From Instagram DMs to self-serve discovery, designing HSI GO's first dedicated travel platform
Turning silent drop-off into completed registrations, HSI GO's move from Instagram to a purpose-built halal travel app
Role 🎮
Product Designer
Type 🧑💻
Bootcamp
Industry 🌐
Travel
Timeline 📅
Jul 25' - Oct 25'
Overview
HSI GO is a halal travel service based in Indonesia, designed specifically for Muslim travelers eager to explore the beautiful archipelago while adhering to sharia principles. This initiative emerged from the HSI Sandbox program led by the HSI IT Team. I came on board as the product designer tasked with creating HSI GO's very first dedicated platform from the ground up.
Problem
HSI GO's Instagram account just wasn't cutting it for what the business really needed. Through some observational research, we uncovered three key gaps: there were no open trips listed, no clear registration steps laid out, and no way to tell which packages were active versus archived.
So, when a potential traveler showed up, eager to book, they found themselves stuck on three simple questions "Is there a trip available? What’s included? How do I sign up?" and the only way to get answers was to send a direct message. Most didn’t stick around; they simply left. Plus, since Instagram doesn’t provide any transactional data, HSI GO had no clue about how many people were interested, when they were looking, or why they were dropping off.
The issue wasn’t a lack of content; it was a fundamental mismatch between a business that thrives on transactions and a platform that focuses primarily on content.
So, when a potential traveler showed up, eager to book, they found themselves stuck on three simple questions "Is there a trip available? What’s included? How do I sign up?" and the only way to get answers was to send a direct message. Most didn’t stick around; they simply left. Plus, since Instagram doesn’t provide any transactional data, HSI GO had no clue about how many people were interested, when they were looking, or why they were dropping off.
The issue wasn’t a lack of content; it was a fundamental mismatch between a business that thrives on transactions and a platform that focuses primarily on content.
Goal
Help a potential travelers easily find an available trip, get a clear idea of what’s included, and kick off their registration, all without needing to reach out to the team directly.
Success looked like this: a first-time visitor asking, "Is there a trip I can join?" during their very first interaction. For the business, this meant having qualified leads flowing smoothly through a structured registration process, rather than getting lost in an informal DM queue.
The challenge was that we were starting from scratch with no existing product foundation. Every feature had to contribute to the journey from discovery to registration, if it didn’t fit that purpose, it didn’t make the cut.
Success looked like this: a first-time visitor asking, "Is there a trip I can join?" during their very first interaction. For the business, this meant having qualified leads flowing smoothly through a structured registration process, rather than getting lost in an informal DM queue.
The challenge was that we were starting from scratch with no existing product foundation. Every feature had to contribute to the journey from discovery to registration, if it didn’t fit that purpose, it didn’t make the cut.
Outcomes
What We Delivers
A complete end-to-end handoff across nine flows (Homepage, Catalog, Search, Package Detail, Reservation, Payment, Confirmation, Login, Profile, and Trip History) with edge case behaviour documented at every critical stage. The development team received not just screens, but the rationale behind every decision.
A complete end-to-end handoff across nine flows (Homepage, Catalog, Search, Package Detail, Reservation, Payment, Confirmation, Login, Profile, and Trip History) with edge case behaviour documented at every critical stage. The development team received not just screens, but the rationale behind every decision.
Problem to solution
The currency problem is answered by real-time package status indicators and the "Available Packages" homepage section. The discoverability problem is answered by the Destinasi catalog with filters, categories, and featured packages. The registration procedure problem is answered by a seven-step Reservation flow — entirely self-serve, no DM required.
The currency problem is answered by real-time package status indicators and the "Available Packages" homepage section. The discoverability problem is answered by the Destinasi catalog with filters, categories, and featured packages. The registration procedure problem is answered by a seven-step Reservation flow — entirely self-serve, no DM required.
What I Would Do Differently
The research we conducted was observational, we focused on what Instagram displayed rather than what users actually felt. We didn’t have any direct conversations with a Teman Safar.
If we had done five user interviews before diving into ideation, it could have really clarified the problem we were tackling. Those discussions might have revealed trust signals that are crucial for halal travel choices, or highlighted the importance of the WhatsApp group after booking, insights that our observations alone couldn’t capture. This is the research gap that version 1 has, and it’s the first thing I’d want to address in a version 2 discovery phase.
If we had done five user interviews before diving into ideation, it could have really clarified the problem we were tackling. Those discussions might have revealed trust signals that are crucial for halal travel choices, or highlighted the importance of the WhatsApp group after booking, insights that our observations alone couldn’t capture. This is the research gap that version 1 has, and it’s the first thing I’d want to address in a version 2 discovery phase.