Mobile Web App | Figma
explore
costa rica
A revolutionary app that aims to transform the travel experience for independent tourists looking to discover hidden gems in Costa Rica.
ROLE
UI Designer
UX Researcher
CLIENT
This project was made
as a graduation project for Google Udacity Nanodegree
DATE
2021
Costa Rica, the little country that could.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Known for its lush rainforest destinations, and incredible beaches,Costa Rica receives over 3 million tourists per year. One of its most important sectors, tourism alone generated 1.70 billion dollars for the country in 2021, making it the most visited country in Central America.
In efforts to contribute to the nation's tourism economy, an application was ideated to fill the gap of a reliable source of information for tourists, both national and international.
ExploreCR aims to solve data scarcity by providing trustworthy, easy-to-access insights and local tips for those looking to maximize their trip to the land of pura vida.
Unleash the power of your vacation with
ExploreCR
Let's take a dive...
User Needs
User Behaviors
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What kind of information do users feel is essential for this kind of platform?
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What features would make the tourist's life easier?
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Which platforms, if any, do travelers prefer for planning their trip?
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How do they purchase tickets to national parks?
To put the questions to the test I ran a semi-moderated interview with 8 participants of different ages and regions of the country/tourists.
From these interviews and further research, it was found that travelers either research on their own or get suggestions from friends, and lack general information when planning their trips.
The major pain point found was that there are no platforms to purchase e-tickets to the national parks and avoid making lines.
User Interviews
Putting it all together
After a few rounds of user testing, we determined an appropriate user journey that made sense to those who used the app. We used a classic structure that felt familiar and usable to our testers, taking into consideration that this would be a tool used by all ages above 13+with differing levels of tech-navigation skills.
Capturing Costa Rica's Essense
I pulled a palette and style that would resonate with the country's brand: natural, lush, rich in color and culture.
Project Conclusions
In a four-month sprint, with the help of user interviews and thorough research, ExploreCR was created to bring travelers a new way to see Costa Rica. For the first time, a solution was proposed that addressed major pain points in the tourism sector, especially faced by independent local and international tourists.
This project was a significant move in the modernization of the country and gained interest by local government agencies,
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Reserve parks and popular areas
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Book tickets to sights and famous tourist places ahead of time
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Filter by state to find activities in their area
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Have accurate, up-to-date information on all events and activities
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Have more specific information and tips provided by experts.