When talking to divers about planning dive trips, we often hear a recurring challenge: the entire process is challenging, particularly in unfamiliar locations. Finding quality dive spots is difficult enough, let alone locating reputable dive shops or guides. Moreover, securing suitable accommodations that are conveniently located near dive operators is a struggle. Recognizing this as an opportunity, we decided to take action.
Planet Deepblu
Designing a Marketplace for Divers to Plan & Book Dive Trips
Produced at
Deepblu
Concept to Launch
6 months (Q2-Q3 2016)
Versions
2.0.0 – 3.6.0 (12)
My role
As the lead designer at Deepblu, I led the design strategy and managed the design process of the company. While the research phase for the platform was a collaborative effort, I took a hands-on approach to designing the iOS and Android apps. Our web designer was primarily responsible for the website and CMS design. However, starting from version 3.4.4, I also took on the website design. All deliverables shown below were personally designed by me unless otherwise specified.
Collaborators (35+)
Design team (1 lead, 1 web, 1 visual), 2 product managers, approx. 23 developers (3 iOS, 3 Android, 4 web, 3 CMS, 3 backend, 3 QA, 2 algorithms, 2 hardware), marketing team of 5, 2 in-house dive experts, CTO, CEO
The struggles of planning a dive trip
Simplifying dive destination discovery
Leveraging Deepblu’s extensive database of 30.000+ dive spots, we created a search function that empowers divers to effortlessly explore and find their perfect dive destinations. To enhance navigation and ensure a seamless user experience, we implemented a straightforward hierarchy system:
Country > Dive Regions > Dive Spots > Dive Operators > Dive Experiences
Additionally, users can easily explore a wide range of dive spots, dive shops, dive resorts, and liveaboard operators through an interactive map view. This feature allows users to visually browse and navigate through various locations, providing a convenient way to find their next diving destinations.
Explore through fellow divers
Every day, divers actively share their dive logs, photos, and videos on Deepblu Discover, our social module. With location tagging being a common practice, we recognized the opportunity to create dedicated galleries for each location on Planet Deepblu. This allows dive bookers to explore every country, dive region, and dive spot through the eyes of fellow divers, providing them with a realistic perspective.
Global network of dive operators
Since launching and selling our own hardware product in 2016, Deepblu has established strong partnerships with dive operators and dive shops worldwide. We thoroughly vetted these businesses before onboarding them to Planet Deepblu, ensuring their legitimacy and trustworthiness.
Our categorized businesses include dive shops, dive resorts, and liveaboards. Dive shops are the most common type of dive operators, while dive resorts offer accommodation alongside diving services. Liveaboards provide dedicated boat stays for diving.
Enhancing dive experiences
Many dive operators still relied on traditional methods such as phone calls, emails, and outdated web-based CRM systems for communication and booking. As a result, itineraries were often inadequately communicated to their customers. To address this issue, we introduced an intuitive structure for dive experiences that emphasized detailed itineraries and other essential information.
Dive booking Made easy
We conducted heuristic analysis on various travel and hotel booking apps to gather insights. We identified a need for a gear rental feature tailored to divers. However, the main challenge we faced was not related to the user flow or wireframe. Since our in-house development team built the entire app from scratch, they had to implement the booking interface as well. Presenting the design of the booking and payment system met with significant resistance. To ease the burden on our developers, I created an MVP version where booking could be done through a modified version of the existing chat interface in the social module.
Enhanced Dive Adventure Guide
The location pages on Planet Deepblu go beyond basic information by providing users with extra useful tips that serve as a guide for their dive adventures. In addition, the location pages suggest similar dive spots and regions that users may be interested in exploring, expanding their options and encouraging further discovery. To uncover hidden gems, Planet Deepblu also recommends lesser-known dive experiences, allowing divers to venture off the beaten path and explore unique underwater treasures. Furthermore, the location pages foster social interactions and reviews, creating a vibrant community where divers can share their experiences, exchange recommendations, and connect with like-minded enthusiasts.
The outcome
All things considered, Planet Deepblu successfully addressed the pain points faced by divers when it comes to dive booking and provided added value. With access to Deepblu’s extensive database of 30,000+ dive spots, divers can easily discover new locations. The dedicated galleries for each location offer a unique perspective through the experiences of fellow divers.
By manually vetting and onboarding dive operators, we ensure the legitimacy and safety of all businesses on Deepblu. To simplify the search for suitable accommodations, Planet Deepblu recommends all-inclusive or well-located dive resorts. The platform also promotes detailed itineraries and additional information to assist dive bookers in making informed decisions. Although the MVP of the booking system was far from its intended design, it was one step closer to a streamlined dive booking process.
Actual users of Deepblu
