Via Travel cover photo

VIA Travel

Product design, mobile iOS
The Problem
The general millennial population is known to travel the most for less, however, they’re also the generation most likely to go into debt after travel.

While it’s true that the majority of Americans budget and specifically budget for travel, the current economic situation has lead to millennials averaging less than $10,000 in savings. Millennials as a user provided a unique opportunity to provide clearer financial stability while also providing travel options.
Sources: 
https://www.condorferries.co.uk/travel-statistics-by-age-group
https://blog.accessdevelopment.com/tourism-and-travel-statistics-the-ultimate-collection
MILLENNIALS ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO GO INTO DEBT FOR TRAVEL
47% OF MILLENNIALS SAY COST IS A BARRIER FOR WHY THEY WON’T TRAVEL
MILLENNIALS ARE MORE LIKELY TO USE ALL OF THEIR VACATION TIME
65.3% OF AMERICANS SAY THAT TRAVEL IS A BUDGET PRIORITY FOR THEM
discovery
Travel vs Savings
Knowing the user as a millennial who budgets and travels, I proceeded with research to understand what millennials think about when budgeting and planning for travel. Everyone travels differently, just like everyone has their own personality. However, there were some evident similarities among these millennial travelers. Overall, everyone agrees that travel can be very stressful and expensive—so naturally, the opposite is desired. Below are some of the key findings from the 6 interviews I conducted.
SAVE THAT MONEY
whether it's where the cheapest flights/lodging is or local travel tips of what to do and what to avoid
DECISION LAZINESS
‍millennials don’t like to travel alone & creating a way to make group decision making easier was very important
UNPLANNED & PLANNED
‍many travelers liked more spontaneous adventures in travel but also didn’t like planning
UNIQUE TRAVEL
‍users want travel opportunities presented to them that are unique to their interests and budget
Affinity mapping image
"Cool travel should be shared" 
"Plan better, not more"
user research
The Adventurer & the Planner
I found through my interviews that there were mainly two types of travelers and then hybrids of those—which lead me to the two user personas of Leslie, “The Planner”, and Ben, “The Adventurer.” Leslie is more concerned about savings and making sure travel is affordable and within her budget. She won’t travel unless she knows she has the money saved. However, while Ben is still concerned about savings, he prefers to discover travel and go with the flow—he doesn't want to be tied down to anything.
User Flows
User flows image
creating a solution
Sketches & Wireframes
To please both users I came up with the idea to have separate sections for budgeting, discovering new travel, and the planning aspect of travel.
SketchesWireframe flow
SIMPLER, FASTER, CLEARER INTERACTIONS
‍After conducting preliminary testing on wireframes the interactions needed some improvement. Overall, there was a need for clarityóinteractions that would be improved simply with proceeding with high fidelity mockups and a more detailed language within the mockup.  
brand
Design System
Original moodboard
Originally, my moodboard for the Via brand consisted of a lot of colors that were all around the same value, making a digital design inconceivable due to lack of contrast. Furthermore, based on my user feedback from the wireframes, simplicity is best. That many colors would have been the opposite of simple.
‍
UPDATED COLORS
‍T updated colors still have the feel of the moodboard above—exciting, trustworthy and funhwever, they now achieve the desired simplicity and accessibility for Via’s users and digital product, respectively.
Updated color palette
high fidelity
Bringing Via to Life
Four main design questions influenced my design to bring Via to life: 
  • How might we give users a way to save money while traveling?
  • How might we give users spontaneity while also reducing planning? 
  • How might we provide a place for groups to collaborate for travel to make decision making easier?
  • How might we give users travel ideas that are unique to their interests?
For the first round of Via, to solve these design problems, 3 main flows were established. The first, for users to be able to create and adjust a travel savings account through Via with recurring transfers from an existing bank account—if it’s not there you can’t spend it kind of thinking. Second, the ability to book a trip entirely through Via app that was suggested based on preferences and current budget. Lastly, create a trip and manage tasks and important information through Via. 
High fidelity screens round one
iteration
Updated High Fidelity
With the addition of clearer language, less clutter, and more options, user testing was much more successful the second time around. 
High fidelity screens round twoHigh fidelity screens round two with comments
next steps
VIA 2.0
  • Add more collaboration tools
  • Syncing with 3rd party apps such as:
    Google (sheets, maps, flights)
    Airbnb
    Mint
    TripAdvisor
    Venmo, etc.
  • Travel preferences settings
  • Continue testing
To view more of Via Travel, please get in touch! 
Home screen mockup

All photography is property of respective owners. Concept and design is copyright of Maggie Cellucci Designs.

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