My Role
Co-founder, Product Designer, Marketing & PR Director
My Responsibilities
TA Research, Marketing Strategy and Execution, Travel Product Design
Team
Livia Tang – Co-founder/ Managing and Creative director
SCOPERS is a London-based travel consultancy company that provides in-depth tours and personalized travel plans for individual or small-group Mandarin-speaking travellers visiting London. With our motto “There’s no must-see, other than the place you need to be”, we designed a user-centred service and we created exclusive-themed walking tours, day tours and private trips designed by local experts to deliver a unique experience for travellers.
Our Design Process
Based on a design thinking framework, beginning with user interviews, every step ensures that the problems users care about are comprehensively understood and solved.
Problem observed and assumption
Our journey started with our own experience and the people around us while studying in London. As international students, we love to explore London and neighbouring towns. Meanwhile, we were asked frequently by friends and family to plan a trip for them because they feel confused with traffic in London and sometimes not very confident in English. After summarising our own experience and the opinions from people around us, we made two initial assumptions:
Travellers spend too much time traveling because of the complicated traffic system in London. They need a planning service.
They want to know hidden spots or current events which cannot be found in guidebooks.
To design the travel experience that customers want, the first research was conducted. The main purpose was to understand what travellers are looking for in a trip.
User Research
Quantitative research: questionnaire to test the assumptions
The user research begins with a questionnaire answered by 150 target users (age 25-40, Mandarin speakers who love travelling). The research showed that travellers prefer an in-depth and flexible trip, a specific theme, or small groups. The ideal maximum number in a group is 4 people. However, planning a trip could be hard for them: some of them are not comfortable using English, some waste time on outdated information, and some make a plan that does not work in reality.
These results proved that our assumptions target the problems travellers are concerned about. They also showed that travellers are not satisfied with big-group trips anymore, and look for something more flexible and personalised.
Based on the research result, we used tools such as business canvas, personas, user journey map to empathise with users and find out their pain points.
Personas
Personas were created to understand more about the target customers. Two personas represent typical customer segments. A negative persona was also created to show the non-target portrait. Please click an image to view at full size.
Customer journey map
A customer journey map was created followed by personas. We defined the customers’ pain points at each step while travelling. The customer journey map did also help us to understand how we could improve their experience at every touchpoint, as well as meet business goals.
User-centred tour design - Storytelling Framework
After the user research, the next step is to design the product. In order to fulfil the user’s expectation of the ideal tour as the research above showed, we started to develop tours, and then we realised there are two main difficulties to overcome:
(1) Engaging visitors with different levels of background knowledge
(2) Creating connections between visitors and attractions / objects
To design a universal principle applying to any kind of themed tour, combined with the 5W1H framework, I created a “3-tier storytelling framework for tour designing” that aimed at engaging visitors easily regardless of their background knowledge.
This approach resulted in sales increased and positive feedback by customers.
Deliver the experience at each touchpoint
Every touchpoint is an opportunity. Together with our marketing strategy, we summarised how customers might find us, and we optimised every point in order to deliver a comprehensive experience.
Marketing and branding
Branding and marketing play an Indispensable part in business. As the service attracts overseas travellers online, to ensure that our core message comes across is important. Considering every aspect of the service, the main message was established.
Our motto “There’s no must-see, other than the place you need to be” is supported by 3 value propositions, which are our unique selling points.
After establishing the branding message, the followingmarketing strategy was developed. The channels we choose are related to the touchpoints in the customer journey map, and aimed at reaching the business’s goals.
Channels
Alongside the clear branding message, we built different channels for better communication and designed unique content for each channel to approach our potential customers.
The official website is the main channel as it is where the purchase occurs. Besides the well-constructed sitemap and information architecture, great blog content led the traffic to the website and solve users’ questions which they googled. Facebook page is for letting the followers know the latest news as well as to reach more potential audience. Percentage of visual communication was emphasised in Instagram, and we also launched a podcast ‘London Pie’ to share UK stories and life in the UK.
Due to fact that our customers are mainly Chinese speakers, those channels are built in Chinese. Please click the picture to access each channel.
Website
Podcast
Achievements
Website traffic
A great SEO strategy contributed to high traffic on website. The highest traffic reached 1,000 visitors per day, whilst the traffic of the leading competitors’ sites only hit 1-200 per day.
Twentyfold Sales increased
The business strategy we utilised droveup sales in 2019, which was 20 times higher than our first year.
Extended Customer Segments
The successful branding and marketing strategy also attracted some groups who are not included in our primary target customers. Within three years, we have experienced various different types of travellers, including backpackers, business trips, family trips, high-end customised tours and group travel.