GoGo
Responsive location-based web app
Ditch the tour bus, go with GoGo.
How do you tune into the pulse of a place?
The Challenge
Today’s travelers want more than a vacation. They want personalized, in-the-know experiences that leave the beaten path behind and allow them to experience new locations in intimate ways on their own terms. And with global FOMO levels rising every day, they want to experience the best that any city has to offer and avoid overhyped tourist traps, all without being constricted to overbearing itineraries.
The Solution
Predesigned walking routes curated by personal interest will allow GoGo users to explore new cities on their own terms, navigate overwhelming options, and uncover the social, cultural, and architectural stories that cities have to tell.
The Approach
GoGo was designed with the user in mind, through a research-driven and iterative process.
I began with competitor research to better understand the existing landscape for apps focused on providing travelers with GPS-guided experiences in order to better define GoGo’s niche.
I then moved on to user interviews, in which I spoke with a range of demographic audiences to understand what they found most valuable (and most frustrating) in navigating new cities. These formed the basis of three key user personas, which guided decision-making for key jobs-to-be-done and user flow development.
Finally, a visual style guide was developed, wireframes were sketched, and user testing was conducted to inform the design of final product mockups.
Step 1: Competitor Research
Google Maps
Navigate and find information on businesses and restaurants across the globe.
👍 Real-time info and GPS directions
👎 No built-in walking tours
GPSmyCity
Explore over 1,400 cities through self-guided map and tours.
👍 Downloadable walking tours
👎 In-app ads interrupt experience
👎 Clunky aesthetic
Roadtrippers
Plan road trips across national parks, find local attractions, and avoid tourist traps.
👍 Clear value statement
👎 Cluttered design and over-stuffed features
👎 Confusing iconography
Step 2: User Interviews and Persona Generation
Anya R.
• 55-year-old native of Berkeley, CA
• Looking for new ways to connect with her hometown through walking tours that showcase human stories
• Knows that her home city has more stories to offer, but lacks motivation to go find them
Sequoia L.
• 35-year-old based in Boston, MA
• Enjoys connecting with cities through a balance of cultural outings, vintage shopping, and selfie spots
• Finds navigating new modes of public transit frustrating
Steve M.
• 31-year-old based in Los Angeles, CA
• Culturally omnivorous traveler who connects with new cities and places through music, food, and history
• Suffers from major case of FOMO and always feels he’s missing out no matter where he spends his time
Step 3: User Flows
Key functions were defined based on user personas, including the ability to search for walking tours by city, category of interest, or current location; creating a user profile and filling out an interest survey for curated tour recommendations; and adding walking tours to personalized maps. These were mapped out in individual user flows and then joined together in a master user flow blueprint via Figma.
Step 4: Low-Fidelity Wireframes and User Testing
Each key screen from each key function was then sketched as a low-fidelity wireframe in Procreate. These wireframes were loaded into InVision to create an interactive prototype, which was shared with users for testing. User feedback was a crucial consideration as wireframes were further refined in the next steps.
User Prototype Feedback
👍 Clear flow and logical interaction
👍 Clear value proposition
👎 Iconography unclear
👎 Lack of back/home button
Step 5: Mid-Fidelity Wireframes and User Testing
User feedback was implemented as wireframes were refined in Adobe XD.
Step 6: Brand Style Guide
With the skeleton of GoGo’s key screens defined, it was time to develop the skin.To ensure that GoGo would be an app that users would want to return to again and again, color palette, typography, and iconography were selected to create a sense of controlled adventure.
Step 7: Final Product Mockups
Screen architecture and brand guidelines were brought together in the final, high-res product mockups, which were designed at a series of three key breakpoints and built in Adobe XD and Photoshop.
Ꝏ The Future of GoGo
As the tourism industry slowly reopens after a pandemic hiatus, people are more hungry than ever for unique travel experiences that center their needs. GoGo is well positioned to help users make the most of the moment.
Next steps would include investigation of monetization through partnerships with local businesses and in-app purchases.