HOP. The LGBTQ+Travel App Video Demo here: https://vimeo.com/336352314 For this final challenge, we decided to focus on the process of human-centered design and product management. We brainstormed problems we’ve faced in our own lives and settled on the challenges of traveling as a queer person. There are a lot of apps out there We conducted 5 user interviews to understand the pain points faced by queer people when they travel and the needs that differentiate them from other groups of travelers. Based off our user research, we developed two personas, Carmen and Omar. A common through line in our interviews was the need to feel safe. People didn’t always feel comfortable couch surfing as an out queer person (although they expressed that they had felt safe when they knew their host was also queer). People also didn’t always feel safe expressing themselves in spaces (like bars, restaurants, cafes, etc) when they didn’t know if a place was queer friendly. Most of all, users wanted to be able to meet other queer people to make friends, feel safe, and get to know a place from the perspective of someone like them. We created HOP, a travel app specifically for queer people, by queer people. Hop combines couchsurfing with a travel guide that is tailored to the needs of queer travelers. Users create a profile and then sign on to be in host or guest mode. Profiles include a variety of information about the person, their interests, and the space they’re offering if they’re a host. They can then browse through people to ‘match’ with someone looking for a place to stay or hoping to host. Once there’s a mutual match, people can chat with each other to confirm. Users can also manage their trips to view events in the area and places that have been confirmed to be queer friendly (based on crowd-sourced data and guides). HOP. You are here, and you are queer.
