Enhancing Airbnb’s Map Feature
Scope: Design Research Project
Role: UX Researcher
Duration: 13 Weeks
Tools
Problem
The user abandon using the Airbnb mobile application when they are looking for detailed directions or information about the accommodation and its surroundings.
Solution
Improve the map feature so that users can find all the travel information they need without having to use other map applications.
The main goal is to create a fully developed map feature that makes traveling easier for users.
Project Overview
Starting this project we did not have a specific angle to tackle. We have done a research going through the Airbnb application to decide on the weakness points that we can enhance to give the customer/ user a full experience with comfort while using the application. As you will see in the research we have decided on tackling the map feature based on our application testing and analysis.
The research done on this application started by knowing the target audience and the business goals. Then we delved deeper into the usability and the functionality of the application.
This case study will walk you through each step of the research explaining how it started and what have we concluded.
Target Users
Airbnb is an application used by travellers and hosts to connect them together, however; in this research the target user is the traveller.
Most of the participants we have interviewed and participated in the usability testing are between the 20s and 30s, who travel often.
We may or may not target superheroes.
Research Process
This case study focuses mainly on research and delivering the needed information for the new design.
That is why the main focus here is the two design stages
Discover
Gathering insights and user needs through some research methods
Competitor analysis
Heuristic evaluation
Usability testing
User interviews
Define
User persona
Journey Map
Problem: Limited maps features
Detailed Timeline
Now that you have seen the practical schedule and some information about this project, how did we came to the conclusion of enhancing the map feature?
We started our research by doing a general competitor analysis.
competitor analysis
In this competitive analysis we are looking for two main things:
Highlighting the business goals and enhancing the weakness points we discover.
By conducting a heuristic evaluation, we wanted to discover the what will make the user abandon the application while using it and the severity of this problem so we can address it.
From this analysis we wanted to match the business goals with the features that will be mainly used in the application. Comparing other competitive companies, we have learned that they really care about showing the surroundings of the place the user is going to. This visibility of the system will help the user be aware of where they are going and what they will be doing, this will also keep them using the application through out the trip planning and when they visit the place.
Who did we compare?
In the competitor analysis we have included a comparison between 4 categories
The business context of each company.
The user, tasks, contexts.
The usability heuristics.
A mini SWOT analysis.
Long Story Short
By focusing on the map feature…
The appearance of maps once you search for a place is really distracting and it is not useful when you search for the first time. it is violating the minimalism principle and yet it is not giving the needed information.
The appearance of results right away is giving me exactly what I need, and the map button down there a nice option if I want to check the maps.
To have a closer look to the Airbnb mobile application issue, we have conducted 8 usability testing sessions. Addressing the potential design concerns in order to improve the ease of use and the end-user satisfaction.
The user experience will be evaluated on the basis of Nielson Norman’s 10 heuristic principles.
Usability Testing
We had three objectives that we have focused on during the sessions
Identify the length of time it takes to complete each of the tasks
Identify extra, unneeded, or missing steps in the task completion process
Identify where users get lost in the process of completing the tasks
And to be more organised we have prepared some materials to help us as session’s facilitators…
Screener
Moderator Script
Task Scenarios
Consent Forms
So, how did it go during the session?
Sessions Overview
For this study, our team conducted 8 sessions of usability testing on zoom to identify the usability problems in Airbnb mobile application. In these usability testing sessions we encouraged the users to think aloud so we know what the user is thinking about during the task. We recorded the usability testing sessions and took notes, then we gathered them all to come up with 7 issues that were common between at least 2 users.
One of our main concerns were related to the location preview and the lack of information shown on the maps
The usability testing sessions helped us highlighting one of the problems we want to solve. By focusing on the maps and the information shown on them, we have expanded on the research and started doing user interviews to listen to actual real life stories of people’s adventures while travelling. As this will give us the users’ point of views on what they actually need, not just how they use the application.
User Interviews
At this point of the research, the team is trying to listen to how the user is getting around while travelling and how do they reach the accommodation’s location.
Main Research Question
Is Airbnb mobile application meeting the user goals as an individual service?
How did we manage these interviews and get the most out of it?
We have created a schedule for the interview agenda to bemore organised…
Interviews Overview
Our team has interviewed 10 participants to listen to their travel experiences and adventures and how they managed to reach any place from the surroundings. All of the interviews have included open ended questions to encourage the participant to talk freely and without any bias. We recorded the interviews, took notes, and also encouraged the participants to sketch their thoughts and experiences while travelling to give us a visual map of their thought process.
Participants’ thinking process…
User Interviews Findings
Most of the users want to be able to
Locate the attractions nearby.
Contact the host for property details and directions.
Use an easy navigation system.
Check the weather information.
Navigate the map offline.
Find public transit info (bus stops, routes, etc.)
Our team has created 5 personas and 5 journey maps out of the 10 interviews conducted and by using the final findings we got from the participants. Synthesizing these information together, we have narrowed these down to one persona and one journey map that convey all the information needed to help enhancing the Airbnb mobile application and the user experience.
User Persona
Our beautiful user persona is Jamila, she’s 33 years old and a college student who woks as a graphic designer remotely and just moved to Toronto.
She likes travelling and wants to discover new places around the city and travel to destinations that have always been on her bucket list. Whenever she gets some free time, she packs her bag and heads off to a new adventure. She likes to explore new places and prefers going to remote places as long as she is prepared for her trip.
Goals & Expectations
Find a place that is close to city centre
Find a Place that has a lot of attractions near by
Easy access and navigation
Detailed address to the destination
Good restaurants and coffee shops nearby
Be able to reach for help easily if lost
Information about public transit (nearest bus stops, routes, etc)
Frustrations
Language barriers
getting lost
Last minute cancellations
Wasting time
Poor internet connection
Unexpected delays
User Behaviours
Uses google maps for navigating and exploring the destination and public transit routes
Plans their trip according to the weather, transit routes and attractions
Journey Map
I have created a journey map to map the ideal experience for the persona while highlighting pain points and opportunities.
The scenario of the JM
Jamila and her friends started planning a trip to Europe and they will be staying in a cabin they have rented through Airbnb. Their journey started with booking the place and going to it, and will end by the end of the vacation and them going back home.
Conclusion
The map features are limited, which obstructs users' ability to navigate on-site, obtain detailed information about their surroundings in unfamiliar areas, and overcome language barriers and challenges associated with new destinations.
Upon that discovery and research, we suggest that Airbnb enhance the map feature and some other aspects of the application, that will help the user find everything they need on it.
We want the user to have a full system to accompanying them while travelling anywhere in the world.
We can have a detailed talk about the journey map when we meet for an interview, and I can show the full map to you :)!
Taking the research findings and recommendations to the next level and start developing the enhanced maps feature in Airbnb mobile application.
creating the wireframes and prototyping them to bring our vision to life.
adding the distance and time needed to reach a place, and informing the users with the weather at a certain area they want to go to.
Also, conducting another round of usability testing session on the enhanced feature after prototyping.
