Industry-Sponsored Academic Project with MaCher
Role: User Research, UX Design, Digital App Design, Wireframing, Prototyping
Year: Spring 2023
Length: 8 Weeks
Project Team: Sofia Nilsson, Mahabala Orlov, Yuka Seike, Francis Palacio
BRIEF: For this industry-sponsored project project, we were tasked to reimagine one of MaCher’s key products. Each group was given a product to redesign and to create a digital companion to go with the product. The project was an academic project in collaboration with MaCher.
MaCher is a certified B corporation that focuses on making promotional material for other companies. They make better things that are sustainable to make things better.
PROBLEM: The current travel document wallet is outdated. It was a product that would is typically used for one purpose and maybe even just one time. It is also a large object that would take up a lot of space or be something significant that a person traveling on a cruise would have to carry around. It needed a redesign to suit today's cruisegoers better.
INSIGHT: Although large in size, it did not have many features that one might want or need. It was a simple design with a few flaps inside to hold paper documents. Nowadays, people travel with their digital gadgets, headphones, charging cords, and other small items. Most people use their phones to keep tickets and information with them, but they would like a paper backup in case the Wi-Fi isn't working while boarding.
We determined that our main demographics that goes on cruises and values the document wallet the most would be boomers.
Solutions
Fusion360 Render of our prototype
Physical Product
Travel Wallet
We aim to give a second life to the standard travel wallet, allowing our users to customize the wallet to their needs while also ensuring a strong sense of security with their documents.
The new and improved travel wallet is smaller, sleeker, and has multiple functionalities to make your trip experience more enjoyable before, during, and after your trip.
Digital Experience
Starboard
Many boomers use travel apps to design, organize and streamline their holiday and vacation plans.
Our digital travel companion, Starboard, is an all-in-one digital solution to make your travel experience easy and fun.
Starboard Landing Page and Home Page
Research
Product Research
For our physical product, we started off by exploring and researching what other travel document wallets looked like. We found that many of them looked all the same and were quite simple and boring. We started thinking outside of the box and looking at other products like bags, gadget bags, phone cases, wallets, and more to find a solution that would be not just functional during a cruise. But also something that someone could use before and after a trip as well.
Interview with Patrick
"Cruising is in the details – it's booking to baggage, anticipation, and mementos that make the voyage memorable"
"The travel document wallet is the first tangible brand experience the customer has"
- Patrick Marsden, MaCher
Identifying the Personas
To identify our persona, we looked at four different cruisegoers demographics. We eventually decided that our key demographic and persona would be an elderly couple with a more considerable amount of spending and who enjoys going on cruises often.
Persona: Parents, mid-30s, first-time family travelers. Looking for a cruise with multiple experiences for everyone in the family
Persona: Influencer, young frequent traveler. Looking for a social media-worthy trip with a lot of destinations and experiences.
Persona: Young Couple, first-time travelers. Looking for a budget-friendly cruise that would fit a younger couple
Persona: Older retired couple, frequent travelers. Looking for a relaxing travel experience and doesn't mind spending a lot of money.
Physical prototype
Ideation sketches
After identifying who we were designing for, it was time to start sketching what we were designing for them. We began with creating lo-fi sketches and brainstorming ideas of what this new travel wallet might look like. Each team member brought their own ideas and perspectives. From there, we found similarities in each persons sketches and ideas that we wanted to implement, as well as new ideas and explorations on how the wallet could look like. We then created higher-fidelity digital sketches and even added color suggestions.
Ideation Sketch
Ideation Sketch
Ideation Sketch
Ideation Sketch
Ideation Sketch
Ideation Sketch
Updated Digital Sketch
Updated Digital Sketch
Updated Digital Sketch
Updated Digital Sketch
Physical models
Materials Exploration - Hemp/Recycled Poly
Materials Exploration - MuSkin Leather
Materials Exploration - Piñatex
Exploring Materials
We also explored different kinds of materials. We were looking at pineapple leather, beer leather, washable paper, Banbu leather, Technik leather, RPU, and different thicknesses of RPET. From this, we all created a physical prototype using one or more of these materials.
We settled for a Tecknik Leather for the outer body of our wallet as it was the most accessible and cost effective material. For the inner lining we decided on a 220D RPET material. We also used a metal bucket for attachment, a keychain and charm addition. The total estimated cost to make this is around $18 with a production quantity of 10,000 units.
Final Materials used for the Travel Document Wallet
Final Materials used for the Travel Document Wallet
3D renders
We took our final design into Fusion360 to create a high quality digital render of our prototype.
The size of the travel document wallet we created is smaller and sleeker than the traditional travel wallet. The travel wallet is made out of two components: the passport holder, which is detachable if you put it on the outside but can also fit inside the main wallet. And the main wallet has room for paper documents, currency, cards, and even your phone. If you cant to, you can put the passport holder inside of the main wallet as well.
Final Fusion360 3D Render - Details. Made by Francis P
Final Fusion360 3D Render - Front View. Made by Francis P
Final Fusion360 3D Render - Side View. Made by Francis P
Final Fusion360 3D Render - Side View. Made by Francis P
Digital prototype
Wireframes - Sketches and first draft
For our digital component, we started off by creating lo-fi wireframe sketches to get our ideas out. We knew that we wanted to have a simple design that was still functional. Thereafter, we moved on to creating higher quality digital wireframes to receive feedback on. From the feedback received, we changed some of the layout to be more simplistic, and we also updated our iconography to suit the respective categories better.
Wireframes second draft
Starboard logo updated
Login Page
App Onboarding
Badge Earned Page
Home Page
Final app design
The final design resulted in Starboard, an all-in-one digital solution to make your travel experience easy and fun. When users log in to the app for the first time, they get a short 5-slide onboarding process that will tell them all about the Starboard app and what they can do.
We also gamified the experience by adding badges that travelers can collect. Users can collect badges before, during, and after their trips by using the app. Some badges come with rewards, and some are only unlocked after doing certain tasks. Each specific trip that someone does has a set of badges that one can earn. To unlock other trip badges, users must book or connect their trip to the app.
In addition we added things such as a calendar and the ability to book events and excursions directly on the app during your trip.
Through the algorithm, the app will learn what a user likes and interests and then suggest other trips that might fit the cruise goer.
Further Possibilities
Reimagining an item like the document wallet was difficult due to the different needs and technological advances. The most significant challenge we faced was creating a physical product that a consumer would want to use again or that served a purpose outside of going on a trip or a cruise. Something can be made as sustainable as possible, but if it is only used once, it is not sustainable at all.
We understand that a lot of the documents for trips are now moving digital. But, the challenge was still to create a document wallet that would hold the essential documents that you still need when traveling such as passports, ID's, cards, and any other paperwork that you might want to have.
We see the design of the wallet changing, depending on the cruise line, and different travel tiers may have different materials and charms added to the wallet.
We also understand that many cruise lines already have their own apps, and see Starboard scaling down to be an integration within a cruise lines own app instead, adding gamification such as collecting badges and encouraging exploring and getting more out of your trip.
