Product: Parks Canada Bookings
Tools: Sketch + Photoshop + InVision
The Problem
Currently, there is no available app that enables campers to conveniently browse through various national parks in Canada, view different campsites, and make reservations. The only option available at the moment is to reserve a site online.
The Process
Having encountered issues while booking a campsite through Parks Canada, I decided to conduct thorough research before diving into any conclusions. With an aim to gain a deeper understanding of the matter, I surveyed and interviewed individuals with varying camping experiences to identify any similarities in their booking experiences and to extract useful insights. Furthermore, I analyzed the competition and compared it to the Park Canada app, highlighting the areas where it could improve.
My findings enabled me to create accurate personas and journey maps, representing the ideal customer and their experiences using the service. With these in mind, I confidently began designing and building the app. I created wireframes and a user flow to showcase the overall direction and aesthetic of the interface. Finally, I developed high-fidelity mockups and a final prototype for testing, fully confident in its success.
The Solution
Create a more clean, modern and user-friendly design aesthetic that would have more of a travel booking feel – Like Airbnb (indirect competitor). Showcasing more imagery – Either from Parks Canada themselves or uploaded by fellow campers – and camping site reviews from other users to increase the excitement and ease of wanting to go camping.
Another solution was to allow users to fill out a preference filter of the user’s interests and camping style so that the app can easily narrow down site selections based on the type of camping, privacy, types of facilities and activities available. Once the user sign’s up and completes a profile within the app, all of the preferences would be stored for future reference.
When it came to the actual reservations process, I reduced the number of steps required to set up and complete the reservation process. Eliminated unnecessary steps like the GcKey login request and financial partner login to book a site. I included simple progress indicators and broke down the reservation process into four steps that included all current park disclaimers, site permit info, vehicle registration info, payment info and finally confirmation page to increase customers’ motivation to complete the booking.
I created a basic prototype using Sketch and InVision to see if these solutions would have any impact on the usability to encourage novice adventure seekers to explore and try camping for the first time and for avid campers to want to book more trips. The initial response from the interviewees was well received and wished this was already.
Reflection
The most challenging part of solving the reservation issue was how to easily and effectively allow users to narrow down preferences to enable them to select a campsite and ultimately finalize their reservation. I could have included a more in-depth competitive and comparative analysis to have a much better understanding of what is currently out in the market to strategically design my solution and ultimately create a far superior experience for users. I would also focus more on the essential design elements – ei. Better imagery, colours and icons – to better enhance the visual identity of the product.