Askyoyo

Askyoyo is a guest experience app that makes it easy for hotels to tailor your stay according to your preferences and needs.

Intro

Problem

One of the main issues that Askyoyo aimed to solve was the challenge faced by hotels when trying to customize guests' stays based on their individual preferences and needs. The existing process often involved guests filling out lengthy forms or making multiple phone calls to the hotel, which was both time-consuming and frustrating.

Goal

Hotels have always strived to provide the best possible experience for their guests. However, with the ever-increasing competition in the hospitality industry, it has become increasingly important to personalize and customize guests' stays according to their preferences and needs.

My Role

During my time as a product designer, I handled various tasks, including product design, branding, and web design. I worked closely with the founder and the team of developers to ensure that our designs were in line with the company's overall vision and goals.

Project duration: 3 months

Research

Methods

To define the problem and the audience, we conducted user interviews and surveys to gather information about the needs and preferences. This allowed us to gain valuable insights into the user's behavior, and helped us to better understand their motivations and pain points. We also conducted market research to gain insights into the competition and overall market trends. This research allowed us to identify key gaps in the market, and helped us to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape.

Insights

During the course of our research, we conducted several interviews with both hotel staff and guests. Our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and preferences of our target audience. We began by asking about common requests or preferences guests have during their stay. This allowed us to identify areas where the hotel can improve, as well as identify trends in guest preferences that can be leveraged to enhance their experience. We conducted interviews with hotel staff and guests. Some of the questions we asked included:

• What are some of the most common requests or preferences that guests have during their stay?

• How do guests currently communicate their preferences and needs to hotel staff?

• Have you ever had any issues or challenges coordinating guest requests and responding to inquiries?

• What are some of the biggest pain points for guests during their stay?

• In your opinion, what could be done to improve the guest experience and satisfaction?

We also inquired about how guests currently communicate their preferences and needs to hotel staff. This helped us understand the communication channels that are most commonly used and whether there are any opportunities to streamline this process.

To better understand the challenges faced by hotel staff in fulfilling guest requests, we asked about any issues or challenges they may have experienced in the past. This allowed us to identify areas where better coordination could be implemented, ultimately leading to a better experience for guests.

Guests' biggest pain points during their stay were also explored. This helped us identify areas where the hotel may be falling short in meeting guests' expectations, and areas where improvements can be made to enhance the overall guest experience.

Some of the key insights we gained from our research included:

• Guests were frustrated with the current process of communicating their preferences and needs to hotel staff.

• Hotels were spending a lot of time and resources coordinating requests and responding to guest inquiries.

• There was a gap in the market for a more efficient and effective way for guests to communicate their preferences and needs to hotel staff.

• Hotels were interested in a platform that could help them better understand their guests' needs and preferences.

Define

Personas

In order to better understand the target audience and their needs, we created several personas that represent different types of users who may interact with the Askyoyo platform. These personas were developed based on insights gained from user interviews, surveys, and market research.

Hotel Staff

Pain points: Maria often finds that guests have difficulty communicating their needs and preferences, which can lead to delays and misunderstandings. She also struggles with coordinating requests between different departments and ensuring that all guest needs are met in a timely manner.

Motivations: Maria is motivated by the opportunity to provide exceptional service to guests and ensure that they have a positive experience during their stay. She is also motivated by the prospect of streamlining the communication process between guests and hotel staff, which would improve the efficiency of the hotel's operations and ultimately lead to increased revenue.

Business Traveler

Pain points: Jordan often finds that hotels do not provide adequate workspaces or high-speed internet, which can impede his ability to work effectively. He also finds that the check-in and check-out process can be time-consuming and frustrating, and that room service can be slow or unreliable.

Motivations: Jordan is motivated by the prospect of finding hotels that can meet his specific needs and preferences, and that can help him work effectively while on the road. He is also motivated by the opportunity to earn loyalty points or rewards for his frequent stays.

Family Vacationer

Pain points: Sarah often finds that it can be difficult to find hotels that offer kid-friendly amenities and activities. She also finds that it can be challenging to keep her children engaged and entertained during long car rides or flights.

Motivations: Sarah is motivated by the opportunity to spend quality time with her family and explore new places together. She is also motivated by the prospect of finding hotels that can meet her family's specific needs and preferences.

Design

We created multiple versions of each design, sketch, or wireframe, in order to explore different possibilities and ensure that we were considering all possible perspectives. We took care to analyze each version in detail, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and making adjustments as necessary. This process allowed us to produce a final design that was well-informed, thoroughly considered, and tailored to meet the specific needs of the project personas.

Branding

The branding process for Askyoyo was intensive, as the team wanted to ensure that the brand would be recognizable and stand out in the market for guest experience technology. The team focused on creating a modern and sophisticated brand identity that would appeal to both hotels and guests. The final branding elements included the logo, color palette, typography, and graphic design elements such as icons and illustrations.

We selected a color palette that was modern and sophisticated, with shades of purple and main yellow color. Purple is often associated with trust and reliability, which we felt were important values to convey to both hotels and guests. The shades of purple and yellow also complemented the app's branding and visual identity.

AI Expert

As an additional feature to the app, the team developed "AI Expert," an AI-powered recommendation engine that suggests personalized experiences and amenities based on each guest's preferences and needs. The AI Expert system works by analyzing data from previous stays and feedback from guests, which allows it to provide tailored recommendations that maximize guest satisfaction and engagement. For example, if a guest has a preference for a specific type of cuisine, AI Expert can recommend nearby restaurants that serve that cuisine. If a guest enjoys outdoor activities, the system can suggest local parks or trails for them to explore.

Design system

As part of the design process for the Askyoyo project, a comprehensive design system was developed to ensure consistent and cohesive visual branding across all aspects of the app. The system was designed with the needs of the project personas in mind, and was tailored to meet their specific preferences and needs. By developing a robust and well-defined design system, the team was able to create a final product that was both visually appealing and highly functional, and that met the needs and expectations of a diverse range of users.

One aspect of the design process that I found particularly enjoyable was the branding and visual identity development for the app. This involved an exhaustive exploration of different color palettes, typography, and graphic design elements. I cherished the opportunity to work with the team in creating a brand that was not only modern and sophisticated, but also lively and full of energy. It was a truly rewarding experience to see the brand identity come together and to witness the profound impact it had on the app's overall aesthetic and user experience.

Results

After launching Askyoyo as beta version, hotels saw an increase in guest satisfaction and engagement. Guests could easily communicate their preferences and need to hotel staff, and hotels could quickly and efficiently respond to these requests. This led to an overall improvement in the guest experience and positively impacted the hotel's reputation and bottom line.

In addition to improving the guest experience, Askyoyo also helped hotels to save time and resources. By streamlining the communication process between guests and staff, hotels were able to reduce the amount of time and effort spent on coordinating requests and responding to guest inquiries.