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Bridging connections for solo travelers
User Research | Product Design | Behavioral Design | Business Design
Solo travelers often struggle to break the ice and forge meaningful connections in unfamiliar settings, leading to isolation and missed opportunities for enriching shared experiences. How can we transform solitude into a bridge to connection and unforgettable adventures?
Our innovative ecosystem of the badge and app transform hostels into vibrant hubs of connection, seamlessly pairing travelers with shared interests and encouraging interaction through gamified features, glowing signals, and event notifications—making every moment an opportunity for adventure and belonging.
“Traveling solo does not always mean you’re alone.
Most often, you meet marvellous people along the way and make connections that last a lifetime.”
– Jacqueline Boone
ABOUT PROJECT
Our project reimagines the solo travel experience by creating opportunities for meaningful connections among like-minded adventurers. With a thoughtfully designed platform, solo travelers can effortlessly engage with fellow explorers, share experiences, and uncover hidden local gems together.
By breaking down barriers to interaction, our solution transforms hostels into vibrant communities where every moment is an opportunity for shared discovery and lasting connections. Seamlessly blending digital and physical elements, our design fosters a sense of belonging, turning solo journeys into enriching adventures.
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I spearheaded user interviews and ethnographic research to develop the traveler engagement model, created ecosystem maps to identify stakeholder dynamics, designed the journey map to visualize interactions, and led prototyping of the app interface and badge system to ensure seamless integration.
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This project enhanced my ability to design holistic solutions that address both social and functional needs. I learned to navigate the intersection of digital and physical design, bridging gaps between user aspirations and practical implementation. By mastering tools for storytelling and user engagement, I gained the skills to craft solutions that foster meaningful connections in diverse environments.
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To ensure feasibility, the project prioritized intuitive functionality over excessive customization. Certain features were simplified to maintain accessibility, while resources were focused on key elements like the badge and app integration to deliver maximum impact. Trade-offs were made to balance innovation with practicality, ensuring smooth execution.
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Decoding the diverse needs of solo travelers while synthesizing user insights into actionable strategies was a complex task. Balancing cultural sensitivity with universal design principles demanded thoughtful iteration. Aligning team ideas during ideation sessions and managing evolving technological requirements added layers of complexity, but ultimately enhanced collaboration and innovation.
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Documenting real-time user testing and test data for future reference. Incorporating deeper insights into sustainability and exploring gamified features further would enrich future projects. Building stronger collaborations with hostel management and local communities could enhance the system’s overall effectiveness.
What we know about solo travel..
“A building or room set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other material for reading, viewing, listening, study, borrowing or reference.”
Repository of information and knowledge
Calm and quiet spaces to read, study and work
Access to technology and internet for work and research
Stakeholder map
This stakeholder map unveils the dynamic and intricate ecosystem shaping solo traveler hostels.
Together, these stakeholders weave a collaborative network that transforms hostels into vibrant, community-driven hubs, redefining solo travel with connection, inclusion, and shared adventure.
Modes of Investigation
User Interviews
To understand solo travelers, we immersed ourselves in their experience by staying at a hostel in Udaipur, observing, and engaging with travelers of various ages. Our primary research included interviews with travelers, hostel staff, travel agents, and other professionals, using tools like visual metaphors, shadowing, and metaphorical questions. We discovered that while hostels recognize the need for interaction points and organize events for guests, these efforts often lack the motivation needed to drive meaningful participation, highlighting an opportunity for improved engagement strategies.
Visualizing Data
Tourism Industry In India
Visual Metaphor And Personal Interview Data
The image captures research insights through categorized notes and diagrams, highlighting key patterns, challenges, and opportunities in solo travel. It serves as a strategic foundation for fostering meaningful connections and enhancing traveler experiences.
What Is Travel For People Of Different Age Group
Problem Areas And Reasons For Solo Travel
Expert Interview Data
Emerging Insights
This section connects traveler feedback with deeper motivations, revealing desires for adventure, independence, and personal growth. It emphasizes fostering achievement, belonging, and identity to enhance solo travel experiences, aligning with the project's goals.
So what do the travelers actually seek?
Achievement
Reward
Security
Appreciation
Connection
Design Direction
A new experience for the travelers by helping them CREATE AN IDENTITY and fulfilling their innate desire to CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS and BE HEARD.
How Might We…
Act as a shed to the travellers and Provide them with support.
motivate the travellers and give something to look forward to.
Provide emotional connections and stability
Concept Board
To develop the feeling of achievement within the travellers by designing an experience where their deepest desires of being heard to and appreciated will be fulfilled.
Initial Concepts
Design Intervention
Future Journey Concept
This journey map illustrates the seamless integration of the app and badge system into the solo traveler's hostel experience. The app facilitates bookings, exploration of local attractions, and connections with others, while the badge enhances interactions by glowing and vibrating near like-minded travelers, making connections effortless.
Information Architecture
Initial App Wireframe
This app wireframe outlines a seamless user journey, starting with login and personalized personality quizzes. It features a landing page with announcements, events, and activities, a search tool for locations, and notifications for potential connections. The profile page tracks user activity, connections, and reviews, fostering engagement both within the app and at the hostel. The design gamifies connections, simplifies ice-breaking, and creates a cohesive platform for meaningful interactions.
"Every conversation starts with an opening—just like quotation marks, they set the tone for shared stories and new friendships."
Badge Form - Ideations
Forms were thoughtfully designed to evoke and symbolize emotions associated with a sense of achievement. The final design draws inspiration from quotation marks (”), representing the beginning of a new story or meaningful journey.
Travellers’ Badge
The glowing badge symbolizes a sense of reward and accomplishment, enhancing human connections rather than replacing them. It serves as a bridge to foster meaningful interactions and strengthen bonds between individuals.
