The Challenge

Despite 3 in 4 female business travellers reporting safety concerns, their needs often go unmet. Despite women making up nearly half of the business travel market today, with over 70% of companies failing to update their travel policies for female employees as their numbers grow, there’s a critical gap in support that needs to be addressed.

Design Process

A flexible and iterative design process was employed, adapting to project needs at each stage. Initially, the Double Diamond approach guided user research and concept development. As the project progressed into the design and delivery phases, a more fast-paced and collaborative methodology was adopted, incorporating Lean UX for rapid testing and continuous improvement. In total, 32 participants were engaged throughout the process.

User Research

A combination of qualitative methods was conducted to understand the unique challenges and experiences solo female business travellers face.

Methods included: 

• Interviewees with 6 female business travellers to explore their perceptions and experiences during business trips.
• Interviews with 3 corporate travel safety department members to gather organisational perspectives on travel safety for female employees.
• Scenario Cards to simulate decision-making situations regarding safety preferences.
• Online ethnography on platforms and social media to gain a deeper understanding of negative experiences, which could not be captured in interviews for ethical reasons.

Key Insights

Key insights highlight how safety concerns have significantly impacted solo female travellers, especially inexperienced ones, during their free time. This led to a focus on blending business and leisure, known as Bleisure, to empower them. Insights were the following:

• Solo female travellers often stay in their hotel during their free time, driven by safety concerns and a lack of confidence due to insufficient preparation. This results in a lingering fear of missing valuable opportunities, leading to a sense of limitation and self-disappointment.
• When solo female travellers feel confident in their safety preparations, their sense of safety improves. However, limited time makes it hard to reach that confidence, leading to vulnerability and anxiety when navigating unfamiliar places and making safety decisions.
• Experienced travellers use cultural preparation to enhance safety, while less experienced ones feel anxious due to a lack of these strategies.
• A communication gap exists between corporate travel safety departments and female business travellers, leading to a perceived lack of support and missed opportunities to improve safety measures despite the travel safety team’s willingness to help.

Experience Design Principles

Experience Design Principles were established as follows:

The service should be…

• Relevant – be tailored to each user’s profile.
• Practical – offer actionable solutions.
• Convenient – be easily integrated with users’ busy routines
• Shared responsibility – ensures users feel supported, not burdened with all the safety responsibilities.

Decision-Making Models

2 psychological theories, Kahneman’s Dual Process Theory and Ubel & Loewenstein’s Decision-Making Model, were applied in the concept creation to enhance user confidence in making safety decisions.

Collaborative Ideation

The concept was developed in the ideation phase and aimed to foster creativity and originality using How Might We questions through diverse methods and collaborations, including:

• Silent Round Robin: Participants generated ideas silently to promote unique contributions.
• Tech & Trend Matrix: Explored emerging trends for innovative solutions.
• Creative Mash-Up Sessions: Brought together students from MA and MSc UX and computer science to blend ideas, supported by Guided Imaginary Exercises that helped participants emotionally connect with user scenarios.

Experience Prototypes

The evaluation process involved experiencing prototypes, progressing from low-fidelity to high-fidelity, and refining the service through iterative testing and feedback.

• Storyboard Prototypes: Participants walked through essential user experiences using storyboards, helping to visualise and assess the service’s flow.
• Card Sorting with Interviews: Participants prioritised safety features and made decisions based on real-life scenarios, providing insights into their safety preferences.
• Role-Playing and Acting Out: Participants simulated the real-world use of the service, evaluating its practicality and emotional impact in different situations.
• Usability Testing: Task-based usability tests were carried out for the UI design, with satisfaction measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS).

How It Works

Companies subscribe to Bles for safety measures and receive reports with safety enhancements based on employee feedback. Safety items are sourced from suppliers like She’s Birdie, and Guardian Spots provide safe spaces with support from the Ask for Angela program. Bles collaborates with Commiseo Global, OECD, and Travel Ladies for cultural tips, safety ratings, and local transportation information.

Value for Stakeholders

Bles delivers value to all stakeholders: It enhances companies’ reputations, boosts employee satisfaction, improves risk management, and refines travel policies. Safety item providers see increased sales and visibility, while Commiseo Global and Travel Ladies expand their influence. Local businesses attract more female travellers, growing revenue and building trust as safety-conscious destinations. Tourism organizations gain visibility as appealing, secure choices for solo female travellers.