DESIGN LEAD, UX, PRODUCT STRATEGY
ABOUT
A group of six designers was given the task to reimagine what the future of Agoda’s mobile app could be. The project was purely exploratory, but structured with the intention to scale any findings that could increase brand recognition with the viability of actually being incorporated into the product. We embarked on a four week journey in a project internally known as Solar, and came up with three radical directions and a world of possibilities to enhance the travel experience.
Process
Working within limited timelines has substantial effects in tangible results. With design sprints set in place and frequent check ins, we were able to establish three unique approaches when redesigning our product: near, mid, and long-term. Each of these also corresponded to the degree of closeness to the current existing product, with Earth being as close to the product as it was, Mars representing a mid-deviation from the existing product, and Jupiter being the furthest possible relation to the mobile app. To begin, we assessed multiple references into the current state of product.
Chart showing least to most desirable qualities as corresponding to level of importance for an integral user experience (representative of internal survey).
1st Approach: Earth
The first team focused on a clean design, with a receding UI that enhanced useful information for the user, while prominently portraying depictions of property options. This direction most closely retained existing Agoda brand elements, typography, and content (messaging, ratings, etc).
Redefining MVP
Product Consistency
Product screens depicting different steps of the booking experience.
2nd Approach: Mars
Loading results, search box, and bottom nav.
Infusing Brand Elements Through Microanimations
The second team, Mars, focused on enhancing user interactivity as reinforced through microanimations. One challenging component of designing for the Agoda brand in a mobile context, was to resolve brand presence (the five dots) with a clean, aesthetically user-friendly UI. These animations, transitions, and subtle affirmations of user actions yielded results which were implemented into the mobile product upon the conclusion of this experiment.
3rd Approach: Jupiter
The third and final direction in the experiment consisted in providing the most immersive, linear discovery experience for the user. It incorporated video, a card-based system, and a nature inspired color palette to switch an often stressful UX to more of a discovery experience as led by the following tenets.
“Define basic principles to enhance the travel experience in subtle ways.”
Product Tenets / KPIs
Visual research, color palette derived from natural hues.
Immersive Experience From Landing
By incorporating dynamic elements from the first screen, the user engages in a more immersive and discovery-driven experience representative of physical travel.
Product Demo
Product Funnel
The approach made use of existing brand elements by pushing them as much as possible within a usable user interface. An expandable card based system also allowed for a linear exploration of accommodation options.
Credits: Ali Lee, UX / Siwat Vatatiyaporn, Designer / Nanmulti, Animation / Lynn Chen, Animation / Tintin, Designer / Haeji An, UI / Fendy Ibrahim, UX / Muhhamad Athar, Creative Technologist
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