TRIPADVISOR REDESIGN FOR SENIOR USERS - ADDING INFORMATION FOR SENIORS TO ATTRACTION INTRO PAGE
Year: 2014 | Georgia Tech | Advisor: Dr. Jon Sanford | Skill: Research, Rapid Prototyping, Usability Testing | Role: Individual work
INTRODUCTION
TripAdvisor claims to be the largest travel website in the world, with more than 200 million reviews and opinions from travelers around the world and more than 4.5 million businesses and properties in 147,000+ destinations. It collects and disseminate user- generated content, including reviews, ratings, photos, and videos related to travel. However, TripAdvisor has its own drawbacks. Increased quantities of reviews can be both a blessing and a curse. When users search for a certain attraction, they need to go through each review, then analyze and select the information which they think are useful. The process is complicated, especially for senior users. Because of more disposable income, ample leisure time and better physical condition, senior travelers become an important travel segment of the tourism industry. Their increasing use of travel websites as part of their informationsearch process reveals the problems of TripAdvisor, such as lack of information for seniors.
Focusing on attraction introduction page, this study 1) investigates what information senior travelers want to obtain when they use TripAdvisor to select an attraction, 2) redesigns TripAdvisor attraction introduction page, 3) tests usability and acceptability of redesigned TripAdvisor introduction page and 4) refine the design.
Focusing on attraction introduction page, this study 1) investigates what information senior travelers want to obtain when they use TripAdvisor to select an attraction, 2) redesigns TripAdvisor attraction introduction page, 3) tests usability and acceptability of redesigned TripAdvisor introduction page and 4) refine the design.
PROS AND CONS OF TRIPADVISOR FOR SENIORS
Pros
- Providing high-quality and huge amount of information. TripAdvisor has a vast user base as the largest user-generated content travel website. Users provide plentiful reviews for each attraction. The reviews they add are from different aspects, so that other users can get a full understanding of an attraction. In addition, part of the reviews come from senior travelers, which are more valuable for elder users during trip planning.
- Providing trustworthy information. The reviews and ratings in TripAdvisor are high-quality and authentic, meeting seniors' requirements that online travel information should be trustworthy.
- Burden! Going through each review to get information. For the attraction introduction page of TripAdvisor, the primary source of information is other travelers' reviews. If seniors want to get the details of this attraction, they must read each review, then analysis them and make judgement. Actually, this feature becomes a burden, because most users do not go through everything they retrieve from their search. Seniors prefer clearly classified information, in order to more easily choose the information which seem to be most useful at the first glance.
- No specialized information or reviews for seniors. TripAdvisor does not have the feedbacks and reviews targeting senior travelers. Senior users do not know whether a review is from younger traveler or senior traveler. People perceive a review as very useful based on the following characteristics of the reviewer: having similar age, engaging in similar activities during the trips and traveling for a similar trip purpose. Hence, if TripAdvisor would offer a specialized review part for seniors, the information will be more convincing and useful.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
I did interviews with a total of 10 older adults to generate the design requirements.
- The attraction introduction page will be separated into 1) general information page and 2) senior information page.
- Adding staff attitude, ticket price, cost/performance ratio of ticket price, cost/performance ratio of extra cost, recommended length of visit, people perceive crime rate, nearby medical service, parking information and getting direction to the general information page.
- Adding difficulty levels of performing five tasks in this attraction (moving around, hearing, seeing, remembering, learning and attending) and the actual barriers older people encounter , staff performance when they cope with senior travelers' needs, senior discount, seniors' recommendation of this attraction and reviews from senior travelers to the senior information page.
GENERAL INFORMATION PAGE: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
GENERAL INFORMATION PAGE: WIREFRAME
GENERAL INFORMATION PAGE: DESIGN DETAILS
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3. Ticket price. With this feature, users can get the price range instead of going to the official website of this attraction. Since visitors are offered discounts, the price may be varied.
4. If this attraction is worth the ticket price. The cost-performance ratio of ticket is subjective feedback from travelers, directly related to their experience and feelings. From previous literature review, users who plan the trips prefer the subjective comments of other travelers rather than the objective information.
5. If the food and souvenir are worth the extra cost (ticket price not included). The cost-performance ratio of food and souvenir is also important to users. This information helps them pay attention to the extra cost they may encounter in this attraction.
6. Recommended Length of Visit. This information helps travelers better schedule time if they decide to go to several attractions in one day.
4. If this attraction is worth the ticket price. The cost-performance ratio of ticket is subjective feedback from travelers, directly related to their experience and feelings. From previous literature review, users who plan the trips prefer the subjective comments of other travelers rather than the objective information.
5. If the food and souvenir are worth the extra cost (ticket price not included). The cost-performance ratio of food and souvenir is also important to users. This information helps them pay attention to the extra cost they may encounter in this attraction.
6. Recommended Length of Visit. This information helps travelers better schedule time if they decide to go to several attractions in one day.
7. People perceive crime rate. This information relates to the personal safety. According to the interview, most of the participants are inclined to avoid those attractions which make travelers feel unsafe.
8. Medical service. This interactive map shows nearby hospitals and pharmacies. By clicking the icons, users are directed to Google map, searching nearby medical services.
9. Parking time. This information shows the ease of finding parking spots in different period of time. Users who care about the parking condition can schedule their visiting time by using this information.
10. Get direction. Users input their location and then they will be navigated to Google map in order to get the routes and the arriving time.
8. Medical service. This interactive map shows nearby hospitals and pharmacies. By clicking the icons, users are directed to Google map, searching nearby medical services.
9. Parking time. This information shows the ease of finding parking spots in different period of time. Users who care about the parking condition can schedule their visiting time by using this information.
10. Get direction. Users input their location and then they will be navigated to Google map in order to get the routes and the arriving time.
SENIOR INFORMATION PAGE: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
SENIOR INFORMATION PAGE: WIREFRAME
SENIOR INFORMATION PAGE: DESIGN DETAILS
1. Difficulty levels of performing following tasks in this attraction. This feature indicates the environmental barriers senior travelers may encounter in an attraction, related to five abilities which are moving around, hearing, seeing remembering, learning and attending. For example, if the difficulty level of moving around is high, users who have slight mobility issue should prepare comfortable shoes or cane, and users with severe mobility issue should avoid this attraction. Clicking the question mark following each rating, a pop-up window shows the detail description of each task (ability) and the related main problems senior travelers found in this attraction. Then users can get the reasons people rate this task as high difficulty level. The ratings are all from senior travelers' feedback.
2. If the attraction/staff support the needs of senior visitors. The percentage bar shows senior travelers' different answers. This feature has drawbacks and one of them is the statement of "senior visitors' needs" is too general.
3. Satisfaction of "call ahead" service. Many senior travelers prefer to call the attraction and ask about services for seniors before they visit. Hence, the higher expertise of communicating with seniors and solving their problems is crucial.
4. If senior visitors receive senior-discount for the ticket. This information shows if this attraction provides senior discount , but some seniors may answer they do not get senior discount due to some reasons. This feature should be refined.
5. Senior tourists' recommendation of this attraction. Users directly get if other senior travelers recommend this attraction.
6. Reviews from senior tourists. On the original TripAdvisor attraction intro page, users are not able to see the reviews from travelers who recommend or not recommend this place intuitively. They can only infer other travelers' attitudes through their ratings. This new feature enable users getting recommend or not recommend reviews easily.
3. Satisfaction of "call ahead" service. Many senior travelers prefer to call the attraction and ask about services for seniors before they visit. Hence, the higher expertise of communicating with seniors and solving their problems is crucial.
4. If senior visitors receive senior-discount for the ticket. This information shows if this attraction provides senior discount , but some seniors may answer they do not get senior discount due to some reasons. This feature should be refined.
5. Senior tourists' recommendation of this attraction. Users directly get if other senior travelers recommend this attraction.
6. Reviews from senior tourists. On the original TripAdvisor attraction intro page, users are not able to see the reviews from travelers who recommend or not recommend this place intuitively. They can only infer other travelers' attitudes through their ratings. This new feature enable users getting recommend or not recommend reviews easily.