booking an r.e.i adventure
Conducting a usability study to improve the experience of booking a REI Adventure.
Make it stand out.
the project
For 25+ years, R.E.I. Adventures has been helping travelers find all-inclusive experiences all over the world. The purpose of this study was to assess the web booking flow for R.E.I. Adventures to identify key usability issues and design recommendations. This work aligns with R.E.I.’s business objectives to expand their primary offerings as an outdoor retailer into the experiences space and further differentiate themselves against competitors.
the outcome
We provided recommendations on how to improve the booking flow based on the usability issues that were prioritized from most to least severe. Our findings were presented to the UX team at R.E.I. and we discussed the implications of the study’s results. We also delivered an in-depth usability report that details our process, analysis, and insights.
my role
UX Researcher
While analysis and usability testing with participants were completed individually, the usability test planning and data synthesis was done collaboratively.
This work was sponsored by R.E.I. and completed as part of the Human-Centered Design & Engineering MS program at the University of Washington.
DEVELOPING SCENARIOS
We met with R.E.I. to learn about their goals and where they perceived users were having difficulty. We identified our objectives and also performed a heuristic analysis to identify key usability issues. These were used to create the tasks for the three booking flow scenarios.
USABILITY STUDY DESIGN
8 Participants based on core user criteria provided by REI
Conducted where participants would typically book travel
Task-basked usability study of the 3 scenarios
Think aloud + Post-task questionnaire
Make it stand out.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
OBJECTIVES
Assess the effectiveness of the current booking flow for REI Adventures
Identify roadblocks users may encounter with common booking tasks
Identify design inconsistencies and usability issues in the experience
Evaluate with key representative users in environments they might typically plan or purchase travel
Make it stand out.
SCENARIO 1 – SELECT A TRIP
Find a specific trip
Learn details about the trip
Pick an available date
SCENARIO 2 – BOOK TRIP
Enter traveler info
Specify room preferences
Select payment plan
SCENARIO 3 – PAY AND MODIFY
Enter payment info
Modify booking
Double-check cancellation policy