Lito Luggage Tracker
The Lito luggage tracker was a personal project with the goal of developing a solution that integrated software and hardware components. I aimed to address travel anxiety, specifically the worry of losing luggage while traveling. The solution consisted of a Bluetooth paired GPS baggage tag and a mobile app that utilizes AR-assisted navigation. This project involves the redesign of an existing concept application.
Problem
1.3 million travelers feel travel related anxiety from fear of flying to lost luggage there’s many factors that contribute to travelers stress and anxiety levels. How might I develop a solution to help alleviate baggage related stress and anxiety travelers feel?
Goals
Dig in with users and understand the factors that contribute most to their travel anxiety.
Identify opportunities to reduce their travel anxiety through a software/hardware solution.
Length of project
3 Months (Jan 2019 - Mar 2019) - Part Time
My role & responsibilities
UX Designer
User Interviews (online/in person)
Competitive Analysis
Information Architecture
Industrial Design
UX & UI Design
On-boarding Illustrations & Icon design
Prototyping
User Testing & Protocol Writing
A paired GPS baggage tag that utilizes an AR assisted IOS mobile app. Helps travelers feel less stressed by giving them the power to track and check on their bags during long trips.
The solution
A compact, low-energy Bluetooth tracker that can be affixed to the exterior or placed inside any type of luggage. It features an impact-resistant polycarbonate inner shell and a Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) outer shell for enhanced durability.
Bluetooth GPS Tracker “Lito”
A customized recipe library tailored to users' preferences and refrigerator inventory. The app recommends recipes based on items that are nearing their expiration dates first in a user’s refrigerator.
AR Assisted Navigation
Customizable, distance-based alert notifications designed to empower users by monitoring their baggage, whether traveling internationally or on a coastal round trip.
Alert Distance Notifications
Developing a solution within the parameters of a standalone mobile application, independent of existing travel platforms.
Creating an intuitive user experience to assist individuals in locating lost baggage during times of anxiety and stress.
Integrating device setup in an intuitive and natural progression of using the mobile application. (FTUX)
Challenges
Research
Employing an online survey method that combines open-ended and multiple-choice questions, my research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of individuals' travel-related anxiety, particularly concerning their luggage and baggage.
Can you describe an experience where your luggage was lost during travel? How did it affect your trip?
How do you typically react when you realize your luggage is missing?
What aspects of losing your luggage cause you the most anxiety?
How do you usually try to mitigate the stress associated with lost luggage?
Have you ever used any tools or services to help locate your lost luggage? If so, how effective were they?
What features would you find most helpful in an app designed to assist with lost luggage?
How do you think airlines and travel companies could better support passengers dealing with lost luggage?
Can you share any coping strategies you use to manage travel anxiety related to lost luggage?
How important is real-time tracking of your luggage to you while traveling?
What additional information or support would help reduce your anxiety if your luggage were lost?
What Did users Say?
“I get anxiety from flying alot, but the temporary anxiety related to not having my bags with me is worse.”
“I was going on a two week vacation and the airline lost my luggage with all my close in it. It took almost half my trip to get my luggage back, I had to buy clothes during that time I had nothing.”
"I try not to check bags because I always worry they’ll lose my bags or someone will steal them."
"Not knowing where or if my bags make it on my flight gives me some anxiety.”
Based on insights users shared with me through the surveys, I developed two personas that were representative of end users. These personas ensured a user-centric approach throughout the design process, with a strong focus on addressing their unique challenges
Understand & empathize
Lina / 34yrs / Entrepreneur
Frustrations:
Traveling is stressful with her two children and keeping track of luggage is a constant extra worry.
Her children carry their own luggage and the chaos of airports, leads her to always having to check to make sure her children haven’t left their bags somewhere.
Has trouble keeping track of everyone's boarding pass.
Goals:
Reduce the things she has to actively keep track of while traveling.
Feel more in control before their flights.
Not worry about her children losing their luggage.
Tom / 28yrs / Senior Sales Manager
Frustrations:
Always worries about losing or having his luggage stolen while traveling abroad. They contain his suits and work materials he needs for important client meetings.
Often times tries to fit all his possessions into a carry to avoid checking luggage to avoid the possibility losing his bag.
Goals:
Be more organized before and during trips.
Feel less anxiety about his luggage and possessions.
Not feel forced to use a carry-on to feel in control.
Leveraging user feedback
Based on the aforementioned research, a basic prototype of the application was developed to address users' needs and challenges. The prototype was tested with five users in an unmoderated format, focusing on three primary use case scenarios. With the following goals in mind.
Usability Goals
Identify pain points during the FTUX of account creation and subscription sign up.
Identify pain points during the setup of the Lito tracking devices.
Understand how users approach locating their lost luggage within the application.
Test Scenarios
“Imagine you have just bought a Lito Tracker and you've downloaded the app. Your task is to start the app, make an account, and subscribe to the premium plan of the service.”
“You have just finished signing up and subscribing to the Lito service and you want to setup your tracker with the app. How would you do that?”
“Your flight is in a couple of hours and you've checked out of your hotel and decided to walk around the city with your luggage before you head to the airport. You realize once your in the Uber on the way to the airport that you've forgotten your luggage somewhere!!!!! Using the app how would you find and get directions to your lost luggage?”
Test results
"I liked how easy it was to get directions to my bags."
“Signing up was pretty easy, I liked how the features for each plan were listed out.”
What Users Liked…
"It's frustrating that I have to choose each bag to see where it's on located on map why can't I see all my bags?"
"I didn't find the travel itinerary very helpful, I wouldn't use this feature over my android pay/apple wallet."
"I was confused where to go after signing up."
"I was confused by the directions for setting up my tracker."
What Users Disliked…
Include a list of users tracked bags.
Removed travel itinerary feature as there just isn’t enough of added value over current solutions.
Improve workflow for setup of Lito trackers.
Post sign up FTUX. Where do user’s land?
Opportunities for Improvement…
Problem Solve & Ideate
Based on user feedback, I initially focused on optimizing post-sign-up first-time user experience (FTUX) and improving travel itinerary management. This involved streamlining the architecture by removing the travel itinerary feature, introducing a call-to-action (CTA) on the app landing page for setting up the first Lito tracker, and integrating an optional list of bags within the map section. Furthermore, I enhanced the UI and interactions of the application to align with Apple's iOS design guidelines.
Before User Feedback
After User Feedback
Lito Tracker Setup (FTUX)
Getting Directions to Lost Luggage
Account Creation/Subscription Sign Up
Improve quick access to locating a tracked bag on the map.
Pain point: Users wanted a faster way to locate their luggage on the map view. This was especially relevant in context of having lost their luggage. Efficiency was key.
Resolution: Introduce a “My stuff” section that is a togglable list of all currently tracked bags. User can select any in the list and the map will immediately jump to the related location.
Usability Testing Session
I conducted another round of usability testing using identical scenarios to validate the resolution of initial user pain points and identify further areas for enhancement.
Test Results
Onboarding process was more clear.
Connecting a tracker was simple and easy.
Augmented reality directions felt helpful.
What Users Liked…
Unclear on how to get directions to lost luggage from map.
Unclear which luggage is which on the map.
Couldn’t use tracker tab for finding luggage.
Ping button UI was unclear to users.
What Users Disliked…
Create clarity around the ping button UI.
Add baggage identification on map.
Add controls to get directions from the tracker tabs.
Opportunities for Improvement…
Opportunities for Improvement
Ping button Clarity
Pain point: Users were unclear about the function of the Ping button. The iconography failed to effectively convey the intended action.
Resolution: Due the ping button playing a sound from the luggage tag, I revised the design of the iconography to a musical note to better communicate the resulting action (playing sound.)
Before
After
Additional Control Options Per Tracker
Pain point: Users frequently accessed the tracker tab and sought additional options for individual trackers, such as obtaining directions or sharing the tracker's location with friends or family members.
Resolution: To make these additional controls more accessible, I decided to add and display these actions upon selecting an individual tracker.
Before
After
Same Location Bag Selection
Pain point: Users expressed frustration when they were unable to select individual bags that were in close proximity to each other.
Resolution: Utilizing the IOS design library I opted a 3D touch interaction dropdown menu that exposed multiple options to user when bags were within close proximity of each other. This would allow them to select an individual bag or get directions to the general location.
After
Before
High Fidelity Mockups
For the high fidelity wireframes I leveraged a version of the IOS 13 Design Kit and modified it with several custom assets via the IOS guidelines for scenarios the standard kit didn’t support. I built out a design language to give the app a modern but friendly look and feel. Choosing a palette with soft calming colors and utilizing the standard IOS 13 fonts found in native apps.