Redesigning mobile app Search to reduce user drop-off

CAMPSITE TONIGHT

Leveraging user research and testing insights, I redesigned the Campsite Tonight mobile app to create a streamlined Search experience.

As the sole designer, I collaborated with the product manager and engineering lead to explore and build solutions.

CONTEXT

Campsite Tonight is a subscription mobile app that allows campers and RVers to search thousands of campgrounds with one tap—consolidating an otherwise tedious process that requires combing through multiple booking websites and apps. (View in App Store)

TEAM

Product designer
Product manager
Engineering lead

PROBLEM

Following the app’s launch, we identified a drop-off in the Search funnel. After running a search, only 29.87% of users clicked on search results to view more campground details or make a reservation.

In addition, without previous formalized user research, we needed to more clearly identify core customer traits, user stories, and validate feature value.

SOLUTION

Identifying and prioritizing user needs

  • User research - identify the app’s core users, or “bullseye customer”

  • Redesign - create a new search experience focusing on efficiency and ease of browsing

  • User testing - test and validate information architecture and feature value

  • Updated design system - make incremental adjustments to improve perceived product value and increase sense of trustworthiness

Part 1: Pinpointing the core customer

Previously, the Campsite Tonight user was broadly defined. Through conducting 8 in-depth user interviews, we were able to narrow down the following key characteristics:

USER RESEARCH

Owns an RV or camping vehicle

  • Less vulnerable to weather, noise, or lack of amenities (compared to tent campers)

  • Has already made a financial investment into creating a camping lifestyle

Which I synthesized into the following key insights and recommendations:

Decision-making factors

Top 4 factors users consider:

  • Where is it located?

  • What does it look like?

  • Is it available to book?

  • Will my vehicle fit?

Camps at least 5 times a year

  • Ranging from experienced to very experienced campers, they have an interested in exploring hidden gems

  • Primarily plans short weekend trips, with an occasional long road trip

Users value discovery

  • They want to know all the available options, but it takes a lot of work

  • High level of interest in finding new campgrounds

Family with school-aged children

  • Travel flexibility is limited by work and school schedules, and prefers weekend trips

  • Primarily looking to only book one campsite when traveling

Need for efficiency

  • Users are often planning a trip during peak times (weekends and school holidays), and need a quick way to book an available campsite in advance

Part 2: What type of camping trip are we talking about?

When it comes to camping, there are many different types of trips—from a month-long, solo road trip to a quick weekend getaway with multiple families. We wanted to identify a user story around the type of camping trip that users would be most likely to use Campsite Tonight for.

In talking with our core customers, we uncovered three main types of camping trips:

USER RESEARCH

Big destination trip

  • Typically planned around visiting a popular destination, like a national park

  • Trip duration: 1-2 weeks

  • Planned 3-6 months in advance

  • 1-2x a year

Somewhat flexible weekender

  • Nearby destination (within a 6 hour drive), though campers don’t always have a specific location in mind

  • Trip duration: weekend

  • Planned 1-2 months in advance

  • 3-5x a year

Last minute getaway

  • Just looking to go somewhere last minute to be in nature

  • Trip duration: weekend

  • Planned the week or day of

  • 8-12x a year

The majority of the users took both “Big destination trips” and “Somewhat flexible weekenders” regularly. However, the planning approach to the two types of trips differ widely.

For this stage of the product, we felt it made sense to focus on the “Somewhat flexible weekenders” as the most frequent use case for campers, and the type of trip where the Campsite Tonight app could provide most value.

Comparing two approaches: Discovery vs. efficiency

With the initial designs, we wanted to explore two different styles of search, catering to two of the key insights from our research: 1) the desire to discover new campgrounds, and 2) the need to quickly identify available campgrounds. What would be most appealing to campers—a search flow that encouraged them to stumble upon hidden gems, or an efficient, streamlined search focused on what was available based on their criteria?

To test this, I designed two flows to conduct moderated user testing:

DESIGN EXPLORATION

FLOW 1 - DISCOVERY-DRIVEN SEARCH

FLOW 2 - STREAMLINED SEARCH

Testing results

While some users commented that they appreciated the minimal interface and semantic search of Flow 1, 9/10 users preferred Flow 2, prioritizing an efficient search process to quickly identify available campgrounds within their search criteria.

Revamping the Search experience

Guided by our research, I redesigned the search experience to prioritize 1) efficiency, 2) streamlined information hierarchy, and 3) effortless browsing and discovery.

REDESIGN

App open

  • The new design introduces product value as early as possible, by displaying all nearby campgrounds by default

  • Campground icons are uniform for ease of browsing, based on user feedback

  • The list view tab also encourages quick browsing by allowing users to scroll through nearby campgrounds before even entering a search

BEFORE

Search input

  • With the redesign, we introduced a new search input page, allowing users to quickly input and view all their search criteria at once before running the search. Previously, once a location was selected, the date was selected for the upcoming weekend by default and results were automatically loaded.

AFTER

Result card

  • Based on feedback from user testing, we improved the information hierarchy to prioritize 1) photos, 2) campground name, 3) availability, and 4) rating

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

IMPACT

Key outcomes and results

Delivering immediate product value

  • By automatically displaying all nearby campgrounds when users open the app, we’re able to immediately demonstrate product value: aggregating campground information from various state, county, city, and private campgrounds all in one place. (This also replicates the Google maps search view that many users often previously used when beginning their search for a campground.)

  • Based on our research, we knew that users’ decision-making can be disproportionately impacted by seeing photos. As a result, we prioritized large images and allowing users to scroll through multiple photos to help create a sense of inspiration and excitement.

Reduced friction in Search flow

  • Previously, users had to enter a search location to begin viewing campgrounds. When they entered the location, the date was automatically selected for the upcoming weekend. Now, with the redesign, users have the option of quickly inputting all their search criteria at once on the search input page. They also have the option to search without dates, search multiple dates at once, and/or adjust the mileage range of their search.

Clearly defined core customer (who is most likely to pay for the product)

  • As a result of our user research, we were able to clearly identify users who are most likely to initially adopt the product. Their particular traits and needs helped determine and prioritize feature designs and overall product strategy.

(Check back for more updates on user drop-off rates coming soon)