Problem Statement
Gen Z’ers tend to stay in their comfort zones
Gen Z backpackers frequently fall into tourist traps, leading to repetitive and uninspiring travel experiences. Despite their inherent adventurous spirit, many are hesitant to explore beyond familiar paths and comfort zones. There is a significant need for a solution that motivates and guides these young travelers to discover unique, non-touristy locations, enhancing their journeys with new and memorable adventures.
The Ask
Make Lonely Planet
relevant again
- Lonely planet apps are boring
- A non-sticky mobile app
- Match the independent, confident & adventurous persona
- Relevant throughout the Gen Z backpacking journey
- Encourage Gen Z to get off the beaten path
Eco-system Analysis
Finding the business opportunity
The ecosystem is where we observe how people interact with digital products and the real world. This exploration allows us to identify gaps and find out the opportunities to come up with innovative solutions for our Lonely Planet.
Gen Z backpackers seek non-touristy places and often ask others for recommendations. Digitizing this experience has not been done before and presents a unique opportunity.
User Research
Let's leverage Gen Z's spontaneity
- Phase 01 is to understand Gen Z backpackers and their pain points.
- Phase 02 is to dig deeper into their specific problems in the space of exploring.
Analysis
Interview insights
- Backpacking alone is much more challenging and risky than in a group
- Everyone is spontaneous while traveling
- Some people avoid touristy areas for local experiences
- Traveling is like taking a break from a routine for a lot of backpackers
- People start backpacking in safe countries first
Personas
How Gen Z get out of their comfort zone
Follower Frank (Main Persona)
“I usually play it safe and follow what my friends do”
He is traveling in a different country with his friends. He is afraid of having a bad experience after trying unfamiliar things. He doesn’t want to take risks. Often his friends cheer him up to try something new and fun.
“Most of the time I plan and my friends follow me”
She wants to try some fun activities that are not as popular and accessible in her hometown. They are not as fun when you do them alone, that’s why she prefers traveling with other people. She is the person in the group who arranges these activities.
“No plans, I just go with the flow to find under the radar places and I enjoy traveling alone”
He enjoys backpacking without plans, exploring randomly alone or with like-minded people. He seeks unique, less popular activities for a more authentic travel experience. He enjoys himself during the trip and doesn't need to look a for companion.
Competitive Analysis
What we learned from others in our space
- BeReal is close community app to share picture with your close friends.
- Pokemon go is gamification app where you hunt down pokemon.
- City game is a quest app where you complete a quest with your friend in a city.
- Wanderlust provide blog as a guide for travelers.
Sitemap
Underlying Structure
Reception
ADC*E Young Potentials 2024
The High Potentials Programme is an exciting designed by which showcases a selection of the most talented European young creatives, while at the same time it invites agencies and design studios that are looking for fresh and diverse new talents.
Yolo Planet was one of 33 projects selected to present among more than 100 entries.
Key Learning
This project has prompted me to critically evaluate the principles of UX design. Beyond surface-level aesthetics, I've come to understand design as a strategic tool for addressing specific user needs effectively, and UX is really about how we can digitize what is necessary in the analog world.
Walking through 4 presentations to pitch our idea, I can see how storytelling plays an important role which makes connections and provides coherence to our work. As a designer, it's crucial not only to showcase my work itself but also to ensure it resonates with the client and effectively addresses the brief.
