A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design January 5 th 2009 Leading Hotels of the World Brainstorming

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 2 Best Practices: Kayak Currency converter Big map with option for exact location and pin drop (Google map interface) Exposed filtering options Good options designed around price based comparison shopping –Price slider –Ratings (with average prices) –Large price in an easily scan-able location

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 3 Best Practices: Kayak Property Info Icon and visual graphics for information –Amenities icons –Rating bar

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 4 Best Practices: Expedia Elegant filtering at top of page –Allows more space for property info Displays lowest price and other room options in directory Call to action directly to booking interface

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 5 Best Practice: Tiffany & Co. High-end Design Simplified browsing interface Options are prioritized – interface breaks up content into digestible chunks with increasing detail

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 6 Best Practice: Tiffany & Co. Progressive pages with simplified detail selection help browsers navigate in a logical sucession 4 categories of choices on initial browse interface page 3 choices on detail page (plus 6 alternative products) Distinct entry into E-Commerce cart

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 7 Big Idea 1 Create an immersive experience for high end visitors that allows for browsing and planning Use video to give deep insight into the properties and immerse the visitor in visuals and sound Offer conceptual navigation options (such as tropics or romantic get a ways) in addition to concert location / date navigation

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 8 Big Idea 2 Extend the visitor experience beyond the booking by allowing them to customize their room and book events Allow user to check in/out, customize room amities, order room service, and plan events virtually Bookmark and store common trips and options so repeat travel is easy to schedule

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 9 Innovation Around Desired Effect Booking = Time + Location (+ up sell options) Un-booked users approach in one of 4 states –Know Time and Location –Open Time –Open Location –Browser (open time and Location) We can also assume people are traveling for either business or vacation

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 10 User Flow

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 11 Planning Interface (Browsing) vs. Directory

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 12 Directory Interface vs. Booking Interface

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 13 3 Interface Needs 1.Planner / browser interface –Simple interface with basic options to explore the catalog of hotels –Plan for innovation and design upgrades –Design separate business and vacation criteria for browsing –Gide user to either power search (see more options) or booking interface (book now) 2.Directory / power search interface –Like Expedia / Kayak –Basic details –Powerful filters for advanced users 3.Booking interface –Design to be extendable to member sites –Optimized around conversion and upsells

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 14 Hotel Browsing Concepts Vacation Types –Top of the Top –Romantic Getaway –Wellness and Pampering –Hideaway –Entertainment –Sightseeing Hotel Size –Villa, Small, Med, Large Climate (Replaced with local options if location is known) –Tropics –Mountains –City Amenities –Pool –Kids pool –Find Dining –Fine Shopping –Attractions –Airport shuttle –Fitness –Internet –Parking –Pets –ETC…

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 15 Concept 1: Browsing Interface / Separate Directory Bookmarked Search Member profiles

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 16 Concept 1: Plan A Vacation

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 17 Concept 1: Directory

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 18 Concept 1 Notes Separating the browsing interface from the directory will allow us to test concepts and innovate in iterations –Ideas to test, create and expand upon include: Wizard style interface for planning business events Specials and promotions interface Last min travel recommendations Event based travel recommendations (e.g. Olympics, global festivals, etc) Recommendation can be both properties and packages –Users can go directly from recommendation to the booking interface Tiffany & Co. look and feel –Simple choices and elegant interface –User can “View all” and go to the directory LHW can up-sell top 3 spots in the recommendation engine

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 19 Concept 2: Directory with Browsing Tray

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 20 Concept 2 Notes Single interface for both browsing and directory –Tray will automatically close if user scrolls down page –User can open and interact with the browse features at any point on the page

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 21 Booking Engine 4 stage conversion process 1.Confirm / modify dates 2.Select room / package –Select upgrades and additional options 3.Enter information / CC 4.Order Confirmation Follow E-Commerce best practice for optimal conversions –Reduced navigation –Clear call to action –Integration of product imagery –Clear pricing summaries Property specific design allows LHW to extend interface to member hotel websites

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 22 Other Ideas Planner Ideas –Map page show all options. Details displayed on roll over Map adjusts to options and criteria entry Offer advance map options like Kayak Directory Ideas –If user has not entered dates, have a date entry field appear in property field of directory. Entered dates propagate to whole list. Booking Ideas –Show dates and prices (like MGM) on date confirmation page Offer “extra day” promotions –Follow Dell model of showing cost of upgrade vs. total price of option (encourage upgrading)

A’lan Abruzzo Online Strategic Consulting and User Experience Design 23 Questions for Brain Storming What innovations would help the high end customer? What would make there selection process easier? Would comparing similar offers (e.g.: room types, presidential suites, etc.) be desirable? How can directories highlight experiential values like “hide-a-away location” or “award winning services”? What web 2.0 concepts would ad value? User ratings?