Ghumfir : Companion Finder
UX/UI . Web and App Design .
Project Overview
‘Ghumfir: Companion Finder’ is a platform where users are provided with an option to find the companion having similar interest according to preferred month, location, duration, budget range, gender, age group. This system will help the travelers to find partner who are trying to find some companion so that they would not have fear to travel alone.
My Role
UX, UI Designer
Project Duration
May 2022 - Sep 2022
Tools
Google Docs, Forms, Figma, Photoshop
Platform
Website and Mobile App
Skills Applied
Survey, Paper & Digital Wireframing, Low and High Fidelity Prototyping, Usability Studies, Design Iterations
The Problem
In this Virtual World now, people do not have friends available when they want to travel when they want/are free. And solo travelling is not much exciting than travelling with companion. Solo travelers often get cheated and do not have idea where to travel and stay.
The Objective
Motivating for secure travel with a companion recommending according to user’s common interest which is hassle free and boost socialization among people. Growth of tourism-oriented service providers which would help to promote internal tourism as well. Motivating people by providing opportunities to explore places.
Design Thinking Process
The process widely used for design thinking which is non-linear and helped me structure my solution in a creative way.
Initial Research
As part of research process we clearly outline the goals of the research, determined what insights are wanted to gather about the target audience, their preferences, and their needs for finding travel companions. For this purpose we conducted a survey within our college and friends’ groups which helped us in data collection and analysis. We also had our own brainstorming session and insights in our group since this was the group project for the final semester.
Starting with demographics, What is your age? What is your gender?
How frequently do you travel in a year?
What type of travel do you prefer? (e.g., leisure, adventure, cultural, etc.)
Do you prefer traveling solo or with companions?
Have you ever faced difficulties in finding suitable travel companions?
How important is it for you to have travel companions with similar interests?
What are the key factors you consider when choosing a travel companion? (e.g., shared interests, budget compatibility, gender, etc.)
Would you be interested in using an online platform that helps you find travel companions with similar interests?
What are your favorite travel destinations or types of places you enjoy visiting?
What is your typical budget range for travel (per day or per trip)?
How important is it to have a secure and trustworthy platform for finding travel companions?
What features would you expect from a companion finder platform like 'Ghumfir'? Do you have any additional suggestions or features you would like to see?
Summary
The research for 'Ghumfir: Companion Finder' aimed to understand the needs and preferences of potential users seeking like-minded travel companions. The platform's objective is to connect users based on shared interests, preferred travel parameters, gender, age group, and budget range.
We found out to have focus on developing a user-centric interface with an emphasis on user profiles, interest matching, and security features.
Pain Points
1
Hassle finding trips
Users are unknown about the perfect time and season of the specific place where they are trying to travel.
2
Finding Suitable Companions
Frustration in finding travel companions who share similar interests, travel schedules, and budget ranges.
3
Trust and Security concerns
Many users highlighted their concerns about safety and trust when considering traveling with strangers.
4
Risks and
frauds
Solo Travelers often get cheated, they are unaware about where to travel and stay.
Research sprint
Since this was a group project for our last semester, we had group discussions of insights and ideas, classify all the insights gathered from survey and research. We had research and mapped out competitors and then conducted SWOT analysis and Competitive Analysis.
Key insights
Based on the competitive analysis of existing platforms, the key insights that we could focus on are to boost socialization of people matching the interest to have partner for traveling, promote internal tourism with proper information about the place of travel, to make secure and safe travel with KYC verifications.
user journey map
Next, after having clear idea for the approach we decided to create a user journey map to demonstrate how helpful it would be for user to navigate from start to finish. Dived into task for understanding the user using Problem Statements and User Journey Maps.
Key insights
Mapping with user journey to make an user flow for the system. I compared with what are the value other apps offer and what are their benefits.
Wireframe
Lets do the rough!
I started with quick paper wireframe then converted to Digital Lo-Fi wireframe so that I align with the context and contents. After multiple times, I came up with the following outlook of the website so that it would be an early idea for how would it look.
As the initial design phase initiated, we first started with the website approach.
After the Home page was finalized we then moved to Sign up and Log in screens.
now lets define the final design’s visual aspects
I created moodboards, and defined the visual style which includes logo, color pallete, typography, icon, grids and icons that will be used in the design.
Mockup
Finally, moving to the actual User Interface. Early designs allowed some customization, but after the usability studies, I made UI more clean so that user can get more results.
Please feel free to see the Figma file using the link provided below,
Ghumfir : Travel Companion
key takeaways and learnings
Adopting a user-centric approach to create a platform that addresses the specific requirements of travelers seeking compatible companions, enhancing their overall experience.
Providing a comprehensive parameter matching system and level of personalization that can lead to more successful travel pairings.
Building trust and ensuring user safety by incorporating robust verification mechanisms, user reviews, and safety guidelines to instill confidence among users.
Facilitating seamless and secure communication within the platform for users to interact with potential companions effectively. An intuitive and user-friendly messaging system can contribute to increased user engagement.
Community building and User Engagement through forums, events, and discussions can create a vibrant and supportive ecosystem, attracting more users and enhancing loyalty.
If you would like to talk about a project and work together, drop me your message!
I am happy to connect with you.