June 21st 2019

User research for Marriott International's website and smartphone application experiences
redesign has focused on meeting Marriott’s business goals. Initial usability testing
showed that users would like to be able to browse and search, and that they struggle with
sorting and filtering their results.

To learn more about how we might address these issues, in person user interviews were
conducted with questions designed to identify opportunities to; build positive defining
moments and elevate Marriott users sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

While learning what will delight patreons and lend to their sense of autonomy,
competence, and relatedness will not address the predominant use of aggregators like
priceline booking.com and travelocity, they will guide our efforts in making changes to
user interface and information architecture. By selecting high level criteria users evaluate
experience with such as positive defining moments, autonomy, competence, and
relatedness we can inform the process of designing and testing solutions that reduce
bounce rate and contribute to the remaining Marriott business goals.
Background

An industry literature review disclosed facts about the path to purchase for
Marriott consisting in multistep process of comparison shopping for
flights and hotel accommodations.

As a luxury brand Marriott is interested in consumers who are brand loyal

and those who might become brand loyal. While a friction free booking
experience is important to users it alone is unlikely to drive price shoppers
to brand loyalty.
Business Needs

To address all five concerns a combination of high level interview

questions will inform later testing of information architecture and user
interface design changes from the user perspective.

1. Increase hotel bookings via digital properties by 10%

2. Increase reservations for their Luxury and Lifestyle Collection hotel
categories
3. Gain 10,000 incremental members of the Marriott Rewards loyalty
program in the first quarter after the redesign
4. Decrease by 20% the number of people starting and then abandoning
a Reservation
5. Increase by 5% the number of people choosing a hotel and flight
package (vs. just booking their hotel alone)
Research Goals

Marriott digital experiences are primarily serving a user who is searching

for a room. Our initial usability test confirmed our belief that search is in
need of revision. To inform the wider redesign of interfaces for web and
mobile we have identified the following goals.

● Determine the best IA organizational scheme for Marriott.com based on information

collected from in person interviews, usability studies and best practices.

● Inform the development of UI content and design solutions that support the more
marketing based problems . . .

○ Increase reservations for their Luxury and Lifestyle Collection hotel

categories &

○ Gain 10,000 incremental members of the Marriott Rewards loyalty program

in the first quarter after the redesign

○ Increase by 5% the number of people choosing a hotel and flight package

(vs. just booking their hotel alone)
 ➔

➔ Learn about the participants overall sense of usability and the internet; technical proficiencies.

➔ Learn more about what travelers recall as a positive and negative defining moments within the hotel
industry path to purchase.
Research Methods
 ⇢

Identify opportunities to build peak

experiences of elevation, and/or connection.

1. Identify opportunities to boost patron sensory

appeal; turning up the volume on reality, making
things look better, taste better, sound better or feel
better than they usually do.

2. Identify opportunities to raise the stakes; to add an

element of productive pressure such as a
competition, a game, a performance, a deadline, or a
public commitment.

3. Identify opportunities to break the script; “to violate

(in a positive way) Marriott patreon expectations.
Data Analysis
⇢
Positive Defining Moments

⇢ Goldfish: Spreadsheet
⇢ Chameleon: Spreadsheet
⇢ Jellyfish: Spreadsheet
Data Analysis
 ⇢
Data Analysis
Engagement, Motivation & Thriving

⇢ Goldfish: Spreadsheet ⇢ Chameleon: Spreadsheet ⇢ Jellyfish: Spreadsheet

 Opportunity
Findings
Defining Moments
Boost patron sensory
appeal
Goldfish
Chameleon
Jellyfish Turn up the volume on reality
by connecting patreon
generated vacation reviews /
guides in a format similar to
receipt websites
Utilize images at larger sizes in
the most useful way for
deciding on a selection of a
hotel for booking
Introduce hotel video tours as
part of a content marketing
campaign. They are vlog style
content and would expand to
include nearby dining and
entertainment
Competition, a game, a
performance, a
deadline, or a public
commitment
Integrate the entertainment
sightseeing and dining
activities enjoyed in review
with Marriott Rewards
Smartphone feature for
instantly viewing nearby hotels
Defy expectations for making
travel arrangements by
offering the same service as
aggregators, including flight
booking, at Marriott.com & the
Marriott App
METUX
Defy expectations Competence
Identify opportunities at the UI
content level to reinforce the
users sense of competence.
Chat assisted booking may be
a feature this user would adapt
to using to avoid struggling or
giving up and bouncing out to
alternatives
The participant identified a
negative defining moment that
diminished her confidence for
booking hotels. In this case
two step verification of final
price dates etc would have
prevented the confusion
Autonomy Relatedness
Peak moment defined as a
social good / want, need.
Identify opportunities at the UI
content level to draw out the
association of booking with
positive defining moments like
the moment described by the
participant. Images of
moments
Participant wants /needs Identify opportunities at the UI
content level to draw out the
The technology provides me association of booking with
with useful options and positive defining moments
choices
Participant wants /needs
I can get the technology to do
the things I want it to. The technology helps me to
form or sustain relationships
Participant identified a need that are fulfilling.
for instantly available location
based map view with hotels, The technology helps me to
and filterable dining and feel part of a larger
entertainment community.
The technology makes me feel
connected to other people.
Offer curated content that Offer personalized chat
supports wandering and last support to a limited number of
minute dining and patrons by a member of the
entertainment decisions staff like the one described by
Chameleon
Add this functionality to the
mobile App (GPS) maps form
for quickly choosing from local
alternatives, rideshare
integration
Restated Want / Need for
location based map view
search
Introduce chat support for
foreign travel that assists with
common challenges and
concerns
Introduce chat support for
foreign travel that assists with
common challenges and
concerns
Introduce price comparative
flight booking across web and
mobile
User Interface Information Interactive Visual
Architecture Communication

Turn up the volume on reality
by connecting patreon
generated vacation reviews /
guides in a format similar to
receipt websites
Integrate the entertainment
sightseeing and dining
activities enjoyed in review
with Marriott Rewards
(org schemes)
Introduce hotel video tours as
part of a content marketing
campaign. They are vlog style
content and would expand to
include nearby dining and
entertainment
Utilize images at larger sizes
in the most useful way for
deciding on a selection of a
hotel for booking

Peak moment defined as a

Defy expectations for making
travel arrangements by
offering the same service as
aggregators, including flight
booking, at Marriott.com &
the Marriott App
Identify opportunities at the
IA content level to reinforce
the users sense of
competence. Chat assisted
booking may be a feature this
user would adapt to using to
avoid struggling or giving up
and bouncing out to
alternatives
Smart phone feature for
instantly viewing nearby
hotels
Restated (second participant)
Want / Need for location
based map view search
social good / want, need.
Identify opportunities at the
UI content level to draw out
the association of booking
with positive defining
moments like the moment
described by the participant.
Images of moments

The participant identified a
negative defining moment
that diminished her
confidence for booking
hotels. In this case two step
verification of final price
dates etc would have
prevented the confusion
Offer curated content that
supports wandering and last
minute dining and
entertainment decisions
(org schemes)
Add this functionality to the
mobile App (GPS) maps form
for quickly choosing from
local alternatives, rideshare
integration

Introduce chat support for Offer personalized chat

foreign travel that assists with support to a limited number
common challenges and of patrons by a member of
concerns the staff like the one
described by Chameleon

Introduce price comparative

flight search, booking across
web and mobile
Engagement, Motivation & Thriving
Positive Defining Moments
Recommendations
By Discipline

Chat integrations

Content marketing integrations

GPS enabled (near me) map view based browse and search

Price comparative search for both flights and hotels for all brands

Pre purchase verification popup

User Interface Information

Positive Defining Moments Interactive Visual
Architecture Communication

Turn up the volume on reality by
connecting patreon generated
vacation reviews / guides in a
format similar to receipt
websites
Integrate the entertainment
sightseeing and dining activities
enjoyed in review with Marriott
Rewards (org schemes)
Introduce hotel video tours as
part of a content marketing
campaign. They are vlog style
content and would expand to
include nearby dining and
entertainment
Utilize images at larger sizes in
the most useful way for deciding
on a selection of a hotel for
booking

Peak moment defined as a

Defy expectations for making
travel arrangements by offering
the same service as aggregators,
including flight booking, at
Marriott.com & the Marriott App
Identify opportunities at the IA
content level to reinforce the
users sense of competence. Chat
assisted booking may be a
feature this user would adapt to
using to avoid struggling or
giving up and bouncing out to
alternatives
Smart phone feature for
instantly viewing nearby hotels
Restated (second participant)
Want / Need for location based
map view search
social good / want, need.
Identify opportunities at the UI
content level to draw out the
association of booking with
positive defining moments like
the moment described by the
participant. Images of moments

The participant identified a
negative defining moment that
diminished her confidence for
booking hotels. In this case two
step verification of final price
dates etc would have prevented
the confusion
Offer curated content that
supports wandering and last
minute dining and
entertainment decisions
(org schemes)
Add this functionality to the
mobile App (GPS) maps form for
quickly choosing from local
alternatives, rideshare
integration

Introduce chat support for Offer personalized chat support

foreign travel that assists with to a limited number of patrons
common challenges and by a member of the staff like the
concerns one described by Chameleon

Introduce price comparative

flight search, booking across
web and mobile
Next Steps /
IA & UI Organizational Scheme

Audience specific hybrid organizational scheme

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Interactive

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Chat Integrations

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Map View Browse Near Me

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Content Marketing

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Inclusive price comparison search for flight and hotel

 Marriott
Usable