Recently I have been looking at the user experience with a lot of online travel booking engines and other search tools.
Frankly they mostly suck. This is in the main because this is not simple or easy.
There are too many dimensions to the process. But that doesn’t mean that we have to put up with poor User Experience in the main today.
Indeed it is high time the powers that be (and you know who you are) started to revisit the concept of the user experience.
So let’s consider what could be an ideal solution. I am by no means a user experience expert but I do believe that there is not enough effort put into this area.
Given the stagnating market share for online booking services and search – I think we need to consider a number of issues.
Explicit vs Implicit
There is surely by now enough experience to show us that we can store information that is repetitive.
I am frankly sick of typing my name (perhaps I should shorten it to Smith or something). I should not have to do that.
I am also willing to give my personal details to anyone who will improve my experience. So why not just tell me that.
I am not surrendering my freedom but there are basic pieces of information that I can have stored which can uniquely identify me and add to the process.
What we have to get away from is the comprehensive and explicit nature of the interface and start to use essential information that will reduce the burden of explicit interaction.
Intelligence vs Brute Force
There are just some illogical itineraries that should be eliminated. Experience by now should show us that we should be able to reduce the total plethora of choices.
This information can be mined anonymously from the user behavior on a website. If an airline isn’t doing this today – they should be. Its harder admittedly from a neutral perspective.
However looking at the total number of possible flights to ones that are viable and preferable should start to eliminate the need to apply Brute Force searching to every single query.
Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
C’mon people – time to take advantage of what we already know. There is way to much “JIC” (just in case) activity.
We have a lot of data let’s start using it and turning it into information. I like Skyscanner and Yapta for this. Frankly I just don’t like Kayak. I hate its UI.
Timothy’s Theory of Relativity and Context
Everything has its place. Sometimes you need a lot more input – in other cases you need very little input to define the right question to get the explicit best answer.
A case in point. If I am going to book a multi-stop sales trip (do they still exist?) or a long haul area fare type trip – then I am hardly going to use an iPhone for that. However if I am going LAX-SFO for the day – I should be able to do that easily. And there should be an App for that!!!.
Clutter Generates Disloyalty
For a long time OTA sites and search firms have questioned why there is so little disloyalty amongst their users. DUH!
This is hardly rocket science. Just looking at the amount of amount of useless crap and clutter on the screen should be good enough.
I really am not caring at this point about the revenue model – I am trying to be a purist. As it is so easy to click away – don’t give the user a reason to do that.
The vast majority of sites distract the user with too much “stuff”. I am a fan of the BBCs new website policy of removing clutter from the UI.
Clarity Uber Alles
Stop obfuscating the information and embellishing it. If I wanted opinion I would ask for it. Give me the goods unfiltered and fully comprehensive when I want it. BUT BE CLEAR in what is what.
Travel Fast and Travel Light
Too often the pages – particularly the home pages are bloated pigs. While there is now more than 75% broadband usage – consider the light users and the awful load times.
Lightening fast light pages are a must. And don’t forget how important mobile is to the process. Consider the users screen. If you don’t have a /mobile version of your site then you are doing your users a disservice (again).
OK so now here is your challenge. Show me a new user interface which improves my user experience. I am personally hungry for it. I am sure that the squillion other online users are too.
Failure to do so will result in the whole category going down in flames when some smart chappie in a garage figures it out.
You have been warned...
Frankly they mostly suck. This is in the main because this is not simple or easy.
There are too many dimensions to the process. But that doesn’t mean that we have to put up with poor user experience in the main today.
Indeed it is high time the powers that be (and you know who you are) started to revisit the concept of the user experience.
So let’s consider what could be an ideal solution. I am by no means a user experience expert but I do believe that there is not enough effort put into this area.
Given the stagnating market share for online booking services and search – I think we need to consider a number of issues.
Explicit vs Implicit
There is surely by now enough experience to show us that we can store information that is repetitive.
I am frankly sick of typing my name (perhaps I should shorten it to Smith or something). I should not have to do that.
I am also willing to give my personal details to anyone who will improve my experience. So why not just tell me that.
I am not surrendering my freedom but there are basic pieces of information that I can have stored which can uniquely identify me and add to the process.
What we have to get away from is the comprehensive and explicit nature of the interface and start to use essential information that will reduce the burden of explicit interaction.
Intelligence vs Brute Force
There are just some illogical itineraries that should be eliminated. Experience by now should show us that we should be able to reduce the total plethora of choices.
This information can be mined anonymously from the user behavior on a website. If an airline isn’t doing this today – they should be. Its harder admittedly from a neutral perspective.
However looking at the total number of possible flights to ones that are viable and preferable should start to eliminate the need to apply Brute Force searching to every single query.
Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
C’mon people – time to take advantage of what we already know. There is way to much “JIC” (just in case) activity.
We have a lot of data let’s start using it and turning it into information. I like Skyscanner and Yapta for this. Frankly I just don’t like Kayak. I hate its UI.
Timothy’s Theory of Relativity and Context
Everything has its place. Sometimes you need a lot more input – in other cases you need very little input to define the right question to get the explicit best answer.
A case in point. If I am going to book a multi-stop sales trip (do they still exist?) or a long haul area fare type trip – then I am hardly going to use an iPhone for that. However if I am going LAX-SFO for the day – I should be able to do that easily. And there should be an App for that!!!.
Clutter Generates Disloyalty
For a long time OTA sites and search firms have questioned why there is so little disloyalty amongst their users. DUH!
This is hardly rocket science. Just looking at the amount of amount of useless crap and clutter on the screen should be good enough.
I really am not caring at this point about the revenue model – I am trying to be a purist. As it is so easy to click away – don’t give the user a reason to do that.
The vast majority of sites distract the user with too much “stuff”. I am a fan of the BBCs new website policy of removing clutter from the UI.
Clarity Uber Alles
Stop obfuscating the information and embellishing it. If I wanted opinion I would ask for it. Give me the goods unfiltered and fully comprehensive when I want it. BUT BE CLEAR in what is what.
Travel Fast and Travel Light
Too often the pages – particularly the home pages are bloated pigs. While there is now more than 75% broadband usage – consider the light users and the awful load times.
Lightening fast light pages are a must. And don’t forget how important mobile is to the process. Consider the users screen. If you don’t have a /mobile version of your site then you are doing your users a disservice (again).
OK so now here is your challenge. Show me a new user interface which improves my user experience. I am personally hungry for it. I am sure that the squillion other online users are too.
Failure to do so will result in the whole category going down in flames when some smart chappie in a garage figures it out.
You have been warned...