These days, the focus of technology seems to be solving all of our problems. Apps exist to help us avoid bad restaurants, stay on top of public safety news, make appointments and even hail a cab – all with the tap of a finger.
But by relying on these travel apps intended to make our lives easier, what serendipitous experiences are we potentially missing out on?
From getting lost and discovering local gems in a new city to befriending a shopkeeper, there are countless opportunities to grow and discover that we may be passing by.
NB: This is a viewpoint from Jerald Singh, head of mobile at Expedia.
Instead of letting apps do all the exploring for us, what if we designed products that could enable us to take risks and explore the unknown ourselves?
With the recent explosion of mobile devices – from laptops to wristband to smartwatches – and an increase in our resulting dependence on them, it’s no surprise that technology today comes in a variety of different sizes, shapes and forms.
People deserve a cohesive experience across all these platforms, which is why we’re working to design responsive sites and apps that adapt to fit whatever context you’re currently in and provide a one-of-a-kind user experience.
Rather than creating apps devised to achieve a single purpose or serve as just a means to an end, designers should focus on building unique experiences that help stimulate serendipity and inspire exploration in our everyday lives.
Expedia’s new tablet app is a perfect example of this. Designed specifically for tablets and the way we use them, our new app integrates a re-imagined combined hotel and flight search that allows travelers to jump right in and start browsing immediately instead of having to first determine exactly where, when, how and with whom they’d like to travel.
It also features new carefully curated collections of destinations from around the world designed to inspire new adventures and introduce new locations people perhaps didn’t even know existed. It mimics how we actually think about the travel planning process, and is built with a myriad of thoughtful design elements that help guide our customers through a visually beautiful journey to their final destination.
For example, if a traveler is unsure of where they want to go to celebrate their anniversary and is in need of inspiration, they can quickly browse our Romantic Getaways collection for relevant ideas. If a certain city, say Paris, piques his or her interest, they can then easily search for flights and hotels simultaneously and view findings side by side to identify the best options based on their preferences.
You don’t even have to enter specific dates to start searching: departure and arrival days can be adjusted within the guided search experience, which helps customers uncover the best times to travel to score the best deal to their particular destination. Previously, travelers would have had to complete multiple online searches to deliver the same depth of information that our new tablet app can provide with just one.
App design has the power to fundamentally reflect our personal wants and desires, and more seamlessly facilitate connections between our lives and our technology. Apps that make life a little easier are great, but those that inspire and provide a unique experience while doing so are even better.
By focusing on more responsive design and creating apps that allow for exploration and discovery, we can invite users not to simply book their trips, but to fully immerse themselves in the entire travel process to see what they can discover – from booking to touchdown and beyond.
NB: This is a viewpoint from Jerald Singh, head of mobile at Expedia. It appears here as part of Tnooz's sponsored content initiative.
NB2: Apps image via Shutterstock.