The final solution
With enough time and effort, FareShare was completed as a presentable MVP that had all the necessary features which would solve the challenge we identified. We were able to successfully present it as a team to an audience of ~100 people consisting of our peers and instructors, many of whom expressed interest in the potential applications and benefits that our product displayed.
constraints
Because not everything is perfect. These were things we identified during our process that held us back during this project:
Time Management
Getting lost in Ideas
Time Management
Getting lost in Ideas
Crafting the experience
The approach that we took for our design phase was unorthodox, to say the least. We faced time constraints with our designs due to the amount of time we took with research, while also trying to focus on other assignments that were handed to us. Because of this, our work began in a medium-fidelity state, with polishes being made as we progressed towards high-fidelity.
We rapidly iterated amongst ourselves within our design file, clearing elements or entire frames depending on whether we thought they were relevant or necessary. I began this process by putting together the UI for the home page, which served as the team’s reference when designing for other pages within the app.
As we progressed, we individually started to hone in on the specific features, with refinement being a collective effort once things had been put together. I specifically took point in crafting the financial management feature, while also assisting my team members in their designs too.
Ideation
After gathering all the relevant data that we needed, we began discussions on how we wanted to translate our insights into our designs. Using FigJam (and a whiteboard), we started to throw out ideas for features that would address these problems, and how they would look like. I suggested the possibility of implementing a voting system for activities, which would mitigate the disorganization and difference of opinions among people travelling together.
In addition, we also began to brainstorm on the brand identity that we wanted to adhere to for the duration of the project. We voted on logo ideas and colours that would eventually be used in the final designs - courtesy of Meagan, our graphic designer.
RESEARCH and discovery
Once we sorted out our priorities and explored the problems in detail, we took validation to the next step by exploring what our target audience thought or felt about these issues - we couldn’t just proceed based off our own personal hunches and opinions.
To acquire concrete data that would back us up, we first conducted a basic analysis of potential competitors to FareShare in the travel and finance niche to observe their key features, and see where we could fill in the gaps, or find inspiration to use.
Splitwise
First and foremost competitor.
• Emphasizes ability to split with anyone
• Equal and unequal splits, by percentage or shares
• Tracking recurring expenses
• 7+ languages, 100+ currencies
• Ability to track overall group expenses & e-transfer between co-travellers within the app
Tricount
• Everyone can add expenses
• Use multiple currencies
• Automatically add-up expenses
• Split expenses unevenly
• Works when you’re offline
• Easily transfer expenses or income
• Review and compare monthly expenses
• Not restricted to travel purpose
Settle Up
Free membership, but with limited features.
With Premium:
• No ads
• Expense categories
• Adding receipt photos
• Future & recurring transactions
• Charts
• Reminders for friends to pay on demand
Splid
• Simple and minimal interface
• Comprehensive expense breakdown
• Summaries in the form of PDF files or Excel sheets
• Group creation
In addition to our competitive audit, we also sent out a survey with questions specifically tailored to travel experiences in a group context, particularly with the problems we identified. The goal was to provide us a glimpse into our target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points, and to gauge their level of interest in the solution we were working on.
Our target audience consisted of individuals aged 18-44 who frequently travel in a group that are likely to encounter issues with tracking and splitting expenses, arguing over activities, and sharing documents that are required for travelling. These individuals were primarily located in Western countries, with a strong presence in Canada, the United States of America, and Germany based on survey responses.
Survey sample size: n=28
50%
of respondents described themselves as casual travellers when they are with a group. Not too picky or plan-oriented.
46.4%
on the other hand, reported themselves to be the opposite; more of the planner types when travelling in a group.
What do these numbers mean?
Travel Behaviour
50%
of respondents described themselves as casual travellers when they are with a group. Not too picky or plan-oriented.
46.4%
on the other hand, reported themselves to be the opposite; more of the planner types when travelling in a group.
What do these numbers mean?
Travel Behaviour
60.7%
of respondents indicated when they travel with a group, they sometimes experience conflict.
28.6%
reported that they did not experience any conflict when travelling with a group.
What do these numbers mean?
On Conflict
60.7%
of respondents indicated when they travel with a group, they sometimes experience conflict.
28.6%
reported that they did not experience any conflict when travelling with a group.
What do these numbers mean?
On Conflict
46.4%
of respondents said that they plan their group activities and itineraries through group-chats and messaging.
21.4%
indicated that they used alternative methods such as spreadsheet tools (Excel, Google Sheets).
What do these numbers mean?
Planning Ahead
46.4%
of respondents said that they plan their group activities and itineraries through group-chats and messaging.
21.4%
indicated that they used alternative methods such as spreadsheet tools (Excel, Google Sheets).
What do these numbers mean?
Planning Ahead
50%
of respondents expressed a higher-than- average openness and willingness to discuss finances when travelling with a group.
25%
indicated that they were comfortable when discussing finances when travelling with a group. No more, no less.
What do these numbers mean?
Money, Money, Money
50%
of respondents expressed a higher-than- average openness and willingness to discuss finances when travelling with a group.
25%
indicated that they were comfortable when discussing finances when travelling with a group. No more, no less.
What do these numbers mean?
Money, Money, Money
WHERE DID WE START?
Although we had identified the larger challenge at hand, we needed to explore it further in a way that would be clear and understandable because, simply put, it was a problem with problems. Using monetary issues as our starting point, we dove deep into pain points that existed, gathering insights that validated our decision to tackle this in the first place.
We separated our top 3 problems within the challenge, and provided rationale for each one to differentiate them from each other. This would also be our point of reference for the prioritization of our focus when it came to designing the features for FareShare.
OUTCOME
Our team was able to successfully use data and key insights from our conducted research to design FareShare as a MVP, with its key features effectively implemented to provide a solution to the problems within the challenge that we wanted to address.
We proudly presented our finished work to both instructors and peers by the end of the project’s duration where it was well-received, albeit not without some feedback for minor improvements or potential design choices that could help take the app further.
CHALLENGE
Have you ever travelled with a group of friends, or perhaps even family, and found yourself stressed out? Maybe it could be related to behaviours that you didn’t expect, or factors beyond that - particularly when it comes to shared expenses.
Travelling in a group setting can prove to be troublesome with circumstances of stress and disorganization being common, which often lead to tensions and unwanted conflict, and can oftentimes sour a travelling experience among life-long friends.
DETAILS
WHAT I USED
Figma
Canva
Google Suite
ROLE
UX Designer
Timeline
Sept - Dec 2024
Who I worked with
Nikko Montealto
Project Manager
Sherene Reyes
UX Researcher
Meagan Dickie
Graphic Designer
Filiz Erkmen
UX Designer
Product Design
Mobile App Design
Wireframing
Prototyping
What I did
CONTEXT
FareShare is a mobile app designed to tackle common pain points of group travel, making trips with family and friends easier and more enjoyable.
It is intended to simplify the entire planning process for group travel settings, addressing issues such as cost splitting, itinerary management, checklist creation, and the organization of essential travel documents such as booking reservations, hotel reservation codes, and travel insurance details.
RETROSPECTIVE
Wishful thinking 💭
Expanding things Further
Taking it to Market
Expanding things Further
Taking it to Market
TAKEAWAYS 🎯
Level Up
It's a Marathon, not a Race
Finding Harmony
Level Up
It's a Marathon, not a Race
Finding Harmony
The final solution
With enough time and effort, FareShare was completed as a presentable MVP that had all the necessary features which would solve the challenge we identified. We were able to successfully present it as a team to an audience of ~100 people consisting of our peers and instructors, many of whom expressed interest in the potential applications and benefits that our product displayed.
constraints
Time Management
Getting lost in Ideas
Time Management
Getting lost in Ideas
Crafting the experience
The approach that we took for our design phase was unorthodox, to say the least. We faced time constraints with our designs due to the amount of time we took with research, while also trying to focus on other assignments that were handed to us. Because of this, our work began in a medium-fidelity state, with polishes being made as we progressed towards high-fidelity.
We rapidly iterated amongst ourselves within our design file, clearing elements or entire frames depending on whether we thought they were relevant or necessary. I began this process by putting together the UI for the home page, which served as the team’s reference when designing for other pages within the app.
As we progressed, we individually started to hone in on the specific features, with refinement being a collective effort once things had been put together. I specifically took point in crafting the financial management feature, while also assisting my team members in their designs too.
WHERE DID WE START?
Although we had identified the larger challenge at hand, we needed to explore it further in a way that would be clear and understandable because, simply put, it was a problem with problems. Using monetary issues as our starting point, we dove deep into pain points that existed, gathering insights that validated our decision to tackle this in the first place.
We separated our top 3 problems within the challenge, and provided rationale for each one to differentiate them from each other. This would also be our point of reference for the prioritization of our focus when it came to designing the features for FareShare.
So, how was this addressed?
Once we identified the challenge we had to work with, we brainstormed the approach that we wanted FareShare to take, being a digital product that could address - if not outright solve - the challenge. We thought about a lot of the struggles that we and other people might commonly face when travelling in a group setting, with monetary issues being our starting point.
From this, we decided that our end users would benefit from having FareShare as a centralized digital space that could solve these prevalent issues, namely cost splitting, itinerary planning, and document management - and thus, our approach became clearer:
“What if we got rid of common pain points among group travellers with a centralized interface that simplified all disorganization and uncomfortable conversations related to the trip?”
CHALLENGE
Have you ever travelled with a group of friends, or perhaps even family, and found yourself stressed out? Maybe it could be related to behaviours that you didn’t expect, or factors beyond that - particularly when it comes to shared expenses.
Travelling in a group setting can prove to be troublesome with circumstances of stress and disorganization being common, which often lead to tensions and unwanted conflict, and can oftentimes sour a travelling experience among life-long friends.
Fareshare
An app that takes the travel plans beyond the group-chat.
Fareshare
An app that takes the travel plans beyond the group-chat.
Fareshare
An app that takes the travel plans beyond the group-chat.
Fareshare
An app that takes the travel plans beyond the group-chat.
DETAILS
DETAILS
WHAT I USED
Figma
Canva
Google Suite
ROLE
UX Designer
Timeline
Sept - Dec 2024
Who I worked with
Nikko Montealto
Project Manager
Sherene Reyes
UX Researcher
Meagan Dickie
Graphic Designer
Filiz Erkmen
UX Designer
Product Design
Mobile App Design
Wireframing
Prototyping
What I did
CONTEXT
CONTEXT
FareShare is a mobile app designed to tackle common pain points of group travel, making trips with family and friends easier and more enjoyable.
It is intended to simplify the entire planning process for group travel settings, addressing issues such as cost splitting, itinerary management, checklist creation, and the organization of essential travel documents such as booking reservations, hotel reservation codes, and travel insurance details.
FareShare is a mobile app designed to tackle common pain points of group travel, making trips with family and friends easier and more enjoyable.
It is intended to simplify the entire planning process for group travel settings, addressing issues such as cost splitting, itinerary management, checklist creation, and the organization of essential travel documents such as booking reservations, hotel reservation codes, and travel insurance details.
OUTCOME
Our team was able to successfully use data and key insights from our conducted research to design FareShare as a MVP, with its key features effectively implemented to provide a solution to the problems within the challenge that we wanted to address.
We proudly presented our finished work to both instructors and peers by the end of the project’s duration where it was well-received, albeit not without some feedback for minor improvements or potential design choices that could help take the app further.
RESEARCH and discovery
Once we sorted out our priorities and explored the problems in detail, we took validation to the next step by exploring what our target audience thought or felt about these issues - we couldn’t just proceed based off our own personal hunches and opinions.
To acquire concrete data that would back us up, we first conducted a basic analysis of potential competitors to FareShare in the travel and finance niche to observe their key features, and see where we could fill in the gaps, or find inspiration to use.
Splitwise
First and foremost competitor.
• Emphasizes ability to split with anyone
• Equal and unequal splits, by percentage or shares
• Tracking recurring expenses
• 7+ languages, 100+ currencies
• Ability to track overall group expenses & e-transfer between co-travellers within the app
Tricount
• Everyone can add expenses
• Use multiple currencies
• Automatically add-up expenses
• Split expenses unevenly
• Works when you’re offline
• Easily transfer expenses or income
• Review and compare monthly expenses
• Not restricted to travel purpose
Settle Up
Free membership, but with limited features.
With Premium:
• No ads
• Expense categories
• Adding receipt photos
• Future & recurring transactions
• Charts
• Reminders for friends to pay on demand
Splid
• Simple and minimal interface
• Comprehensive expense breakdown
• Summaries in the form of PDF files or Excel sheets
• Group creation
In addition to our competitive audit, we also sent out a survey with questions specifically tailored to travel experiences in a group context, particularly with the problems we identified. The goal was to provide us a glimpse into our target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points, and to gauge their level of interest in the solution we were working on.
Our target audience consisted of individuals aged 18-44 who frequently travel in a group that are likely to encounter issues with tracking and splitting expenses, arguing over activities, and sharing documents that are required for travelling. These individuals were primarily located in Western countries, with a strong presence in Canada, the United States of America, and Germany based on survey responses.
Survey sample size: n=28
50%
of respondents described themselves as casual travellers when they are with a group. Not too picky or plan-oriented.
46.4%
on the other hand, reported themselves to be the opposite; more of the planner types when travelling in a group.
What do these numbers mean?
Travel Behaviour
50%
of respondents described themselves as casual travellers when they are with a group. Not too picky or plan-oriented.
46.4%
on the other hand, reported themselves to be the opposite; more of the planner types when travelling in a group.
What do these numbers mean?
Travel Behaviour
60.7%
of respondents indicated when they travel with a group, they sometimes experience conflict.
28.6%
reported that they did not experience any conflict when travelling with a group.
What do these numbers mean?
On Conflict
60.7%
of respondents indicated when they travel with a group, they sometimes experience conflict.
28.6%
reported that they did not experience any conflict when travelling with a group.
What do these numbers mean?
On Conflict
46.4%
of respondents said that they plan their group activities and itineraries through group-chats and messaging.
21.4%
indicated that they used alternative methods such as spreadsheet tools (Excel, Google Sheets).
What do these numbers mean?
Planning Ahead
46.4%
of respondents said that they plan their group activities and itineraries through group-chats and messaging.
21.4%
indicated that they used alternative methods such as spreadsheet tools (Excel, Google Sheets).
What do these numbers mean?
Planning Ahead
50%
of respondents expressed a higher-than- average openness and willingness to discuss finances when travelling with a group.
25%
indicated that they were comfortable when discussing finances when travelling with a group. No more, no less.
What do these numbers mean?
Money, Money, Money
50%
of respondents expressed a higher-than- average openness and willingness to discuss finances when travelling with a group.
25%
indicated that they were comfortable when discussing finances when travelling with a group. No more, no less.
What do these numbers mean?
Money, Money, Money
Ideation
After gathering all the relevant data that we needed, we began discussions on how we wanted to translate our insights into our designs. Using FigJam (and a whiteboard), we started to throw out ideas for features that would address these problems, and how they would look like. I suggested the possibility of implementing a voting system for activities, which would mitigate the disorganization and difference of opinions among people travelling together.
In addition, we also began to brainstorm on the brand identity that we wanted to adhere to for the duration of the project. We voted on logo ideas and colours that would eventually be used in the final designs - courtesy of Meagan, our graphic designer.
CHALLENGE
Have you ever travelled with a group of friends, or perhaps even family, and found yourself stressed out? Maybe it could be related to behaviours that you didn’t expect, or factors beyond that - particularly when it comes to shared expenses.
Travelling in a group setting can prove to be troublesome with circumstances of stress and disorganization being common, which often lead to tensions and unwanted conflict, and can oftentimes sour a travelling experience among life-long friends.
So, how was this addressed?
Once we identified the challenge we had to work with, we brainstormed the approach that we wanted FareShare to take, being a digital product that could address - if not outright solve - the challenge. We thought about a lot of the struggles that we and other people might commonly face when travelling in a group setting, with monetary issues being our starting point.
From this, we decided that our end users would benefit from having FareShare as a centralized digital space that could solve these prevalent issues, namely cost splitting, itinerary planning, and document management - and thus, our approach became clearer:
“What if we got rid of common pain points among group travellers with a centralized interface that simplified all disorganization and uncomfortable conversations related to the trip?”
OUTCOME
Our team was able to successfully use data and key insights from our conducted research to design FareShare as a MVP, with its key features effectively implemented to provide a solution to the problems within the challenge that we wanted to address.
We proudly presented our finished work to both instructors and peers by the end of the project’s duration where it was well-received, albeit not without some feedback for minor improvements or potential design choices that could help take the app further.
WHERE DID WE START?
Although we had identified the larger challenge at hand, we needed to explore it further in a way that would be clear and understandable because, simply put, it was a problem with problems. Using monetary issues as our starting point, we dove deep into pain points that existed, gathering insights that validated our decision to tackle this in the first place.
We separated our top 3 problems within the challenge, and provided rationale for each one to differentiate them from each other. This would also be our point of reference for the prioritization of our focus when it came to designing the features for FareShare.
RESEARCH and discovery
Once we sorted out our priorities and explored the problems in detail, we took validation to the next step by exploring what our target audience thought or felt about these issues - we couldn’t just proceed based off our own personal hunches and opinions.
To acquire concrete data that would back us up, we first conducted a basic analysis of potential competitors to FareShare in the travel and finance niche to observe their key features, and see where we could fill in the gaps, or find inspiration to use.
Splitwise
First and foremost competitor.
• Emphasizes ability to split with anyone
• Equal and unequal splits, by percentage or shares
• Tracking recurring expenses
• 7+ languages, 100+ currencies
• Ability to track overall group expenses & e-transfer between co-travellers within the app
Tricount
• Everyone can add expenses
• Use multiple currencies
• Automatically add-up expenses
• Split expenses unevenly
• Works when you’re offline
• Easily transfer expenses or income
• Review and compare monthly expenses
• Not restricted to travel purpose
Settle Up
Free membership, but with limited features.
With Premium:
• No ads
• Expense categories
• Adding receipt photos
• Future & recurring transactions
• Charts
• Reminders for friends to pay on demand
Splid
• Simple and minimal interface
• Comprehensive expense breakdown
• Summaries in the form of PDF files or Excel sheets
• Group creation
In addition to our competitive audit, we also sent out a survey with questions specifically tailored to travel experiences in a group context, particularly with the problems we identified. The goal was to provide us a glimpse into our target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points, and to gauge their level of interest in the solution we were working on.
Our target audience consisted of individuals aged 18-44 who frequently travel in a group that are likely to encounter issues with tracking and splitting expenses, arguing over activities, and sharing documents that are required for travelling. These individuals were primarily located in Western countries, with a strong presence in Canada, the United States of America, and Germany based on survey responses.
Survey sample size: n=28
50%
of respondents described themselves as casual travellers when they are with a group. Not too picky or plan-oriented.
46.4%
on the other hand, reported themselves to be the opposite; more of the planner types when travelling in a group.
What do these numbers mean?
Travel Behaviour
60.7%
of respondents indicated when they travel with a group, they sometimes experience conflict.
28.6%
reported that they did not experience any conflict when travelling with a group.
What do these numbers mean?
On Conflict
46.4%
of respondents said that they plan their group activities and itineraries through group-chats and messaging.
21.4%
indicated that they used alternative methods such as spreadsheet tools (Excel, Google Sheets).
What do these numbers mean?
Planning Ahead
50%
of respondents expressed a higher-than- average openness and willingness to discuss finances when travelling with a group.
25%
indicated that they were comfortable when discussing finances when travelling with a group. No more, no less.
What do these numbers mean?
Money, Money, Money
Ideation
After gathering all the relevant data that we needed, we began discussions on how we wanted to translate our insights into our designs. Using FigJam (and a whiteboard), we started to throw out ideas for features that would address these problems, and how they would look like. I suggested the possibility of implementing a voting system for activities, which would mitigate the disorganization and difference of opinions among people travelling together.
In addition, we also began to brainstorm on the brand identity that we wanted to adhere to for the duration of the project. We voted on logo ideas and colours that would eventually be used in the final designs - courtesy of Meagan, our graphic designer.
constraints
Time Management
Getting lost in Ideas
Crafting the experience
The approach that we took for our design phase was unorthodox, to say the least. We faced time constraints with our designs due to the amount of time we took with research, while also trying to focus on other assignments that were handed to us. Because of this, our work began in a medium-fidelity state, with polishes being made as we progressed towards high-fidelity.
We rapidly iterated amongst ourselves within our design file, clearing elements or entire frames depending on whether we thought they were relevant or necessary. I began this process by putting together the UI for the home page, which served as the team’s reference when designing for other pages within the app.
As we progressed, we individually started to hone in on the specific features, with refinement being a collective effort once things had been put together. I specifically took point in crafting the financial management feature, while also assisting my team members in their designs too.
The final solution
With enough time and effort, FareShare was completed as a presentable MVP that had all the necessary features which would solve the challenge we identified. We were able to successfully present it as a team to an audience of ~100 people consisting of our peers and instructors, many of whom expressed interest in the potential applications and benefits that our product displayed.
RETROSPECTIVE
Wishful thinking 💭
Expanding things Further
Taking it to Market
TAKEAWAYS 🎯
Level Up
It's a Marathon, not a Race
Finding Harmony
RETROSPECTIVE
Expanding things Further
Taking it to Market
Expanding things Further
Taking it to Market
Wishful thinking 💭
TAKEAWAYS 🎯
Level Up
Marathon, not a Race
Finding Harmony
Level Up
Marathon, not a Race
Finding Harmony
So, how was this addressed?
Once we identified the challenge we had to work with, we brainstormed the approach that we wanted FareShare to take, being a digital product that could address - if not outright solve - the challenge. We thought about a lot of the struggles that we and other people might commonly face when travelling in a group setting, with monetary issues being our starting point.
From this, we decided that our end users would benefit from having FareShare as a centralized digital space that could solve these prevalent issues, namely cost splitting, itinerary planning, and document management - and thus, our approach became clearer:
“What if we got rid of common pain points among group travellers with a centralized interface that simplified all disorganization and uncomfortable conversations related to the trip?”