Aurora Travel App.
The Aurora travel app is a social media for travel. It allows users to log and share their travel experiences, connect with other users, and build the itinerary for their future trips.
Vertical Social Networks.
Users can easily get lost in all of the irrelevant information on generalized social networks. This is a big cause for the growing trend of users moving from generalized social networks to vertical social networks. A vertical social network is a “specifically targeted social network that connects people with very specific interests, hobbies, and passions. In other words, it is a network that caters to a certain category of users who are interested in sharing content and connecting with others over their shared interests” -Ilker Koksal, Forbes
Market of Focus.
The Travel & Tourism industry saw a massive increase, post-Covid. It is speculated that by 2026 the global Travel & Tourism industry will rise to 992 billion dollars (USD), a 646 billion dollar increase from 2020.
Market of Focus Continued.
The Travel & Tourism industry will not only increase to 992 billion dollars by 2026, but also 73% of total revenue will be generated by online sales. This creates a huge opportunity for a vertical social media built around the Travel & Tourism industry.
Benchmarking.
When looking at existing apps designed for travel or social apps that can be used for travel, many insights were gained. Features vs. social aspects were compared on the graph. All apps were very strong in their features provided, but not all encompassing. The strongest contender for having multiple features and social aspects was Roadtripper. The biggest takeaway from this matrix was to pull key features from existing apps to make one all encompassing app. The grey circle represents the product area for the Aurora app.
Users Personas.
Design Goals.
In conclusion of my research, I have narrowed down three design goals to uphold while designing the app. These three goals are Connect, Create, and discover. Connect will bring users together, create will allow users to share trips, and discover will allow users to learn of new travel opportunities. Upholding these three values will create a holistic experience for all users.
Color Palette Inspiration.
The inspiration chosen helped to design an app that would make users feel like they were looking at the Aurora Borealis. This inspiration was also used to create the color palette for the app
Color Palette & Font.
The Helvetica Neue font family was chosen for this project. It was chosen because it is a very universal and scalable font family, which allows the designer to establish visual hierarchy. The color palette contains 6 colors. Three are chosen to symbolize the color of the aurora borealis and the other three are white, a light grey, and a dark grey.
Aurora name and Logo.
The name Aurora is directly taken from Aurora Borealis. The logo consists of a sphere with multiple gradients and text below stating the name. The gradients symbolize the Aurora Borealis and the sphere symbolizes the earth. Combined together, it represents how Aurora can take you anywhere.
Navigation Bar.
The navigation bar featured on the Aurora app is designed to represent the Aurora Borealis. The subtle gradient that goes across the navigation bar uses the three main colors of the app. The create icon also features a neumorphic button. This is a way to establish hierarchy amongst the navigation bar.
Wireframe Sketching.
Sketching was done as a way to plan out each frame and how they interact with each other.
Overview of App.
Opening the app.
When opening the app, users are greeted with the name and logo of Aurora. Users then have the option to login, sign up, or go to a help section if they forgot their information. Hierarchy was given to each asset on this frame based on the frequency that users would press them.
Home Page and Settings.
The home page is designed to introduce users to trips and others users based on their interests. They can scroll through popular users on the app as well as popular trips. Also promoted trips would appear on this page as well. The settings tab is familiar and allows users to intuitively customize their in-app experience.
Search.
The search tab can be navigated to from the home tab or from the navigation bar. Before users start typing, trips will be recommended based on their interests. Once users begin typing a location or type of trip, the app will filter results.
Messages.
The message tab is an area for users to communicate with other users on the app. The benefit of this is more exposure for trips, push the creation of more trips, and help build a community of travelers.
Profile Pages.
The profile page is designed to resemble popular social media apps that the users would already be familiar with. The trips created and edited by the user would be displayed on this page. Users can also display photos from their travels in their header and profile picture. Users can also be redirected to the messages tab to view who they’re following and who their followers are. On another users profile page they’re given the option to message them and follow or unfollow them.
User Created Trip.
When a user clicks into a trip, these are the frames they’re brought to. Users are first presented with a preview photo of the trip, the title, and who created the trip. The next section is where the trip creator can write an overview or description of the trip. From here users can scroll down and see photos showcasing the best parts of the trip. Users can click into these photos to learn more about them. The last section is trip details. Here users can learn specific information about the trip, like lodging, dining, travel, cost, and locations.
User Created Trip Additional.
Starting on the left, it can be seen what it looks like when users click into a trip photo. When users click into a trip photo, they’re also presented with additional information. The next frame is shown when users click into dining. Here they’re shown a map of all of the eating locations the trip creator went to and also a drop down that lists every restaurant. The next section shown is transportation. From here users can see every mode of transportation the trip creator chose and the cost. The final frame is an overall reference map. Here, users can view every listed part of the trip. Icons are used to breakup the information on the map.
Final Mockups.
App Walkthrough.
A video walkthrough of the Aurora app, displaying the different frames and how they work together.
Wireframes Figma Link
The final wireframes of Aurora were created using Figma. Follow the link to view and interact with the file.
