Ecotravel: Sustainable Travel Mobile App

Project Overview

A collaborative group project developing a digital solution for sustainable travel, conducted as part of my Master’s in User Experience Design at Falmouth University.

Duration: August 2022
Role: UI/UX Designer
Team: Remote collaboration across three time zones
Category: Mobile Design

The Challenge

Design a mobile application to help environmentally conscious travellers make more sustainable choices whilst maintaining convenience and accessibility in their travel planning.

My Contributions

Research & Strategy

• Market Research: Conducted comprehensive analysis of the sustainable travel industry, examining competitor apps, broader market trends, and the impact of COVID-19 and greenwashing within the sector
• Problem Statement Development: Led the synthesis of brainstorming sessions and user feedback into a focused problem statement that evolved through team collaboration and user validation
• Research Documentation: Created detailed market background documents to provide context for stakeholder decision-making

Design & Accessibility

• Accessibility Review: Identified initial colour selections that failed to meet accessibility standards and proposed alternative palette solutions
• Design System Setup: Established initial master files for pitch construction based on the developing style guide
• Visual Enhancement: Added animations to illustrations and explored Lottie animations to enhance presentation quality

Team Collaboration

• Cross-functional Communication: Navigated the challenges of remote teamwork across different time zones and varying experience levels
• Process Documentation: Contributed to ethics form development and survey distribution strategies
• Knowledge Sharing: Proposed collaborative tools (FigJam) and facilitated team workflow organisation

Process & Methodology

Research Phase

• Conducted user surveys and interviews to understand traveller pain points
• Performed competitor analysis of existing sustainable travel solutions
• Developed user personas representing different types of eco-conscious travellers

Design Development

• Created user journey maps and task flows
• Developed low-fidelity wireframes progressing to high-fidelity prototypes
• Conducted usability testing and iterated based on feedback
• Established design system with accessible colour palette and typography

Team Dynamics

Following Tuckman’s model of team development, our group experienced forming, storming, norming, and performing phases. Key challenges included:

• Balancing different experience levels within the team
• Managing workflow across time zones
• Building trust through transparent communication

Key Learnings

Team Collaboration

• Communication is Critical: Learned the importance of frequent, clear communication in virtual teams to build trust and prevent work duplication
• Process Following: Experienced tension between following academic UX processes and leveraging team members’ existing experience
• Cultural Adaptability: Developed skills in adapting to different working styles and time constraints

Design Process

• Research Synthesis: Gained experience in distilling complex user research into actionable insights
• Accessibility First: Reinforced the importance of considering accessibility from the initial design phases
• Iterative Design: Learned to balance user feedback with design vision through multiple iteration cycles

Professional Development

• Remote Collaboration: Developed proficiency in virtual design collaboration tools and methodologies
• Academic Rigour: Applied theoretical frameworks (team development models, UX principles) to practical design challenges
• Reflective Practice: Established habits of critical self-reflection on design decisions and team dynamics

Reflection

This project provided valuable experience in collaborative UX design within an academic framework. The challenge of working across time zones with team members of varying experience levels taught important lessons about communication, trust-building, and process management that have informed my subsequent professional practice.

The experience highlighted the delicate balance between following established UX methodologies and adapting to real-world constraints, preparing me for the complexities of professional design environments.

---

Tools Used: Figma, Miro, Discord, ClickUp
Research Methods: User interviews, surveys, competitor analysis, card sorting
Design Methods: Journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing