Overview
This project uses systems thinking and mapping to pinpoint solo travel safety gaps and develop a handheld safety device for remote travel.
Role
Mind maps, user journey mapping, qualitative research, surveys, causal looping, identifying research gap, competitor analysis, USP generation and visualization
Details
Duration : 4 weeks
Team : Rucha Nene, Siya Zanwar, Sailee Powar, Rahul Agarwalla
Mentors : Shyyam Prajapati, Aditya Lingam
General mind map of the travel industry
Selected node
Traveler's journey
Structuring our approach
We mapped the travel industry using a mind map across key categories, narrowing our focus to the solo travel domain. By plotting the traveller's journey from planning to post-trip, safety consistently emerged as a key concern, guiding our focus towards the safety of a solo traveller.
Selected direction
Structured breakdown - Solo Travel Safety
Structure with central themes branching out into 10 subtopics of types of safety. This ensured clarity and flow to aid in creating feedback loops and understanding connections later on. Based on the survey insights from primary research, 2 domains emerged to be of the highest concern - psychological safety and safety during emergencies.
Defining brief
Starting from the concept of safety, we mapped its causes and effects to identify “Navigation Mishaps” as a key issue.
The fear often lies in the 'what if' scenarios—'What if my battery dies?', 'What if I get lost?', 'What if I can't contact anyone?'. This psychological distress often discourages people from traveling alone.
Feature ideation and selection
Competitor Analysis
The product
Design Intervention
The product is a rugged navigation beacon designed for solo travelers, ideal for use in low-network areas.
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USPs: It features a discreetly placed SOS button to prevent accidental activation, ensuring easy accessibility in emergencies. An SOS feedback system confirms that the distress signal has been received, providing reassurance to the user that help is on the way, thereby alleviating psychological stress.
Learnings
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Research is necessary not only to inform the initial design process but also to provide justification for design decisions later.
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Expand a problem to a larger context to understand the holistic landscape of the issue, to identify correct datapoints.
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The fundamental principles of the UX process remain consistent, whether it’s applied to interface design or tangible product concepts.
Survey (n=62)
Interviews (n=8)
Primary research
While surveys brought in statistical data from a wider audience and answers to direct questions regarding different types of safety, interviews helped us understand the in-depth experience of a solo traveller.