travel apps, looking at what makes them successful and why, their design systems and target user base.
A mobile travel app is a software application that has been developed specifically for use on smaller devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and can be used by business travellers to book and manage their travel whilst on the move. I decided to take a closer look at 3 apps in particular: TripAdvisor, Airbnb and Culture Trip.
TripAdvisor:
Tripadvisor, Inc. is an American online travel company that operates a website and mobile app with user-generated content and a comparison-shopping website. It also offers online hotel reservations and bookings for transportation, lodging, travel experiences, and restaurants.
Since being founded in 2000 Tripadvisor has become one of the most recognisable travel-based apps, with only a few days ago passing One Billion reviews, providing travellers with the information they need to create a perfect holiday and it is all through user generated content, without the users leaving reviews they would have no company. This user interaction and connection is what I would love for my app to strive to achieve.
When the company saw that user reviews were getting all the traffic, they adjusted to focus on user reviews, such that fresh, authentic content was always available and didn’t cost the company any money to produce. With these adjustments, TripAdvisor grew rapidly and successfully. They created an easily identifiable logo and I am a fan of their app layout due to their consistent use of colour and their smart icons and in particular the high quality illustrations that greet you on the homepage.
Airbnb:
Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in specific locales. … Guests often find Airbnb is cheaper, has more character, and is homier than hotels. Airbnb makes the bulk of its revenue by charging a service fee for each booking. Airbnb has revolutionized the hospitality industry. Prior to 2008, travellers would have likely booked a hotel or hostel for their trip to another town. Nowadays, many of these same people are opting for Airbnb.
The idea behind Airbnb is simple: Find a way for local people to make some extra money renting out their spare home or room to people visiting the area. Hosts using this platform get to advertise their rentals to millions of people worldwide, with the reassurance that a big company will handle payments and offer support when needed. And for guests, Airbnb can offer a homey place to stay that has more character, perhaps even with a kitchen to avoid dining out, often at a lower price than what hotels charge.
The Airbnb app layout is simplified to make the user experience as relaxed as possible to allow them to plan their perfect holiday accommodation. It utulizes the company colours well but there isn’t any standout features from the app as they have found major success with what they are doing already.
Culture Trip:
Culture Trip provides articles, podcasts, and videos that contain useful information on destinations around the world that cover a variety of aspects such as culture, food, entertainment, heritage, accommodation, unusual attractions, and others. Culture Trip now makes money through an affiliate marketing model, referring users to sites like Airbnb and GetYourGuide, who pay a commission to Culture Trip when users make a purchase after clicking on a referral link.
