Retreavel Website Redesign

Scenario You are looking to book a relaxing retreat in the upcoming month

Task Book a retreat on Retreavel.com that fits your interests

It doesn't feel like an institution I can trust. A trip is important, I want to feel secure when I make my purchase

Users Completed Booking

5/5 Users

Did not find the information

relevant, useful or comprehensive

5/5 Users

Wanted a more in depth itinerary and information relevant to their potential purchase

0/5

Project Overview

The client tasked the team to do a full redesign of the existing site that would solve key usability issues and instill trust in the users throughout the booking process of a retreat on the site.

Team

Zarah Ferrari UX Researcher/ UI Designer

Roma Patel UX Researcher

Nyesha Viechveg UI Designer

David Coughlin UX Researcher/ UI Designer

Scope

2 Weeks

What is the Current User Experience?

I Conducted 5 usability Tests to Find Out

We wanted to first begin the project by doing an existing site usability test to give us a better idea of what is so that when we present our final presentation of what could be we have relevant user data that shows what is working and not working for users. For the usability test, we focused on user navigation, intuition, as well as user understanding of the labels that were currently on the website.

What Qualifies A Successful Booking Experience?

I Interviewed 10 Users Who Told Me

Using a screener survey, out of 51 prospects we selected 10 qualifying candidates who had traveled in the past year and considered mental or physical wellness important when traveling. I drafted a user discussion guide, documented and transcribed all interviews and interviewed half of the candidates to determine the mental model of users before, during, and after their travel booking process.

What Did Users Say?

No Trust, No Booking

The team affinity mapped observations derived from user interviews. We came up with key insights using 'i' statements. Our strongest insights and primary area of focus was users' need to book with sites with a good reputation. We found in our interviews that users do not book on marketplace sites like Retreavel because they do not have a reliable reputation.

Trust means wanting to get a quality product

Trusts time and care put into content and presentation

Goes on trips she "trusts to be amazing"

I feel safe purchasing from sites that have a good reputation

Who Is Our Target User?

Meet Athena

Direct from user research, I defined the primary user considering the needs, behaviors, pain points, and goals across the touch points of the booking process.

Athena is a web developer based in New York City who needs a stress reliever after losing her job. Although she has never been on a retreat, she would love to have the opportunity to clear her thoughts and relax her body. Athena is looking for a stress-free trip that is within her budget.

Needs

In depth information she can trust

Goals

Replenish her mind and body

Behaviours

Uses a desktop when booking

Pain Points

Does not trust third party sites

If I'm going to spend thousands of dollars I want to make sure I can trust [the site]

How might we help Athena trust a marketplace site enough to place her booking?

What Happens When Athena Compares Sites?

Her Spending Power is Deterred

From the user persona, we created a journey map to better understand Athena’s emotions, actions, and phases throughout the different touch points of booking a retreat. The journey map revealed that the lowest point in Athena’s booking journey was the Compare Phase. The team found through user data that users primarily visit marketplace sites to browse the options available, but feel more comfortable booking through a direct site.

Why Does Athena Compare Sites?

She Does Not Trust Marketplace Sites

Athena uses marketplaces to gain information about a trip, but books on direct sites instead. Our data shows that Athena does not find marketplace sites trustworthy enough to book. Athena is spending a large chunk of money - she wants it to be well spent at a site she can trust.

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WHAT DOES TRUST LOOK LIKE?

What Is The Competition Doing Right?

Supporting User Intuition and Best Practices

We compared the main features of four main competitors with three comparators. The feature analysis helps us better understand what is intuitive to users within the competitive landscape. The inclusion of these features into the design would be validated through usability testing to ensure that they are most useful and relevant for users.

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6/7 comparators and competitors had In Depth Trip Content and Itineraries

What Are The Best Practices?

Comprehensive, Correct, and Current Content

The Nielson Norman Group they identified a key basic factor used to communicate trustworthiness in web design: Comprehensive, Correct, and Current Content. Presenting users with thorough information related to the business displays expertise and authority.

How Do We Design For Trust?

Turning Research Into Actionable Insights

In Design Studio I we worked primarily on the home page redesign. In Design Studio II we worked with our stakeholder to define the user flow, primary features, and navigation.

We tested our low fidelity designs on 5 users before moving into mid fidelity designs, in order to ensure the elements included were relevant and intuitive to users.

5/5 Users felt the low fidelity design was useful, but wanted more information.

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The More Relevant Information You Give Athena, The More She Trusts You

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Trip Content Transparency

A navigation system that would help users move through cohesive and in depth relevant to their trip. Our assumption that if users can see what they are purchasing, they will trust it enough to book.

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In Depth Itinerary

When 5/5 users in existing site usability tests felt that Retreaval did not provide in depth or relevant trip information. To support users throughout their purchasing decision, we included the itinerary feature.