Safety & Logistics Vault

User Research:

Observations & Research

• Most people keep important travel information in email confirmations, screenshots, or PDFs, rather than in a dedicated travel organization tool.
• Important information such as addresses, booking confirmations, or check-in instructions can get lost in long group chats, making it difficult to access when needed.
• Searching for documents or booking details while traveling can be stressful, especially when standing at an airport counter, in a taxi, or outside an accommodation.
• People do not actively prepare emergency resources ahead of time, instead assuming they will search for information online if something goes wrong.
• Some people carry backup resources such as emergency cash or printed documents
• People said it would be helpful to have important logistics information such as different flight numbers, accommodation addresses, and reservation details easily accessible in one place, especially if groups have different flight times
• Location sharing is commonly used among close friends when traveling, especially when groups split up during the day or when navigating unfamiliar areas at night.
• Some noted discomfort sharing their location with acquaintances or people they had recently met, suggesting that location sharing should be optional and customizable.
• Large group trips often lead to coordination issues when people split into smaller groups, making it difficult to reconnect or determine where others are.
• Group logistics information (addresses, bookings, meeting points) is often shared across multiple platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and iMessage, which makes Having centralized access to travel documents, emergency contacts, and logistics information would make traveling feel less stressful and more organized.

Scope of Feature/Service:

Limitations:

• Not a full booking platform for flights, transportation, or accommodation.
• Not responsible for planning itineraries or travel activities.
• Not a messaging or communication platform for coordinating with friends.
• Does not manage detailed group budgeting or expense tracking.

Out of Scope:

• Trip itinerary creation and route planning handled by Collaborative Itinerary Mapper.
• Group communication and chat features handled by Social Messaging Hub.
• Flight and accommodation booking handled by Smart Logistics Finder.
• Expense tracking and payments handled by Group Financial Manager.

What it is/In-Scope:

• The Safety & Logistics Vault provides a centralized space where travelers can securely store and access important travel information and safety resources while on a trip.
• The service focuses on helping users quickly access logistics information, emergency contacts, and important travel documents while reducing the stress of searching through emails, screenshots, or group chats.
• Key functions include secure document storage, emergency contact access, optional location sharing with trusted friends, and centralized access to trip logistics information such as flights and accommodation details.
• The goal of the Safety & Logistics Vault is to provide travelers with peace of mind and quick access to critical information during trips, especially when traveling internationally or in large groups.

Specific Features of this Service:

Personas based on research:

Service Relationship In-App

Role within the Super-App

• The Safety & Logistics Vault acts as the security and information backbone of PlanExchange. While other services support trip planning, booking, and social coordination, the Vault ensures that users always have quick access to the most critical information needed during travel. This includes important travel documents, emergency resources, and key logistical details such as accommodation addresses and booking confirmations.
• The Vault provides travelers with a centralized location for information that is typically scattered across emails, screenshots, and group chats. By consolidating these resources, the Safety & Logistics Vault reduces the stress of locating important details in urgent situations and provides peace of mind while traveling internationally.

How Users Enter the Service

• Users can enter the Safety & Logistics Vault directly through the global navigation bar, where the service appears as a dedicated tab within their active trip. Selecting the vault opens a secure dashboard containing travel documents, emergency contacts, and shared logistics information.
• Users may also enter the service contextually through other parts of the app. For example, when a flight or accommodation is booked through the Smart Logistics Finder, the booking information can automatically populate inside the Vault. Similarly, when a trip is created through the Social Messaging Hub, users may be prompted to upload important travel documents or enable location sharing for that trip.
• The Vault is designed to be accessed whenever users need quick logistical or safety information during a trip.

How Users Exit the Service

• Users exit the Safety & Logistics Vault through the global navigation bar, returning to the broader super-app environment without losing their trip context. Because all services operate within the same ecosystem, the user's trip information, including group members, destination, and travel dates, remains consistent across services.
• This ensures that accessing the Vault feels like moving between tools within a single system rather than switching between separate applications.

Connections to Other Services

• Exchange Profile & Settings provides the foundational user information for the Vault. The user's profile stores personal details, emergency contacts, and travel preferences that populate safety features within the service.
• Social Hub & Trip Matcher establishes the travel group. Once a trip group is formed in the Social Hub, those participants become the trusted contacts that users may choose to share their location with through the Safety & Logistics Vault.
• Smart Logistics Finder provides booking information to the Vault. Flights, accommodation details, and reservation confirmations booked through the Logistics Finder can automatically populate in the Vault so that travelers have quick access to addresses, booking numbers, and confirmation details while on the trip.
• Collaborative Itinerary Mapper interacts with the Vault through location-based features. When travelers are navigating between planned locations, location sharing can help group members see where others are in real time and reconnect if the group splits up.
• Group Financial Manager has a secondary connection to the Vault. Receipts or expense confirmations logged in the Financial Manager may optionally be stored in the Vault as part of the trip's overall record keeping, especially with bookings.

Supporting Artifacts

User Personas:

User Journey Maps:

Initial Sketches:

Interview Questions JL

Semi-Conducted Interview Questions

Travel Safety & Logistics Habits

• When you’re traveling internationally, what kinds of important information do you usually keep track of? (passport copies, boarding passes, insurance, hotel info, etc)
• Where do you usually store those documents while traveling? (email, screenshots, notes app)
• Have you ever had trouble finding an important travel document or reservation while on a trip, and what happened?
• Do you usually make digital copies of your documents before traveling, and why or why not?

Emergency Preparedness

• When you’re traveling in a new country, how do you usually prepare for emergencies or unexpected situations?
• If you needed help while traveling (medical issue, lost passport, etc), how would you normally figure out what to do?
• Do you ever look up or save emergency numbers or embassy information before traveling?
• Have you ever been in a situation while traveling where having quick access to important information would have helped?

Location Sharing and Group Safety

• When traveling with friends, do you ever share your live location with eachother, and why or why not?
• In what situations do you find location sharing helpful when traveling?
• Are there situations where you would feel uncomfortable sharing your location with others? Does it feel different sharing your location with close friends versus people you just met while studying abroad?
• If you got separated from your group during a trip, how do you normally reconnect?

Group Travel Logistics

• How do you usually keep track of your flight details, hotel bookings, or transportation information during trip?
• When traveling with a group, how do people usually share things like booking confirmations or addresses?
• Have you ever had trouble coordinating logistics (flights, meeting points, accommodations) with a group while traveling and what did you do?

Interview Responses JL

Semi-Conducted Interview Responses

U01: Mihir Sharma

Last trips: Phuket (4 people), Bangkok (20 people)

• Keeps most travel information in screenshots and email confirmations
  Often ends up scrolling through his camera roll to find things like boarding passes or booking confirmations
• Said this can be frustrating when he needs something quickly, like when checking in at the airport counter
• Does not normally make digital copies of passport or documents, assumes airlines or hotels will already have the information
  Usually carries emergency cash when traveling internationally
• Does not typically prepare emergency resources ahead of time and prefers to look things up as situations arise
• Said it could be useful to have embassy contacts or emergency numbers easily accessible if something did happen
• Shares live location with close friends, but feels it can be awkward with acquaintances or people he just met on exchange
• Mentioned that current tools are awkward because Find My location sharing feels permanent, while WhatsApp sharing expires too quickly to be useful
• When groups get separated, people usually reconnect through group chats
• Trips often involve multiple messaging platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp, iMessage) which makes coordination confusing
• Said it would be helpful to have hotel booking details and everyone’s flights in one place, especially when people arrive at different times
• Described a situation in Bangkok where a large group arrived at their Airbnb but no one had the address easily accessible
• The check-in instructions were buried in a large Instagram group chat, so they had to scroll through messages while standing outside the building trying to figure out how to get in

U02: Varnica Basavaraj

Last trips: Phuket (18 people), Vietnam (solo)

• Usually keeps travel confirmations in email
• Sometimes takes screenshots of important booking details
• Finds email manageable for solo travel but more difficult when coordinating group trips
• Mentioned having to search through multiple emails while in a taxi to find the correct hotel address
• Does not usually prepare emergency contacts or embassy information in advance
• Assumes she would look things up online if an emergency happened
• Said having important travel information stored in one place would make travel feel less stressful
  When traveling solo, sometimes shares location with close friends or family
• During group trips location sharing is less common unless people split up during the day
• Said location sharing can be useful when exploring nightlife areas or navigating unfamiliar cities
• During the Phuket trip with 18 people, people arrived at the accommodation at different times and several people had difficulty finding the correct address
  

U03: Zoe Heyes

Last trips: Ho Chi Minh City (8 people), Bangkok (20 people), Philippines (6 people)

• Stores most travel information in email confirmations
• Occasionally screenshots boarding passes or booking confirmations
• Usually searches email when she needs things like flight numbers, accommodation details, or reservation information
• Said this works most of the time but can be inconvenient if internet access is slow
• Does not typically prepare emergency information in advance
• If something happened she would likely Google nearby hospitals, clinics, or emergency services
• Mentioned that during one trip she felt sick and had to search for nearby clinics while already feeling unwell, which made the situation more stressful
  Sometimes shares location informally through Find My or Snapchat location
• Finds location sharing helpful when traveling in large groups because people often split up throughout the day
  Trips with large groups (15–20 people) tend to be difficult to coordinate
• Groups often divide into smaller groups with different plans
• Reconnecting later can be tedious because some people do not respond quickly or messages get buried
• Mentioned situations where groups spent 10–20 minutes trying to figure out where everyone was supposed to meet

U04: Tereza Roubikova

Last trips: Phuket (3 people), Kuala Lumpur (9 people)

• Keeps travel confirmations primarily in email and downloaded PDFs
• Sometimes prints important travel documents such as flight confirmations
• Likes having printed copies because she feels they are more reliable if phone battery dies or internet fails
• Often saves passport copies and insurance documents on her phone
• Losing a passport while abroad is one of her biggest travel concerns
• Feels more comfortable having backup copies of important documents
• Would not feel comfortable sharing location with people she just met or acquaintances
• Would be comfortable sharing location with close friends or trusted travel companions
• Believes location sharing should be optional and limited to specific trips or time periods
• During group trips booking confirmations are usually shared through group chats
• Information can easily get buried in long conversations
  Mentioned arriving in Kuala Lumpur and having trouble finding the correct hotel entrance because the address details were lost in chat history

U05: Paul Eichmann

Last trips: Hanoi + Ha Giang Loop (6 people), Bangkok (20 people), Kuala Lumpur (9 people)

• Keeps travel confirmations primarily in email inbox
• Sometimes screenshots important addresses or booking details
• Finds it inconvenient to search through emails quickly while traveling
  Does not usually prepare emergency resources in advance
• Would likely look things up online or ask locals if something happened
  Mentioned that during the Ha Giang Loop motorbike trip, some people in the group were worried about accidents or losing documents
• Said having copies of important documents stored digitally would be useful
  Occasionally shares location with close friends
• Finds it frustrating that he only has some people’s locations but not everyone’s
• This makes it harder to coordinate large groups
• Coordination often becomes messy when people communicate across multiple chats
  Sometimes messages individual people directly instead of asking the whole group where they are
• Mentioned a situation in Bangkok where different people ended up going to different restaurants because plans in the group chat were unclear
• Believes it would be helpful if trip logistics, locations, and group information were centralized