PASSAGE
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ROLE
UX Design Student at iXperience
TEAM
Gabby Hoefer
TOOLS
Wireframing
Benchmark Analysis
Prototyping
User Interviews
Logo Creation
DURATION
Summer 2017
(2 months)
OVERVIEW
Passage is a fictitious keycard application.
Challenge: How might I optimize guest's lodging experience across multiple hotels?

Design Goals
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Create an entirely new app concept to optimize hotel efficiency
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Identify pain points travelers have when staying in hotels
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Develop an app that can be modified to work across multiple hotels
Personal Goals
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Push myself creatively to develop an entirely new application from scratch
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Center my design around the consumer through testing
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Gain a better understanding of the UX design process as a whole
BACKGROUND RESEARCH
I surveyed 31 frequent travelers to better understand their needs, and identified pain points users currently have during their hotel experience.
Before I begin designing, let's figure out who I'm designing for.
1
2
3
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How might I develop an app to help travelers have a more relaxing stay?
How might I develop a versatile app that works across multiple hotel companies?
Will an easy check in app stimulate delight in adults staying in hotels?
4x
Participants travel 4x per year on average
100%
All participants have hotel experience
20
Mean age of users surveyed was 20
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Starting with a pen and paper, I developed wireframes which eventually lead to A/B testing of different features.



A/B TEST RESULTS
Find the Settings?
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In both versions of the design, 100% of users struggled to find the Do Not Disturb settings.
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Recommendation: Simpler design layout is needed
Slide or Tap?
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60% of people prefer the button over the slide up.
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Slide is a better visual design, but worse user experience.
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Recommendation: Keep the tap


Multiple Hotels?
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Users wondered about checking in to multiple rooms, such as when families stay in adjacent rooms.
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This was a current feature, but users still questioned it.
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Recommendation: easily accessible keycard switch and implement methods to increase user trust
Next I designed and tested the initial mockups.
USER RESEARCH
Users consistently reported several pain points in their hotel experience, which Passage can help alleviate.
Some things I learned along the way. And some ways to fix them.
01
EXPERIENCE
ENTERING THE HOTEL
Problem: Waiting in Line to Check In
When on vacation, guests want to maximize their time. Users reported frustration throughout the entire check in process.
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Solution: Guests check in directly on their phone, so they can begin sightseeing right when the plane lands.
Problem: Lugging Around Luggage
Users struggled finding a place for their luggage while waiting for their room to be available.
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Solution: Guests reserve in advance, so they can skip stopping at the hotel first if the room is unavailable.
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02
EXPERIENCE
STAYING IN THE ROOM
Problem: Losing the Key
Our study revealed 44% of users lost their keys in the past month. This wastes time and hotel resources.
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Solution: Room keys are digital. Everything is conveniently located online, at any time.
Problem: Housekeeping disturbances
After an exciting night in the city, users forgot about do not disturb signs and were woken up the next morning.
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Solution: Digital do not disturb with a notification just in case guest's forget to set preferences the night before.
Try Out My Prototype!
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Click through the Passage prototype to the left, or view the screens more closely below.
DESIGN OUTCOME
Big takeaway: for travelers, time is worth more than gold.
My research revealed travelers value their time above all else. As a result, simplicity and efficiency were key components of my design.