SimplyGo
SimplyGo is a comprehensive travel app that makes your travel stress free by streamlining visa management, providing real-time updates, and offering advanced airport navigation for check-ins. It ensures seamless flight connectivity with real-time tracking and guidance during delays, along with personalised insights and expert assistance for an enhanced travel experience.
Product Experience
Problem Statement
How might we make international travel enjoyable and stress-free so that travellers can explore the world with confidence and ease, leaving behind the hassles of visa management, airport navigation, and flight connectivity?
Problem Background
The target customers encompass a broad age range, with a particular focus on individuals aged 18-44 who frequently (4-6 times/year), occasionally (1-3 times/year) or rarely (once a year) travel internationally. The problem we are addressing revolves around the myriad difficulties encountered during international travel, especially managing visa and document requirements, flight check-ins and efficiently navigating airports.
The world is becoming increasingly interconnected leading to the demand for international travel. According to AAA booking data, international travel is up more than 200% compared to 2022. The World Travel and Tourism Council in December 2017 identified that affluence, demographic shifts, convenience, and awareness are among the major drivers in the increase in global tourism. Due to these factors, the need for ease of travel to overcome the barriers of frustration and unwanted expense is also in demand.
However, the existing tools and resources for travellers often fall short in addressing their needs effectively. With technological advancements and the growing reliance on mobile apps make this an opportune moment to provide an all-inclusive travel app to enhance the travel experience.
During the user research, 95% of the participants confirmed the existence of these challenges and the need for an app that will cater to their needs. 70% of the travellers interviewed faced challenges in managing visa and document requirements for multiple destinations, flight check-ins and schedules. 60% also confirmed they had sought expert assistance in the visa applications, form reviews, and travel planning in the past.
As of now, there is no effective solution that has addressed passport and visa completeness related difficulties, flight schedules and airport navigation, and expert advice all in one place. Current tools and resources for travellers often fall short in addressing their needs. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, leading to more international travel. Technology and mobile app usage have become integral in planning and executing trips, making this the perfect moment to introduce a comprehensive travel app. The insights from the research confirmed the existence of these issues, making it evident that addressing them is essential for enhancing the travel experience.
User Pain Points
Visa and Document Management
- Travellers experience frustration and anxiety managing visa and document requirements for multiple destinations.
- Navigating the various prerequisites leads to confusion and increased stress during trip planning.
Airport Navigation
- Users’ express difficulty in finding their way within airports, often resulting in missed check-ins and gates.
- Lack of guidance within airports contributes to heightened travel stress and time pressure.
Flight Connectivity
- Late arrivals and missed connections pose significant challenges, leading to increased anxiety and uncertainty among travellers.
- Insufficient guidance during flight delays or missed connections causes further stress and confusion.
Expert Assistance
- Travellers frequently struggle with visa applications, form reviews, and reservations, requiring timely expert support.
- Accessing reliable expert assistance remains a significant pain point during travel planning.
Supporting Data
We conducted user interviews and online surveys among 34 people. the findings from this research revealed that:
- 70% embark on international travel occasionally(1-3 times/year),16.7% travel frequently(4-6 times/year) and 13.3% rarely travel (1 time/year)
- 87% of surveyed travellers found visa and document management to be the most challenging aspect of trip planning.
- 92% expressed the need for a tool to easily locate their check-in counter and gate within airports.
- 79% of respondents reported experiencing increased stress due to missed connections or late arrivals.
- 93.3% participants are willing to use the SimplyGo app that will address the issues, some also provided valuable suggestions and positive feedback which can be used to refine the app’s design and features.
Feedback
An overwhelming 93.3% of participants expressed their willingness to use the proposed travel app. This high level of interest validated the potential user adoption of the app, encouraging further development efforts.
Landing on the Solution
Based on the pain points identified. The survey responses revealed significant challenges in managing visa and document requirements, relying on airline notifications for flight information, and seeking expert assistance. These pain points became focal points for the solution development, guiding us to address the most critical issues faced by international travellers.
Explanation of Solution
SimplyGo is a comprehensive travel app designed to streamline the international travel experience. Simplifying visa and document management, the app provides real-time updates and checklists for multiple destinations, ensuring users are well-prepared. It automates flight check-in reminders, offers real-time flight schedules, and notifies users of gate changes, reducing reliance on airline notifications. Travellers can connect with experienced travel experts within the app, eliminating the need for external assistance during visa applications and travel planning. With interactive airport navigation maps and a unified platform, SimplyGo empowers users with a stress-free and well-prepared journey.
User Flows/Mockups
Future Steps
In future, I plan to implement continuous improvement and refinement of the app through attentive consideration of user feedback, guaranteeing a seamlessly evolving experience. Drawing from the insights gained during this program and recognizing the global demand for such a solution, as evidenced by user research, I foresee a trajectory of global expansion. This expansion will entail exploring new markets and customising the app to meet the diverse needs of an international audience.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Jessica Buah
I am very new to product management, my experience with Co.Lab was incredibly hands-on. The weekly assignments and meetings provided a dynamic learning environment that kept me engaged and challenged. Initially hesitant about building in public, the Co.Lab experience has shifted my perspective. I gained valuable insights into user interviews, research methodologies, creating MVPs, and crafting the spec document, among other essential skills. Above all, I'm thankful for the meaningful connections I've established through this experience.
Designer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Developers Learnings:
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