Airluggage
New Airbnb Luggage Storing Feature
This project will focus on creating a platform that hosts different storage options for users booking through AirBnB. These storage lockers may be located at their reserved AirBnB that is more convenient for users to drop their luggage off before their check-in time and easily move on to their next adventure without having to worry about their luggage.
Goal
Our goal is to enhance traveling experience for users; by creating an accessible storage unit for travelers to store their luggage, bags and belongings at their AirBnB locations. In addition, this ultimately can change the way users book, prepare, and travel to their destinations!
Group Project: Molly Shwiff, Miña Grayer, Nikki Burdyn, Stefanie Dinh Nguyen, Vanessa Osterberg
Meet Simon!
Simon is a spontaneous and active traveler. He travels a lot for work as a salesman already and uses it to his advantage to spend extra time to visit touristic attractions while at his stay. This makes him not a light luggage traveler. He travels with his business and personal belongings and usually hopes not to get stuck too long with his luggage until he is able to check-in so he can spend more time explore around.
In March, Simon and his co-workers are all traveling to a large conference in Los Angeles, California where he books their stay with AirBnB. Upon the conference ending ahead of schedule surprisingly, Simon and his co-workers are unable to get into their AirBnB home for another few hours or so; leaving them with the burdensome weight of all of their luggage. Tired, anxious, and excited Simon starts wondering and researches if there are places to store their luggage safely for the few remaining hours of awaiting entering their lodging.
Imagine this
The research objective questions that we had were:
How can we best solve the problem of users like Simon not having anywhere to keep their luggage when traveling?
How do users like Simon manage their luggage if they arrive at their travel destination before their living accommodations are ready?
We conducted a survey with over 20 responses. The key insights of the survey we found were that
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36% of respondents travel 3-5x a year
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68% of respondents travel with luggage every time they travel
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55.5% of respondents either use a form of car to transport their luggage (rental, shuttle, personal car)
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All 100% of respondents desire electronic security via codes/keys if asked “Would code access and or electric keys enhance the traveling experience when being able to store your baggage?
During our user interview, we identified the four key factors crucial for luggage storage, which should encompass:
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Security (Surveillance/Locking mechanisms)
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Location/Proximity
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Price
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Accessibility
The competitor analysis that we did tells us both LugaggeHero and Bounce do not have individual, secure lockers for customer belongings. You would have to place your belongings at a business or shop and pay a fee.
Research findings
How might we provide Airbnb customers with a secure solution for their belongings when they arrive at their accommodations before the scheduled check-in time, enabling them to fully enjoy their travel experience with peace of mind?
Our solution to our research finding:
A new Airbnb feature that makes luggage storage options available and easy to locate so that Airbnb users awaiting their accommodations can securely and affordably store their luggage stress-free and still make the most of their travels.
Entering the development process we encountered these 3 challenges
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We had to understand how to work within client guidelines and needs to provide a feature that gives them security and trust.
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We had design limitations due to airluggage being a new feature to airbnb. We had to follow airbnb branding and style guide and match the process and flow of existing airbnb features to create the design for our airluggage feature.
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Due to the limited amount of time, it was challenging to solve and address all problems that we had in mind. For example
thinking through the business aspect of this project as an own storage station with lockers and deciding that it is out of scope due to the time and objective. Another aspect we were thinking about was outside of the platform itself (Where are the facilities located; how do staff interact with customers etc).
Challenges and limitations
User flow
For our user flow, we decided that it would be best, due to time constraints, that we start the airluggage process after airbnb users have already booked an airbnb and have received their email confirmation of their booking. In the itinerary page, there is a call to action button for the user to reserve a storage locker if they feel it is needed. We the user clicks on “reserve a locker” they are taken to the airluggage homepage, where the user will observe what airluggage is and how they can use it. The user will need to choose where and when they will need their storage locker, and then will need to click “reserve” in order to create their reservation. This will bring the user to a form where they will fill out their credit card information and finalize their airluggage reservation. Finally, the user will receive their email confirmation and their updated trip itinerary, now equipped with their airbnb booking information and their airluggage storage information.
We tried to keep this process as simple and easy as possible for the user. We had three main goals in the user flow for our user: first identify whether or not they need to store their luggage before their airbnb check in, second we want the user to understand what airluggage actually is, and third, we want the user to be able to complete the luggage storage reservation process.
Assumptions :
This process occurs after a reservation is made on airbnb
User Goals:
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User identifies if they need to store their luggage before check-in
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User understands Luggage storage feature (when/how to use it)
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User completes the luggage reservation process (form)
Prototype
As mentioned previously, The first page starts at the end of the original airbnb checkout process, where users would receive their itinerary after booking an airbnb. Airluggage is introduced as a solution to when airbnb users are arriving early to their accommodation and are looking to securely store their luggage until their airbnb will be ready. When users click on the red button that says “reserve locker” it will bring them to the airluggage homepage
The airluggage homepage is an introduction to the airluggage feature, explaining how there are many luggage storing locations available, there is around the clock security and these lockers are easy for customers to access. This second page also explains the three easy steps a customer can take to reserve a luggage storage locker; first choose your location, then choose your locker size, and finally choose your secure key code. On the right hand side of the page, users can easily fill out the form to choose their drop off and pick up time, location, and locker size, once they click reserve, they will continue to the confirm and pay page.
On the third page users will confirm and pay for their luggage storage reservation.
The fourth page is an now updated version of the airbnb itinerary page, which now includes the user's airluggage details, as well as their airbnb reservation details.
We encountered a challenge in ensuring that users could distinguish between their airline luggage information and their Airbnb reservation details. To address this issue, we modified the terminology: we now refer to airline luggage with "drop-off" and "pick-up" times, while Airbnb is denoted by "check-in" and "checkout" times.
Furthermore, based on our testing results, we implemented an additional enhancement by including facility locations.
Airluggage: What’s Next?
As we near the conclusion of this sprint, a few team members have identified several additional functionalities and enhancements to further enhance Simon's experience with airluggage.
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Currently, our scope is limited to initial reservations. We would like to expand functionality to include the modification and removal process of these reservations.
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Given user needs, we have kept safety and security at the forefront of our design. As we move forward, we want to expand on the facility portion of the feature. This means including more information about the facility like specific hours of operation, etc. and provide a detailed list of every facility available to provide the Simon’s of the world additional peace of mind.
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Finally, we would like to round out the E2E airluggage process by including some additional information and instruction during the drop-off and pick up periods to provide a comprehensive and guided experience for the user.