Hi, I'm art director Sato.

Google's Travel Planning Tool Google Travel The PC version of the service was released, and I personally planned a trip so I tried using it and thought that this is what I wanted!

I’m planning a trip with the new Google Travel (PC version) but it is honestly too convenient.

It's a real-time, updated guidebook with a booking button that allows you to compare the price of your flight while looking at the world map even when you are lost. https://t.co/4bpPQrs5rN pic.twitter.com/r9laYJp4t8 Shota SATO/non-standard world (@shotasato_nsw) On June 5, 2019,

Google Travel is a service that allows you to research and book flights/hotels/tourist spots/restaurants (*reservations are only available at supported facilities).

So, today we will organize the points of UX (User Experience) that provide this service from a designer's perspective.

Content and conductors in line with traveller behavioral scenarios

When you go on a trip, what kind of behavior process do you follow?
In order to organize the points of UX, we will divide traveller’s behavior into four stages and look at our services.

Then we found out that Google Travel has content and lead lines in line with the traveler’s behavioral scenarios, so let us take a look at them one by one.

1) The stage at which I thought about going on a trip

At this stage, there are three possible states:

• the condition of a date being set ahead
• the condition of a destination being set ahead)
• the condition of not having a fixed date or destination (I want to go on a trip vaguely)

With Google Travel, you can start looking at it from any state.

the condition of a date being set ahead

It is a pattern to consider the next destination because there are plans for a group of holidays, and I think "Let's go on a trip" etc.

In this case, by entering a date in Google Travel, the price of a flight to each city is plotted on the map and you can search for a candidate’s destination.

When you zoom in on a map, you’ll see more detailed destination options that can be used to narrow down direct flights and specify time zones for departure/arrival, as well as a list of rates per airline when you click on the price indicator.

the condition of a destination being set ahead)

For example, magazines and SNSs that introduced travel destinations have decided where to go when they say “I want to go here!”
We will consider "when to go" next with a destination.

In this case, in the "Price graph", you can list the "transition" of rates at any number of nights; that is, you can find a cheap date.

In addition, you can also check the combination of outbound and backbound dates that are the cheapest in "dates".

the condition of not having a fixed date or destination (I want to go on a trip vaguely)

If you’re not sure when or where to go, but want to travel, you can start looking at the “popular destination” that appears on the top screen.

Popular destinations" seem to vary depending on where you are, and in the US version it is as follows.

In addition, there is a screen called “package” in the US version. When you enter your departure location, it will be suggested by flight and hotel packages for popular travel destinations; the color of recommendations has become stronger.

2) The stage of planning

It is a stage to narrow down the schedule and destination.

If you revisit the site over a period of days, you’ll see information about recently searched flights as “checking rates” on the top screen and continue research.

You can also receive an email notification when the price is updated for a flight or hotel you are considering, and send a shared link to your companion to consult with us.

3) Reservation stage

It's time to make a reservation, and in the past you had to enter your itinerary every time you booked for a flight or hotel on each site.

However, in Google Travel you can make a reservation without entering your itinerary every time by starting from Google Travel.

In addition, the functions “Book on Google” and “Reserve with Google”, which are offered in some regions, have been completed to make reservations and settlements at hotels and restaurants on Google without leaving external sites, and smooth reservations with fewer screen transitions can be made.

automatic itinerary generation

It will automatically create a itinerary if you receive your flight or hotel reservation confirmation email with Gmail address, and future trips will be displayed on the top screen of Google Travel (although there is a lot of debate about automatic generation without prior consent).

By automatically creating a itinerary, you can expect users to revisit this screen and from the itinerary onwards, you will be able to search for/reserve restaurants around your hotel as well as find/reserve sightseeing spots.

4) The stage of actual travel

You will be able to access from your smartphone at the destination, including flight information, gate check, and hotel map display, all starting with itinerary tables. Of course, you can also book sightseeing spots or restaurants locally.

Google Travel's UX Is a Sad Thing

It’s a very good Google Travel UX, but I also want to write down some of the things that felt sad.

More seamless integration between PC and smartphone versions

McKinsey Survey   As noted in Travel shoppers are hopping between devices, many users will be able to access multiple times from both their PC and phone at the "planning" stage. Surely it's rare that they can make all their reservations at once, so you should visit a site several times. If your PC version of your search history is reflected on the smartphone version, then you might get there more smoothly.

a wire that looks for a destination from what you do)

At the stage where I thought about going on a trip, there seems to be another condition that can be assumed: it is the state in which "what you want" is decided first.

For example, if you want to go to an art museum where Picasso works or surf in a famous spot, you need to find a destination from the beginning of what you do, but you can’t find a lead line that looks for candidates from cities around the world.

You can search close to it by using regular Google Search, but if there are such conductors on Google Travel, you think that there is a certain number of users.

Summary

As we've seen, Google Travel has a lot of good UX design points.

There are content and wires that take into account the behavior of travelers, so it is possible to use from the planning stage through to the travel, and I felt that this service will improve the experience for tourists.

When I used to travel with a guidebook, I thought that "traveling with one Google Travel" might become commonplace.

✳︎

However, as an aside, if it is too convenient from information acquisition to reservation and recommendations are further strengthened in the future, there may be a possibility that serendipity which can be said to be one of the attractions of travel, so I personally feel that it is useless :)

I would also like to see how the UX provided by this service will be updated in the future.