During this semester, we have been tasked to create a travel digital product with an emphasis on producing exciting iconography and illustration. To begin my research, I explored what travel is in the mind maps below – uncovering who is travelling; where they may going; what modes of transport are using to travel, and why they may be travelling. These initial brainstorms allowed me to also consider some travel companies which I was already familiar with like AirBnB, Trivago and TripAdvisor, which I will study to see how they are able to provide digital travel services. I also noted what tools we may use to travel as this will be useful imagery for creating my icons and illustrations.
At the beginning of this project, I was also interested in understanding how travel effects the environment as I thought it would an interesting launch point for the goal of my travel app. The below shows some mindmapping I produced which I used to consider how I could create an app which encouraged tourists to travel sustainably as I found the topic interesting as I explored how we can design sustainably in UX design.
Designing With Our Future In Mind
AirBnb is an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals, and tourism activities created by college roommates who realised that they could use their own apartment as a bed and breakfast. The digital company is based on both its website and mobile app which allows users to both become a host – temporarily renting their own property to travellers; and as a prospective customer, browsing properties like apartments, boats and houses which they can stay in during for example vacations, business trips. I really liked Airbnb’s logo, something I was interesting in studying as I begin to consider how I can create one for my own digital product. The flat design is very simple, comprised of a line work contains several meanings that I believe effectively represent the company. The general triangular shape with a circle at its centre creates the most obvious interpretation of a map pinpoint – highlighting the company’s purpose as a travel company. However, the circle also serves as a symbol of a person’s head, highlighting the company’s goal of being a people orientated service. Rotated the logo also becomes a shape of heart, further emphasising the sense of connection Airbnb has with its customers.
The company also utilises really exciting illustration on its website (above) to present locations. I really liked this design as its bright, dreamy colour palette and simple and exaggerated textured planes remind me of an impressionist painting; effectively presenting to its audience that the locations advertised are fantastical vacations that allow the tourist to escape from their reality and should be visited immediately to experience their otherworldly natural landscapes – something I think a realistic photograph can not capture as successfully.