Created for Catalyst 2023, a UI/UX Designathon, this project inspired our team to create a solution for tourists and local communities alike. We recognized the economic disparity that tourism caused upon local communities and we sought to make an intuitive platform that would provide them with passive income and cater to tourists who were looking for unique experiences.
Overview
RECOGNITION
Catalyst 2023 - Track 2: Travel, 2nd Place
MY ROLE
UI/UX Design, Art Direction
DURATION
48 Hours
MY TEAM
Maciej Czapnik, Kimberly Nguyen
TOOLS
Figma
THE PROBLEM
Locals are hindered from seeing the economic benefits of tourism due to large corporations and increased gentrification of their communities. In addition to this issue, tourists face difficulty seeking out unique and authentic experiences that are budget friendly.
THE SOLUTION
Create a platform where locals can curate self-guided tours for tourists, generating passive income and providing an opportunity for visitors to gain unique experiences at their own pace.
WHITE PAPER RESEARCH -
Local communities are not seeing the benefits of tourism.
According to Statista, tourism contributed approximately $5.8 trillion USD to the global economy in 2021. But how much of this contribution actually cycles through local communities? The United Nations Environmental Programme found that for every $100 spent by a tourist, only $5 stays within the local economy. Upon reading these statistics, our team felt that it was time to start bringing attention back to local communities and small business owners.
MARKET SEGMENTATION -
FEATURE 1: YOUR LOCAL FRIEND
Locals can generate passive income while sharing their expertise.
Locals will be able to curate their own tours, guiding visitors to their favorite small business and local spots. Once posted tourists will be able to browse the available tours, purchase add-ons to enhance their visit, and guide themselves along each stop – similarly to having a local friend show them their favorite places.
FEATURE 2: EASY BREEZY TRIP PLANNING
users can plan their trips with ease using in-app itineraries and travel group creation
As users browse through tours, they’ll be able to add them to trip itineraries. These itineraries will share plans to members of your travel group, ensuring that everyone is on the same page while allowing all members to contribute to planning.
Once all tours are added to the itinerary, Sightseer guides users to a one-time checkout. Upon making the purchase the group leader will be able to split costs within the app, further reducing planning time.
FEATURE 3: LOCAL INSIGHT
USERS CAN EMBARK ON TOURS AT THEIR OWN PACE WHILE GAINING LOCAL INSIGHT AT EACH STOP.
Once users begin a tour, they’ll be prompted with their starting location. Each location will be paired with insights provided by the ‘tour guide,’ including their personal recommendations as well as fun facts or local social norms.
As travel groups wrap up each stop they’ll be guided by the in-app navigation to their next destination, eliminating the need to coordinate this themselves.
THE FINAL UI
OUTSIDE THE APP -
Users will be able to interact outside the app with widgets displaying trip flashbacks, notes on what they passed that day, and random fun facts.
Outdoor marketing assets would consist of strategically placed billboards and posters, reminiscent of binoculars to speak to potential users’ desires to travel.
OUTCOMES AND NEXT STEPS -
Our team was incredibly proud of being able to include all of our ideated features for this project within the short amount of time given to us. We produced a collaborative platform to benefit both locals and tourists, while expanding the possibilities for travel.
OUTCOMES
NEXT STEPS
In the future, it would be great to expand Sightseer to take on larger adventures. Including features for flight booking and hotel accommodations would allow Sightseer to fully take on the role of a one-stop-shop for travel.