iOS Mobile App Design for Vail Resorts
VAILABLE App
Company Background
Vail Resorts was founded as Vail Associates LTD by Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton in the 1960s. They opened Vail Mountain in 1962. Since 2010, Vail Resorts has seen astronomical growth. They bought ten resorts in the last seven years and now own fifteen mountains.
The Opportunity
Vail is a huge powerhouse in the mountain resort industry, however, they lack an efficient and informative way to communicate their multiple mountain locations and lodging offerings to users.
We have the opportunity to create a personalized experience by combining learning about travel destinations and planning a trip.
The Initial Problem
Vail Resorts has many different mountain locations, offerings, and activities. This can be overwhelming to individuals who want to learn about the best location that is available to them and their interests.
How might we help users narrow down their mountain resort search?
Research
We conducted three separate research methods that led us to our designs:
- Competitive / Comparative Analysis
- Google Forms Survey
- User Interviews
Competitive Research
We ran competitive research using the brands Disney and Expedia due to the fact that they were both travel apps. Something we took note of from the Disney mobile app was that they had a top scrolling bar which you don’t see very often. This was something they had definitely done well; this top navigation scrolling bar allows for the user to easily access a set of options within one screen. As for Expedia’s mobile app, we enjoyed the way that they displayed their content in a card style form. We incorporated both of these discoveries into our app design.
Comparative Research
We ran comparative research using David’s Bridal App and the REI Co-op App. We appreciated the way that David’s Bridal generates specific dress preference results to individuals based on a quiz-style set of questions. As for the REI Co-op app, we liked their aesthetically pleasing display of National Park listings and the way that they advertised precipitation data. We incorporated these into our final designs as well.
Google Forms Survey
Our next method of research consisted of a Google Forms Survey with a set of questions based on individuals planning preferences. We received 50 responses. We learned that location, outdoor activities, and flights were the most important details when planning a trip. 44% of user surveys said that they “sometimes” like planning trips; many said that they don’t like planning trips when they are too complicated. Several users noted that planning apps / websites can either be helpful or frustrating. We needed to gather some more data to verify these findings, so it was time to conduct user interviews.
User Interviews
We conducted six user interviews with a set of questions that dealt with individuals trip planning processes and their preferences. Here are some key pull-quotes from the user interviews:
- “I don’t like when there are too many options — when i am looking for a hotel for example and there are so many different things i have to sort through it gets super annoying.”
- “I usually plan it in advance and have a list of what I want to do while I am there and break it up based on the weather. A lot of things I like to do are outside so I like to plan it while I am there based on the weather.”
- “I usually do a quick google search of the destination that I am thinking about and go from there.”
- “Somebody else does it for me. I don’t like doing research for planning trips.”
Synthesis and Research Findings
All of our research methods were helpful when trying get closer to finding the real problem for our client. We synthesized all of this data using affinity mapping and found some compelling insights:
- “I need help thinking of activities to do.”
- “I have resources to go to for flights.”
- “I don’t like when there are too many steps / pages when planning.”
- “I don’t like when resources I use aren’t credible.”
- “Package deals help me save time and money.”
Personas | Primary and Secondary
Personas | Karla’s User Journey Map
Using our primary persona, Karla, we laid out the typical path that she would take when trying to book a trip to a mountain owned by Vail Resorts.
Karla begins her trip planning process using Google. She finds two links that lead her to two different Vail Resorts websites. She clicks on one of the links and within that site, she finds fifteen separate links for each mountain. She is already overwhelmed by this process. Vail Resorts loses a customer.
We needed to address this journey and eliminate the struggle points with our new mobile app. Our research, personas, and user journey map allowed to uncover the real problem.
The Real Problem
Vail Resorts has many different mountain locations, offerings, and activities. This can be overwhelming to individuals who want to learn about the best location that is available to them and their interests.
How might we help users discover vacation opportunities while simplifying the planning process within a single application?
Translating Research into Design
Before entering into the design phase of our process, we looked back at our research findings to help for some ideas for the priorities that would go into our iOS app. The features that we decided would be most beneficial included an additional activities option when generating trip packages, a discovery feature included in the tab bar for learning about different mountains, making the entire booking process step-by-step to insure clarity for the user experience, and keeping information consolidated.
Design | Design Studio
Eventually it was time to hold a team design studio. This is where we were able to brainstorm designs based on our research thus far, and sketch it down on paper. We then discussed our individual ideas and were able to form one powerful conclusion. We were ready to begin wireframing.
Design | Low-Medium Fidelity Wireframes
Below are some key wireframes in a block-level stage:
Prototype | High-Fidelity
After lots of low-medium fidelity wireframes and iterations, we were ready to construct high-fidelity mockups. With that, we synced the mockups into InVision and built a prototype.
Usability Testing | Goals
Before conducting usability tests, we listed a set of goals that we wanted to see being accompished:
- Users should be able to purchase a package that suits their needs
- The checkout process should be easy to understand
- Users should be able to discover information about Vail Resorts Mountains
Usability Testing | Methodology
- Conducted usability tests with six users
- Ran tests using three scenarios
- Used an iPhone 6 to test the prototype
Usability Testing | Results
User Success:
- 6 out of 6 users successfully purchased a package
- 6 out of 6 users were able to discover information about Breckenridge Mountain
User Pain Points
- 3 out of 6 users tapped “Book Now” when asked to learn about Breckenridge Mountain
- 6 out of 6 users chose the range of dates rather than the individual dates
Design Iterations
After receiving feedback and gathering insights from usability testing, we revised and improved some of the functions of our app.
Next Steps
Looking forward, our next steps will include:
- Designing a path for the user to book a trip to the mountain within the respective discovery screen
- Working with a development team to make all aspects of our prototype interactive
- Pitching this iOS Mobile App idea to Vail Resorts
