Okay Journey

Okay Journey specializes in bus travel throughout Nepal. The goal was to create a web application designed to make ticket booking easy and safe for residents and tourists visting Nepal to use.

Problem

The webpage was already designed for Okay Journey, however, they wanted to implement usability testing before launching their site to the public. The client wanted to identify pain points the user may encounter while booking their bus ticket. I discovered three problems:

The information regarding Nepal was incorrect
The reviews did not stand out
Users were having trouble completing the booking process

Solution

The team and I created a prototype that would be tested for participants. After usability testing was conducted, I decided to update Okay Journey's website based on user feedback. What I included in the new design was:

Changed the imagery to reflect cultural authenticity
Introduced a Call to Action and created a section for reviews
Minimized the booking procedure and added iconography for simplified navigation

Tools

Figma
lookback.io
Invision
Google Suite

My Role

Lead UX/UI Designer (Team of 5)

User Stories

The primary objective of Okay Journey was to have tourists or residents of Nepal purchase a bus ticket through the website. While reviewing the main objective, we identified four user stories.

As a user, I want to evaluate the Okay Journey homepage.
As a user, I want to learn more about Okay Journey.
As a user, I want to purchase a bus ticket.
As a user, I want to access the blog.

Once we concluded what the user stories were going to be, I assigned the team to different flows. My responsibility was to assist my teammate with the development of the booking page, which involved four screens in total. We divided the screens between us, each tackling two screens.

Usability Testing

After the prototype was completed, I organized an unmoderated test using lookback.io. The goal was to enlist participants who traveled internationally and lived locally in Nepal. We recruited 9 participants through Slack groups and mutual friends who have traveled to Nepal or currently live in Nepal. The qualitative data collected revealed three major findings:

Inaccurate information about Nepal
Navigating the booking page
Lack of reviews

With this information, the team and I implemented these updates:

Adding a Call to Action (CTA) button for reviews
Placing a back button for simple navigation
Incorporating photography for location in Nepal
Developed an interactive feature for seat selection
Condensed the booking page process

44% of users wanted to see reviews

33% of users revealed misfortune

44% of users did not fully book a ticket

Style Guide

Components

1/13

Before and After Redesign

The booking page proved to be the most challenging. I communicated with the client, designers, and product manager multiple times until we all agreed on the outcome. This process was difficult but I understood the significance of designing this page with everyone coming to a consensus. I ensured the booking page consisted of:

An accurate depiction of the passenger bus
Displaying amenities included with their purchase
Offering various forms of payment
Consolidating booking information on one screen
Including the back and exit button
Staying true to the theme of Okay Journey

After constant updates, the client approved the final design. Throughout the high-fidelity stage, I attentively listened to everyone's design thinking strategies. Although the booking page required more time and effort, I am pleased with my progress throughout this experience.

Before

After

Developer Hand Off

After crafting new changes to Okay Journey's design, the team and I worked together to create the developer handoff. I compiled notes that detailed the function of the back, exit, and pay now buttons. I used a variation of Dev Mode and the "Measure It" plugin in Figma to mark the last two pages of "Booking A Ticket". After reviewing everyone's screens, I delivered them to the developers promptly.

My Thoughts

When I was assigned to become a leader on this project, I didn't know what to expect. I was always told to do things outside of my comfort zone. From my previous projects, I understood the best characteristics of someone who wants to lead a team. I knew I wanted to encourage open communication, and active listening and support the team with anything they needed. The project advanced smoothly after hosting weekly meetings, supplying deadlines, and working with everyone productively to ensure a positive outcome.

If we had more time on this assignment, I would have liked to explore different UI patterns. There were many ways to create a credit card application, seat selection, and develop a search bar to locate bus routes. The team provided excellent insights for different confirmation screens, payment layouts, and enabling premium versus economy seating. With the amount of information and strategies we researched, we could have created an even better travel application.

After working on Okay Journey, my goal is to keep working with users who wish to enhance their traveling experience. Planning a trip can become stressful without proper research and an overwhelming number of options. I want to empathize with users and provide a hospitable experience for anyone looking to book their ticket to paradise.