Meet “Compackt” – a mobile app designed exclusively for the needs of carry-on users. The concept features customizable packing lists tailored to various destinations and trip durations, plus a weight meter and essential airline information. Additionally, Compackt incorporates forums to create a vibrant community of like-minded travelers.
Wherever you go, travel light.
“There are 32 million flights, $29 billion in baggage fees, and over 2 million bags lost in transit globally per year.” — Forbes
Many travelers prefer to fly only with carry-on luggage to avoid the hassles and fees of checked bags. This often leads to challenges in efficiently organizing and packing their limited belongings. Frequent flyers typically spend multiple hours between 8 or more sources to gather the information they need. How might we design a solution that provides one-baggers an all-in-one minimalist packing experience?
Mobile App Concept
Timeline
8 Weeks
Lead Designer
Team
Solo Project
When browsing these online communities, I discovered just how easy it was to find prominent difficulties, as users spoke about them openly.
Common user paint points were
- No dedication to a streamlined packing experience
- A lack of in-app information that helps them pack
- Current apps on the market were too complicated
Surveying a total of 211 users
I surveyed users across various online one-bag communities to gather potential app features, and evaluated this information from least to most important by quantitative measure. After I discovered what features were most desirable, I performed a competitive analysis for Compackt’s concept.
When browsing these online communities, I discovered just how easy it was to find prominent difficulties, as users spoke about them openly.
Some insights from this research were
- Users want simplicity and friction-free experiences
- Users want information all in one place
- Users wants mobility to take all of this information with them
Becoming a userOne of the advantages I had when designing Compackt, was that I would be considered a user. I created hypothetical trip to a destination I had never been to, and packed out my own travel backpack as this were real. I made a note on each step I took, every time I had to look something up and what information I was searching for. This exercise would prove to be invaluable to my design process, and would dictate the information architecture of the app.
Compiling the features
From my research and pack exercise, I concluded that Compact needed to have four main screens within the app: lists (homepage), forums, direct messages, and profile.
Rounded elements and color-pop vector illustrations are distributed throughout the user interface for a friendly and unified experience. Compackt’s color palette puts users up in the air evokes a sense of adventure and generates positivity for the new day ahead! Source Sans Pro, an inviting sans-serif, acts as the sole font.
Designing with partnerships in mind.I took visual cues for Compackt’s user interface by inspecting other productivity, travel and learning applications like Hopper, Duolingo, Kayak etc. Compackt most likely couldn’t be marketed on its own. I aligned the product visually to other products within the same space in the event of a partnership!
In a world where globetrotters were overwhelmed with the current travel apps on the market, I embarked on a journey to design a mobile app with a unique twist for those who dared to travel with only a carry-on. Meet Compackt – a delightful solution tailored exclusively to the needs of minimalist travelers.
Users are first greeted by their lists, organized by upcoming trip. Each list card provides a photo, trip dates, and a weight meter that displays how much is currently packed for that trip.
Where the user will be, for how long, and during what season are all considered when formatting a new packing list. Users are able to add multiple cities and airlines for their trip. By tapping the search icon, users can switch their lists from a horizontal scroll to a grid view. They are also able to sort lists by different attributes, or perform a general search.
The list screen is home to an itemized list interface and an overview of list info. An expanding menu on the top right gives users the option to edit, share or delete the list. Gestural interactions such as tapping and swiping help navigate the userflow.
Add List Item or SectionAn item is added by name and weight, but can have additional info like a photo or notes. The section feature provides list organization that helps the user seperate items by pocket or packing cube.
Weight MeterThe weight meter fluctuates as the user adds or substracts items. There is pertinent bag info for the airline after tapping the meter. Users are alerted when the bag is too heavy.
With the forums feature, users can finally ditch the plethora of websites they hunt for information in. Users are able to communicate with each other privately, share their previous lists or even plan a meetup at their destination.
This was my first attempt at creating an app from scratch. I learned not to reinvent the wheel, to document everything and that there’s always improvements to made. There were some difficult moments that reminded me that I have more to learn, but this also motivated me to dive in and get excited about the process!