Connecting wellness travelers with ExploreWell
Summary
In collaboration with a team of four designers, we aimed to create a community forum to make health and wellness resources easily accessible for travelers. ExploreWell, our client, wanted to build a platform where users could share firsthand experiences, access information in emergencies, and connect with local wellness resources without relying on disjointed social media groups.
My role: I contributed through Directed Storytelling, Competitive and Comparative Analysis, Card Sorting, Usability Testing, Prototyping, and Client Presentation.
Methods
Directed Storytelling, Competitive and Comparative Analysis, User Journey Map, Information Architecture Diagram, Card Sorting, Tree Testing, Usability Testing, Storyboard, Touchpoint Strategy Map, Client Presentation.
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Google Drive, Mighty Networks, Optimal Workshop.
Introduction
Imagine experiencing a medical or health-related situation while traveling—unfamiliar with local resources and possibly facing language barriers. Such scenarios are stressful, and access to reliable health information can feel daunting.
ExploreWell seeks to ease this process, offering travelers a way to discover and navigate health and wellness resources abroad and locally.
Problem identification
Through user research, we identified several key challenges that ExploreWell’s users faced:
Difficulty Accessing Health Resources: Travelers often struggle to find accurate health information when away from home.
Language Barriers: Language differences often complicate the search for health resources.
Fragmented Information: Existing resources are isolated, primarily within social media groups that are not health-focused.
Limited Search Options: Current solutions lack effective ways to search and filter information by specific needs.
Our mission was clear: to create a platform that provides easy navigation, flexibility, and strong community support for health-conscious travelers.
Understanding our users
We defined four primary user types for the forum:
Health-Conscious Travelers: Seeking health information specific to their travel destination.
Travelers with Medical Needs: Looking for destinations that cater to specific health requirements.
Temporary Residents: Wanting local wellness resources to stay connected and maintain well-being.
Local Residents: Eager to share tips on health and wellness resources with visitors.
Through directed storytelling, we found that users trusted firsthand accounts over static websites or company information.
“I'm more likely to trust a blog than a website. There's no other topic that I'm going to trust a blog over information on a site. But, I feel like it's a person who had that experience. I trust that more than a website that someone maybe didn't update.”
-Directed storytelling participant
Platform selection
To build the forum, we sought a platform that combined ease of use with flexibility. Our competitive analysis revealed a continuum from fully ready-made options to custom-built solutions, each with different pros and cons. We ultimately narrowed our choices to Discourse and Mighty Networks. Both platforms offered the necessary flexibility and features while being manageable without extensive programming skills.
To make an informed decision, we set up demo forums on both platforms. Testing revealed that Mighty Networks was more intuitive and user-friendly, especially on the administrative side. Unlike Discourse’s overwhelming settings list, Mighty Networks presented settings in context, making adjustments straightforward and understandable.
Organizing the Forum
We used card sorting and usability testing to determine how users expected the forum to be organized. Our main questions revolved around structuring categories by topic or by location. Usability testing showed that users wanted the flexibility to navigate by either option or even by using a search bar. Based on this feedback, we structured Mighty Networks to allow:
Category Grouping: Channels can be organized by both topics and location, giving users multiple ways to find relevant content.
Site-Wide Search: Users can search for specific topics and use hashtags for easy filtering.
Implementation and user journey
We mapped out a user journey to visualize key touchpoints, starting from a user’s first encounter with ExploreWell to eventual community advocacy. The journey includes:
Discovery: Users first encounter ExploreWell through various channels and learn about its offerings.
Engagement: Users explore the platform and engage by reading posts, eventually contributing their own.
Advocacy: Satisfied users become advocates, sharing their positive experiences with others and growing the community.
The final prototype
Next steps: building the community
With the community forum in place on Mighty Networks, the next step is to launch and grow this online community. Our strategy for community growth was informed by secondary research on successful online communities. We recommended starting with a soft launch, enabling ExploreWell to gather feedback and refine the platform based on user input. Key steps include:
Training on Mighty Networks: Educating the ExploreWell team on how to manage and optimize the platform.
Demonstration and Engagement: Setting up the initial community space and inviting users to explore.
Building an Active User Base: Establishing an actionable strategy for continuous engagement and feedback to build a thriving community.
Our group presentation
It’s long….I know but I bookmarked my speaking part if you are interested!
Reflection
Reflecting on this project, we gained invaluable insights into designing a user-centered, community-driven platform. Our approach—grounded in user feedback and iterative testing—allowed us to create a flexible, trustworthy forum for health-conscious travelers. This experience underscored the importance of adaptability and empathy in design, and we’re excited to see how ExploreWell continues to connect and empower its users worldwide.