The Challenge
The desire for flexibility and control over a schedule has made solo travel popular. However, visiting a new city alone can be daunting and lacking in opportunities for quality social interaction.
Hypothesis
I believe that by creating a platform that gives solo travelers the ability to explore attractions with other solo wanderers, we can vastly improve the individual travel experience.
My Methodology
I started by conducting a series of one-on-one interviews with millennials who travel frequently. This allowed me to learn more about their habits and preferences when traveling alone as well as their frustrations when it comes to traveling in groups.
After conducting initial discovery and gathering valuable qualitative data, I was able to affinitize my findings and discover patterns. While solo travel allows participants complete control over their itinerary, it was revealed that solo travelers want to form connections.
So, I asked, “how might we make solo travel more of a social experience?”
Extracted from 4 Interviews | 2 Male, 2 Female
Interview Key QUotes
“We waste time in a group of four and it’s so frustrating.”
“Photos are key to my decision making because atmosphere is important...I want to find something cool!”
“It’s scary in an exciting way not to know the city like the back of your hand.”
“I like Instagram’s location based tags that let you see where popular users are exploring.”
Competitor Feature Comparison
Affinity Mapping
CHALLENGING ASSUMPTIONS
I was not expecting solo travel to become a key theme in my research, but each interviewee made mention of traveling alone for pleasure. It was essential that I pivot to focus on the solo traveler.
Defining a solution
Frustrations were expressed around lack of flexibility when traveling with large groups. Potential users of the solution I’m designing wanted control and spontaneity in their travels.
