Introduction

OnBoard was a quarter-long class project conducted for COGS 123: Social Computing. Our team created OnBoard primarily as a way to investigate the complexities behind social interactions.

The Team

Adeline, Thuy, Jamelene, Kim

Timeline

January 2023 - March 2023

About OnBoard

<aside> ✈️ OnBoard is a collaborative travel planning app that allows traveling groups to post pictures, questions, videos, yelp links, and more related to their next trip onto a moodboard to help them brainstorm and interact with each other to plan for their trip!

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<aside> 💡 Read about our full design process here!

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01. The Problem

OnBoard is curated towards groups of travelers planning to travel together and seek a more effective & interactive method to plan their trips. OnBoard may interest frequent travelers, adventure seekers, and people that want to travel to new places and explore different cultures.

We recognized a problem in the travel planning process, which is primarily facilitated through groupchats. This can be problematic because:

• Lack of structure: Group chats can be chaotic and confusing -> Difficult to keep track of different conversations and information all happening at once
• Decision-making: With multiple people involved -> Challenging to keep track of conflicting opinions and preferences
• Limited context: Group chats are usually limited to texting -> No visual images to convey thoughts/ideas

<aside> ❓ How might we make travel planning more fun and collaborative?

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02. User Research

First, we performed user research to identify whether or not travelers struggled with planning and itinerary building. Using the master-apprentice model, we developed a Google Forms survey to gauge people’s travel preferences, motivations, and experiences.

Here are some of the most important insights we received from the survey:

Key Insights

Travel Planning Habits

20 of 24 interviewees typically travel with a group

5 of 24 interviewees mention using multiple platforms to create travel plans

Social Dynamics of Travel Planning

9 of 24 interviewees mention having difficulty coordinating while making plans with a group

Travel Interests

15 of 22 interviewees would be willing to meet other travelers in public spaces

We learned that the majority of people travel in groups and that it is not uncommon for planners to rely on multiple platforms to create travel plans. This highlighted potential factors that contribute to a stressful planning experience.

For this question, people wrote about dealing with "different habits" and "competing interests". This solidified our assumption that many travelers struggle to make plans in a group setting.

This informed us about specific interests travelers have, and emphasized traveling as a highly social activity.