Marriott

Uncovering opportunity in the tension between adventure & reliability

Selected by Marriott leadership for further exploration, the Bonvoy Pathfinder service was designed to bring comfort and reliability to adventurous #vanlife vacationers.
User Research
Design Sprint
Market Research
Product Design
Experience Design

Challenge

Starting with a broad prompt to identify new revenue opportunities through innovative repurposing of current hotel assets, our team used a variety of research methods to uncover traveler needs and narrowed in on the tension between the craving for adventure and the desire to have reliable comforts.

Solution

With the rise of van and RV travel, especially during Covid, we designed an app and service, called Bonvoy Pathfinder, for Marriott to leverage existing assets (showers, gyms, business centers, etc) to supplement the van travel journey.

Outcome

Our team's idea was considered to be the most viable amongst others presented and Marriott leadership continued to explore the opportunity.

Research

Starting Broad to Go Narrow
Marriott presented our team with that of the challenge: How might Marriott identify new ways of realizing revenue through innovative repurposing of current hotel assets, or through rethinking current business models?

We matched the breadth of our research to the challenge.  We sought touchpoints with diverse audiences and structured interview questions to allow values and needs to emerge organically.
Focus on User Values
Travelers alluded to specific values and jobs-to-be-done when asked about how and why they travel.
Tension Between New & Known
Marriott already excels at providing standardized, reliable experiences.  Many travelers who value freedom and novelty have to give up this standardization in favor of "the new."

From this tension we narrowed the core design question to: How might we incorporate reliability and hospitality into unique, “non-standard” accommodations?

Product Experience & Customer Journey

For the #vanlife vacationer who craves both the freedom of the open road & the peace of mind of reliable hotel comforts, Bonvoy Pathfinder promises an on-demand oasis of Marriott amenities anywhere along the journey.
Click through slides to experience product & user journey

Business & Product Strategy

Leveraging Existing Assets
This strategy delivers on the original mandate from Marriott to repurpose existing assets in a new way.   We designed the service to be flexible and componentizable in order to reduce overhead costs.
Thoughtful Product Roadmap
The Bonvoy Pathfinder product and strategy offered opportunities for continued to mirror the expected growth in van travel.
Bringing It Together
Through our research and design process, our team delivered a viable, actionable solution to a broad, business-critical mandate.
Home ->