Overview
Spotted by Locals is a great travel app that helps users discover unique local experiences around the world.
I’ve used it for many years on my travels. I’ve also published some of my own travel articles on the app.
The app relaunched in 2023 with a new design. I got to see a preview of that new design and took the opportunity to suggest some UX writing adjustments to improve usability.
The UX writing samples below demonstrate how changes to single words or short phrases can make a difference.
Challenge and goals
The app is mostly used on-the-go when users explore a city with the app’s maps, short articles, and photos.
Users can use a limited free version or join as members for full access to everything on the app.
Bearing that in mind, these were my main goals when reviewing the app:
- Ensure the calls to action are clear.
- Use informal language consistently to reflect the app’s friendly voice.
- Show empathy for user needs with user-centered language.
Process and solution
I reviewed each screen of the app and used it as a normal user would, paying attention to the UI copy.
Putting myself in the user’s shoes, I created before and after screens to share with the Spotted by Locals team.
The before and after screens are below. Click on any image to enlarge it.
Example 1: empty state
When searching for a city that doesn’t exist on the app, the user sees a rather cold “No cities found” message.
Changing it to “We don’t have any spots in this city yet, but check out nearby spots in…” reflects the friendly brand voice.
It’s also more empathic, as the user may be a bit disappointed when there are no spots in their destination.
The word “spots” is part of the app’s terminology, referring to places of interest recommended by the app. Using this term strengthens the connection users feel with the app, being part of a community that uses that terminology.
Adding a call to action and links to nearby cities encourages users to keep using the app.
Example 2: call to action
Users have access only to some features of the app, but can pay for membership granting full access.
My suggestion was to replace “Become a member” with “Get full access”.
“Become a member” is quite generic. Users tend to ignore generic language. They might skip it and not even read the list of benefits under the heading.
Beyond that, what the user is actually interested in is accessing the articles and maps, rather than becoming a member.
As gaining subscribers is a main business goal for the app, this screen should use user-centered language, putting the benefit in the heading itself: “Get full access”.
“Get full access” is also parallel with the following heading: “Get a single guide”, creating consistency that promotes user trust.
Example 3: clear instructions and button text
At the end of each article on the app, users are invited to share their thoughts.
The original phrasing was both unclear and used an overly formal tone: “Want to help? Provide feedback”.
Users can’t be sure what kind of help the app is referring to. “Any feedback on this spot?” communicates the purpose more clearly.
The call to action, “Provide feedback”, sounds too formal. The aim is to keep the language informal, because it’s a friendly app.
It’s also unclear what happens when the user clicks the button, so they may hesitate to click it.
“Email us” is a clear CTA that tells the user what happens next, while also using informal language.
Outcome
These Spotted by Locals team implemented my UX writing edits.
The new version of the app had a successful launch in 2023.
The Spotted by Locals Annual Report for 2023 indicated that over 6,000 new guides and memberships were purchased. The app had 80K active users and reached a milestone of 560,000 downloads.