OVERVIEW
The Cabinscapes website's search and filter feature needs improvement as it is inadequate for users to choose the right cabin. The limited filters and lack of precise location and key information about cabins make it challenging for users to narrow down their search and make a decision. Additionally, the unappealing visual design adds to cognitive overload for users.
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Adventure enthusiasts and remote working professionals, require a streamlined and user-friendly solution to efficiently discover affordable, authentic accommodations and nearby activities in wilderness. The current website fails to effectively cater to their needs, resulting in a frustrating and time-consuming experience that hinders their ability to find suitable options within their preferences."
THE OUTCOME
I improved the website's search, visual aesthetics & information hierarchy, creating a more user-friendly and visually appealing structure. By adding a new search bar and a filter system for cabins, users can easily find cabins that meet their desired criteria, leading to a faster and more streamlined booking process.
ASSUMPTION
I believe enhancing the search, filter options, and redesigning aesthetically pleasing website would make it USER GOAL. easier for users to find the suitable cabins of their choice and therefore significantly BUSINESS GOAL improve the website's user experience, resulting in higher booking rates.
ROUND ONE
I performed a quick competitor analysis of direct and indirect competitors offering similar products to Cabinscapes. The analysis included identifying their best practices and conducting a SWOT analysis of Cabinscapes.
INTENTION
Learn how other apps are addressing the problems I was trying to solve for this specific case study.
Find out about patterns that work and the areas for improvement (or to be avoided altogether.)
Highlight the best practices.
Have a practical insight into the functionality of the products.
UX RESEARCH
ROUND TWO
I conducted a heuristic evaluation of the site using Jacob Nielsen's 10 heuristics to identify UX/UI flaws. I than conducted usability testing and created a user journey map of the current site by interviewing users who fit the target audience to further improve the site's usability.
INTENTION
Learn if participants are able to complete specified tasks successfully and Identify how long it takes to complete specified tasks with Time on Task test.
Find out how satisfied participants are with the current website and Identify changes required to improve user performance and satisfaction
Determine whether the process flows in a logical way
ROUND THREE
I than conducted a quantitative survey to understand needs and wants of potential customers ,which also gave me a better understanding of the market to gather as many insights as possible.
INTENTION
Clarify and test pre-conceived notions and pain points
Understand met and unmet needs
Hear customer feedback in their own words and voices
Uncover ideas and issues that initially may nay not have been considered – but are important to the customer
COMPETETIVE BENCHMARKING
INTENTION
For this case study, I examined how other apps were tackling the problems I aimed to solve. I reviewed the below mentioned sites to identify effective patterns and areas that needed improvement. My goal was to identify best practices and gain practical insights into how these products function.
Local Competetors
Canadream
Blue Mountain Resort
Killarney Lodge
Algonquin Park
Parks Canada
Yurt Camping
Nature's Harmony
Log Cabin ResortGlobal players
Vrbo (Vacation Rental By Owner)
Booking.com
Expedia
HomeAway
FlipKey
TripAdvisor Rentals
Homestay
Agoda HomesFINDINGS
Interaction design should prioritize simplicity and effectiveness to eliminate clunky user experiences. Information must be organized in a logical and intuitive manner, while smart layout design and convenient features prevent users from feeling overwhelmed.
STRENGTHS
SWOT ANALYSIS
Unique cabins: Cabinscapes offers unique, handcrafted cabins that are situated in stunning natural settings, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for guests.
Sustainable practices: Cabinscapes utilizes eco-friendly building materials and practices, which aligns with the growing trend towards sustainable tourism.
Personalized experience: Cabinscapes offers a personalized experience for guests, with each cabin having its unique design and amenities.
Scenic locations: Cabinscapes is located in some of the most scenic locations in Canada, such as the forests of Ontario, which appeals to guests who want to escape the city and connect with nature.
OPPORTUNITIES
Expansion: Cabinscapes can expand its operations by building more cabins in other locations in Canada, which would increase its customer base and revenue.
Collaboration: Cabinscapes can collaborate with other companies in the tourism industry to offer package deals and create joint marketing campaigns.
Diversification: Cabinscapes can offer additional services such as guided tours, outdoor activities, or food and beverage services to enhance the guest experience.
Online presence: Cabinscapes can increase its online presence and marketing efforts to reach a broader audience and compete with larger companies.
WEAKNESS
Limited availability: Cabinscapes has a limited number of cabins available, which may make it difficult for guests to book a cabin during peak season.
Higher prices: Cabinscapes' unique cabins come at a premium price compared to other cabin rentals in Canada, which may be a barrier for budget-conscious travelers.
Limited amenities: Cabinscapes' cabins offer a rustic experience, and amenities such as Wi-Fi, TVs, or hot tubs are not available in some cabins, which may not appeal to all guests.
Limited geographic reach: Cabinscapes' cabins are located in specific areas of Canada, limiting its geographic reach and potential customer base.
THREATS
Intense competition: Cabinscapes faces competition from other cabin rental companies in Canada, as well as other types of accommodations such as hotels and vacation rentals.
Economic downturn: Economic downturns and recessions can have a significant impact on the tourism industry, leading to a decline in bookings and revenue for Cabinscapes.
Natural disasters: Natural disasters such as wildfires or floods can impact the areas where Cabinscapes operates, leading to cancellations and revenue loss.
Changing consumer preferences: Changing consumer preferences and trends in the tourism industry, such as a growing interest in urban tourism, may impact Cabinscapes' business
Observations & identifying pain points in the current site
Before ideation, it's beneficial to evaluate the current state of a product and determine the issues users are experiencing. I examined the website experience at cabinscpaes to identify pain points during the booking process. To better understand the project, I use the "situation-response-problem" framework, which helps me consider both user and business needs. This approach assists me in making observations and delving deeper into the topic.
The Intention:
Recruit three volunteers and conduct two usability tests on current Cabinscapes site first to find out if they are facing any challenges.
Learn who are the users? What are users' goals and behaviors?
Record the sessions and take diligent notes.
QUANTITATIVE SURVEY FINDINGS
I opted for quantitative user research since it is unbiased and best suited for an existing product. Using data from a cabin community on Facebook, I conducted a remote survey with 38 participants who met the screener prerequisite of having stayed in a cabin before.
PERSONAS
After thoroughly analyzing the research data, I developed a clear understanding of the ideal personas for the project.The purpose of personas is to create reliable and realistic representations of your key audience segments for reference. These personas representations are based on qualitative and some quantitative user research.
After conducting remote surveys, I enlisted six participants who are enthusiastic travelers from a Facebook community to engage in qualitative research. I remotely interacted with them through screen sharing , prompting them to explore the existing website and provide feedback.
This exercise allowed me to identify both frustrations and positive feedback, enabling me to pinpoint pain points and determine the areas requiring immediate improvement. The following are the key insights gathered from the interviews which i turned into HMW statements which i worked on.
NEW HORIZONTAL Filters are shown upfront FOR IMPROVED DISCOVERABILITY
Ensuring that users can quickly find what they were looking for with the help of filters was the primary focus. By making the filters available in the primary view, users can quickly access the filters and narrow down their results.
I redesigned the page by putting the user in the centre by giving them plenty of ways to sort and filter the selection of homes which can drive more bookings.
Intuitive Map
The presentation of search results is very important. Although the current site presents the results and provides basic filters , it doesnt give users the much ability to tailor the selection to their needs or allow them to search around that area without having to start again or amend your search radius.
I added a intuitive map search feature that will help the users easily access the pin-point location of a particular property with map-enabled directions.
Easy search box & Z PATTERN REDESIGN
In the current homepage of Cabinscapes website, the search box doesn’t stand out against all the other elements on the page and its hidden below the fold.
I redesigned the homepage with Z pattern to make it easy for the users to get started, user attention will tend to focus on the search box. Enter destination, check in/out dates and number of guest and you’re in.
Error prevention with auto predict to eliminate slips and errors
The search experience in the old version was missing auto-predict and the overall look and feel of search also needed improvement. With such a large database of cabins and available on Explore, I wanted to ensure users could locate what they were looking for quickly and easily.
The new design includes an auto-complete feature that provides suggestions as the user types, helping them find what they are looking for more quickly and easily. For example, if a student searches for “cabins in Highlands,” they can choose from suggestions in the drop-down menu or see all results for that phrase on the results page.
It reduces errors and saves time by not having to type out the entire query. (this is very key change given the nature of travel industry that has many foreign names to spell and users can get lost in transition)
I redesigned the Cabin detail page including all of the information required for users to gain an overview of a specific cabin. Users can make a more informed decision about which cabin to consider by using data points such as the location, amenities provided, internet speeds, activities nearby etc.
PRIMING
Priming consists of subtle visuals that influence how we respond.
The clean-looking cabin with landscape views lets the users dream about their next trip increasing the chances of a positive experience.
NEW DESIGN
Progressive disclosing the “things to do” section which leads to reduced cognitive load and Related data points are grouped together
The Cabin detail page looks visually appealing and is easy to scan the page
Searching within categories
After few iterations i went bit deeper . I labelling search results for clear distinction between places and cabins. Search results are labeled as either place or Cabin to make it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
This categorisation makes it easy for the users to skim through the results faster. Users can also search for a query within each category. (For instance, they can search for all “cabins)
Decreasing the chances of a ‘No Results’ page
The current site had a search feature that did not provide suggestions or assistance if the search query did not return any results. This made it difficult for users to find the information they were looking for.
Emphasis on internet speeds offered in the cabins for remote working which makes up a whopping 67 % of target audience
Mindful placement and cross selling of related products (Paddle boat rental)
I revamped the shop section with modern aesthetics and incorporated ample negative space to provide more breathing room. The design is minimalistic and streamlined to reduce cognitive load, resulting in increased sales. Additionally, I only featured relevant products for individuals staying in cabins and adventurists.
Visual aspect is very important for travel and cabin booking sites to invoke wanderlust emotions , however the current image presentation laid out in the site stacked numerous images in a grid style which users felt inundating having to scroll through many images and also this image display is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye as the images had no breathing space which adds to cognitive load in the users.
I designed a modern image presentation layout and a shop that doesn't look cluttered and had plenty of breathing space which also looked aesthetcally pleasing to the eye and invoke wanderlust emotions for potential guests.
Almost every interviewer mentioned had some sort of miscommunication while booking with third party booking site who arent equipped with all the answers in regards to what appliances are provided/what to carry , how to get to the cabin ,accesability and safety concern questons etc.
Interviewees were also disappointed to see text heavy pages with long list of never ending drop downs in the current site . I redesigned the interface by using features like symbols which helps users scan the page and i laid out information which clearly and concisely displays what is offered in the cabin.
The guest can now check all amenities offered by cabin in one frame and click on the section thats relevant to them. This way of progressively disclosing relevant information reduces cognitive load and helps make informed decisions
PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE
Encouraging users to move from completing simple actions to executing more complex ones lowers the chances that users will feel overwhelmed.
In this case, i designed simple actions to start with: where to? & Dates? on the landing page
Users expressed confusion in choosing a digital detox package. To facilitate their decision-making process, I introduced curated packages for users to try out. This quick and easy approach allows for simpler decision-making.
Social proof - to instill trust
Cabinscapes has great brand loyalty and 5 star google ratings. But they dont seem to capitalise on this. Although they have reviews section, its buried and hard to navigate to that section.
Positioning the reviews right under cabin details page would give a big push for the potential customer.
It also acts as a quality control mechanism for cabinscapes, as bad reviews will help to weed out the poorer rentals, while the need to attract good reviews offers a powerful incentive for hosts to ensure their customers have a great experience
DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
404 Error redesign - The most negelected of any website page
While i conducted usability study , i found some broken links on the current cabinscapes site, although it displayed 404 error , there isnt a way to go back to previous page or Home screen with a click.
An appealing 404 page offers you a chance to connect visitors with your brand and create an awesome user-experience that leaves them searching through your entire website.I redesigned a new Error page keeping the best practises in mind.
IMPROVED INFORMATION ARCHIECTURE
IMPROVED USER FLOW
PEN ON PAPER + BEHIND THE SCENES
The intention:
Drawing low-fidelity sketches by hand is an efficient way of brainstorming the final screen designs. This allowed me to focus only on the general layout and function of each screen and how they will bring solutions to noted pain points from the analysis stage.
WIREFRAMES
HIGH FIDELITY SCREENS
LANDING PAGE
KEY LEARNINGS:
Improving Cabinscapes was a great experience. I contributed to a meaningful digital product and reflected on unique approach, areas for improvement, and highlights.
Convenience is key
Consider adding filters that will speed up the search process. Time is precious and a user is not going to enjoy excessively scrolling for important information.
Always value transparency
Earn user trust early on by stating policies clearly and offering transparent pricing, fostering brand integrity.
Keep it simple and logical
Folks can quickly feel overwhelmed by cluttered interfaces or wordy descriptions. Rely on basic design principles to create clean and smart layouts– organizing information in a way that is intuitive to users.
KEY FINDINGS
GAMIFICATION
A loyalty-based reward system for cabin bookings incentivizes more reservations, leveraging gamification inspired by 'Pokemon Go' to enhance the hotel experience using AR games.
SOCIAL AWARENESS
A tree-planting reward system encourages guests to participate in afforestation and home gardening. This creates organic word-of-mouth marketing for Cabinscapes.
AUGMENTED REALITY
AR in cabin bookings enhances the guest experience through immersive storytelling, providing a preview of the cabin before booking and boosting providers' competitiveness.