CheckMate service - verified hotels/ stays
Project overview
Context:
I participated in the Global Service Jam 2023 to work with people from diverse backgrounds on a service design project; Bangalore Service Jam hosted by Thoughtworks. A secret ‘theme’ was revealed – Build:Re:Build; along with video (changing cityscapes around the world) and audio (clang).
Role:
Team 'JAM-UN’; as a team of 7, each one of us worked as a 'Service Designer' from user interviews to service prototyping. I created a 'service blueprint' later in April, after learning online.
Project Duration:
17, 18 & 19 March 2023
Interpretation of the theme
All of us wrote down our interpretations of the theme on sticky notes and did affinity mapping to group them into categories. Then, we voted with orange dots to choose one category: 'Change'
Narrowing down on problem space
Under the category ‘change’, we came up with specific problem areas and formulated questions. We did two rounds of voting and chose one problem area.
1) How might we make sure that safety is at the forefront in the field of construction?
2) How might we make friends with neighbours in urban cities to build a community?
3) Do you keep travelling to hotels/stays that promise you something and you end up disappointed when you reach the place?
Understanding the user
-
User Research
-
Personas
-
User Journey map
-
Problem statement
User Research
We split into 3 groups and went out to do user interviews on the chosen problem area. We had prepared a basic structure of the interview script so that all respondents are asked same questions. We analysed the research insights, grouped them into categories, voted and chose one category.
1
3
Prioritized insight identified from user interviews:
Real time information about property needed
Personas
Pain points:
-
Frustrated when expectations and promises about stay are not met
-
Negative impact on the entire trip
Journey Map
Defining the problem statement
After analysing research insights and user journey map, we formulated the problem statement. We narrowed it down so that we will be able to ideate and prototype within the time constraint (1 day).
How might we provide real time & reliable information to users about their place of stay so that we can reduce their cognitive load on planning a trip?
Ideation
-
Crazy 6's
-
How it works
Crazy 6's
Each one of us had our thinking hat on and started ideating with timer (crazy 6’s). We came up with different ideas and discussed them collaboratively. After few rounds, we agreed on one idea.
CheckMate service
What is it?
A third party service that verifies & validates stays and hotels so that what is advertised is what user gets.
​
USP:
Reduces cognitive load of users while planning a trip;
(user sees 'Checkmate verified' badge and gets assurance that this stay will be as expected).
​
Why?
From research, we came to know that users get disappointed when the stay is not as advertised and it brings down the vibe.
How it works?
CheckMate service partners with booking platforms like Make my trip, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc.
Revenue: From booking platforms; x% from hotel/ stay bookings that are CheckMate verified.
Service blueprint
Prototype - Role play method
-
End user journey impact
-
CheckMate service
-
Team
End user journey impact
CheckMate service - frontstage & backstage actions
1) Hotel owner approaches Checkmate service with their offerings through the booking platform
3) In person verification visit of the hotel by checkmate service team member
2) Checkmate service team verifies the offerings with pictures & videos from the owner
4) Once everything checks out, verification badge is given to the hotel
Team
Team members (from left)
-
Nandagopal Nambiar
-
Srinidhi Shashidharan
-
Joel Mathew
-
Sanjeevi S P
-
Sushritha S D
-
Keerthana Sanjay
-
Bhavana Tiyyagura
Going forward
-
Next steps
-
Reflection
Next steps
-
Test the service and iterate
Reflection
-
It was great to work with a diverse team in a short span of time and learn Service Design
-
It was difficult to agree on something as each of us had different perspectives; voting helped
-
We got to know each other, played to our strengths and had fun
-
Grateful for 'Global Service Jam' and 'Thoughtworks' for hosting this year