To start this brief and figure out exactly what features I want to include, it is beneficial to do research into what is already out there and what these all do. I decided to look into three of the top travel apps to see what features they have and why they are so popular.
Airbnb
Airbnb opens the doors to the world's most interesting places to stay and is the simplest way to earn money from your extra space. With over 600,000 listings in more than 34,000 cities, Airbnb connects you with the experience that's right for you.
This App is about finding accommodation while on holiday. It allows users to share details of spaces they have to let, and allows others to pay to holiday there. This is a worldwide App, and has features such as directions, messages, wish lists and itinerary.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is a website and App which provides reviews for travel-related content. This is run on user generated content.
The website an App is all about looking up and writing reviews for anything travel related, from a restaurant in Madrid, to a landmark in South America. The App also allows users to book flights and hotels, as well as download maps for cities and see all the attractions around the city.
City Maps 2 Go
City Maps 2 Go is the #1 travel app that lets you discover new places, beautiful spots and insider tips at the touch of a button. Collect your personal best-of and save it for later. You will experience your best journeys yet with detailed offline maps and in-depth travel content on your mobile travel companion.
This App allows the user to look over city maps and plan a trip, create lists and look through a variety of activities available in the cities it supports. It works on a list interface, with a huge variety of content.
There are a few features that run across them all in being able to look at a lot of activities for the different cities and being able to add these to lists/book these. Airbnb is obviously less aimed at planning a full holiday, just looking at booking accommodation, but the other two are very much led by planning a trip. TripAdvisor works on user content, creating a more realistic view of these activities, and City Maps 2 Go has the Map feature to allow for a view of the city in question. Another feature that is obvious on all of these App is the importance of the imagery and having good quality images to clearly show the city and activities.
Overall they each have a lot of overlap, but each has its own individual element which makes it stand out. It is clear that it is impossible to get a truly unique App, but creating something which has an individual element to it is possible.
First hand research
To get a clearer idea of how these Apps worked, I downloaded them so I am able to experience them and see how features work/what I like and don't like about the Apps.
In terms of the aesthetic, Airbnb has the best appearance in the size of the images, typeface choice and iconography. It makes it seem that bit more professional. A cleaner and simpler layout also enhances usability. The layout on this App is the same on every page, keeping listed views on imagery, as well as having a top bar which stays the same no matter what page of the app you are on.
While TripAdvisor might not be the best looking App, it is the simplest to use as it lays everything out immediately. The imagery is included in this App, but they are smaller, with a larger focus on the reviews given.
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