Hermex Travels App: The Future of Journey Planning

Introduction

In today's fast-paced world, travel is essential for leisure, business, or adventure. Technology has transformed travel planning, with travel agency apps becoming crucial tools that simplify and enhance the process. This case study explores how these advanced apps are revolutionizing travel planning, improving user experience, and offering seamless travel experiences.

The Rise of Travel Agency Apps

The travel industry has undergone remarkable changes over the past decade, largely driven by technological advancements. According to a recent report, over 70% of travelers use mobile apps to plan their trips.

These apps not only allow users to book flights and accommodations but also enable them to create personalized itineraries. Features such as price comparison, user reviews, and exclusive deals are now just a tap away, allowing travelers to quickly gather the information they need.

How is Hermex Travels changing the booking process?

Hermex Travels, offers AI-powered flight and hotel booking, visa consultations (with Schengen Visa), and curated global getaways through local and international partnerships. This case study details my UX/UI design process for the initial app version and planned updates.

Desk Research

MVP: An online agency specializing in flights and hotels, using AI as the primary tool to ensure the most current booking information is prioritized.

Addition features include:

• Activities section: One of the three main components.

• Loyalty points (Hermex Tokens): ** Earned for friend referrals or saving for trips.

• AI Chatbot Herssa: Assists with trip planning, upgrades, and alerts.

• Visa consultation: Schengen Visas.

Future features:

• Car rental/driver pick-up and drop-off.

• Weekly planner.

• Conversation translator and phrase library.

Once the features attributed to Hermex were solidified, the next challenge was to find a way to integrate what had been previously done with what I was going to do in order to establish a well-rounded application.

Of course, I needed to map out what was already completed and incorporate the necessary elements. The application provided a substantial amount of information, making it easier to identify and implement the required components.

User flows and Wireframes

To effectively integrate elements from both past and future interfaces, I employed two methods: first, user flows, and then transforming the commands into appropriate wireframes. I used previously created wireframes as a guide or direct input to ensure accurate flow accountability.

This helped me comprehend not only what was currently present but also what was necessary to maintain a cohesive train of thought, fostering further conversation between teams within Hermex.

This was applied to all core attributes like flights, hotels, and activities, as well as any new features determined later.

The issues I needed to tackle included the lack of transferable components in the previous wireframes, which required me to design a new app style using some of the same color palette. Most of these items had not been addressed originally due to inconsistencies in experienced UX staff.

New features that were added within MVP guidelines:

Information from wiki pages about trending destinations was added to pre-travel bookings to provide both new and experienced travelers with details about potential destinations. This initiative aims to uphold the company's culture of curiosity and adventure, making it easier for travelers to explore new trip options.

• I've noticed that with some companies, minor stressors like price monitoring and frequent site visits can cause prices to fluctuate. Customers should be able to explore destinations without incurring costs simply for being curious about what's available to them.

Herssa conversation pop-ups and notifications during the booking stage were also integrated for validating travel for users. The last thing someone wants to think about when they book a trip is that something could go wrong and last-minute changes are taking place.

• Herssa is the first line of defense for those catching potential obstacles throughout the booking process. Such as, looking at the weather for the dates of travel, giving suggestions, and making sure upgrades are communicated and changes can be made.

Key take aways:

Establishing a complete narrative within an incomplete interface presents challenges, yet it can certainly elevate your comprehension. Adhering to my process while working with this application was crucial. Challenges like communication problems and the necessity for me and the developers to rebuild certain areas caused frustration within the team, but we managed to overcome them to ensure a smooth user flow for the MVP. The following sections underscore the significance of soft skills, which play a vital role in a designer's creative process.

• Communication and occasionally with mediation

• Trusting your instincts and the research conducted

  
  

• Adhere to a project timeline, as this will help in clearly conveying what is achievable and what is not, while also allowing you to set appropriate expectations for the team, especially when time is constrained.

Things I'm looking forward to:

The upcoming updates will focus on the application's style, appearance, and user experience.

Partnering with other organizations to develop a range of travel packages.

Our goal is to advance to the final round of the '2025 Startup Innovation Challenge/Hackathon' happening in Abuja next month, helping Hermex Travels to obtain funding and mentorship for our company.