Boxes And Arrows : The Design Behind the Design

Article Idea:

A groundbreaking new UI approach to travel search

suggested by Andrew Dudley on 2009/02/19

Hello,

I’m writing to let you (and the readers of Boxes and Arrows) know about our new website Tripeedo (www.tripeedo.com), offering a faster, easier flight search experience. Tripeedo uses some innovative UI elements to simplify and speed up the process of searching for airfares online, which we think your readers will really appreciate.

One Simple Search Box.
Tripeedo replaces one of the most aggravating UI features of most travel sites—the complex html form—with a single search box. Users can enter their trip details, such as dates, airports, and seat class, simply by typing. As a user types, Tripeedo interprets her flight details in real-time, giving visual feedback that helps the user confirm her travel information as it is entered. We’ve found that users really love this groundbreaking, yet simple, UI improvement.

Enter Trip Details Just Once.
Tripeedo eliminates a time-consuming process that users currently endure—entering the same details on dozens of different websites just to compare results. Instead, Tripeedo lets users submit their search details to multiple sites simultaneously; the results appear in new windows, allowing for side-by-side comparisons. In addition, Tripeedo displays recent searches, so they can be quickly repeated.

We’ve hooked into 20 of the most popular airline and travel sites on the web, and will be continuing to add more features and functionality in the weeks ahead. Tripeedo is also available as a widget than can be embedded almost anywhere (http://www.tripeedo.com/widgets). You can find more information about our new features on our blog, http://blog.tripeedo.com.

We’d love to have you and your readers try Tripeedo, and we’re eager to hear any feedback or ideas you might have.

Many thanks,
-Andrew Dudley
http://www.tripeedo.com