Drop the bags. Keep the day

Problem I solve

Travelers - especially solo travelers frequently arrive at their destination hours before they can check into accommodation. Standard hotel check-in opens at 2 PM. Early morning arrivals at 6 AM leave a gap of 6 to 8 hours where bags must go somewhere, which should be safe, secure and easy to drop and pick-up.

The current options are poor:

• Sitting in a lobby - uncomfortable, unwelcoming, and limiting for a full day of exploration.

• Paying for early check-in - expensive, and not always available.

• Carrying bags everywhere -physically exhausting, limits mobility, ruins the experience of arriving somewhere new.

Existing solutions

Luggage storage facilities exist in some cities - but finding them, trusting them, and using them without confusion is a broken experience. Even in some cases they might find it full or non functional when reaching the location.

Solution

yourSAFE solves the traveler's luggage gap through a two-surface system, a mobile app and an in-facility kiosk - both connected by a single booking reference which provide live status of the availability of locker.

How it works

Mobile App - Find, Book, Trust:

The app opens on a map showing nearby locker facilities with real-time availability indicators - green for open, amber for limited, red for full. Users tap a facility, select their locker size (small / medium / large), set their storage duration, and complete payment. The entire flow is designed to take under 2 minutes.

Kiosk Interface - Arrive, Login, Store:

At the facility, the kiosk runs a simplified touch interface designed for tired, first-time users. Users scan their QR code or enter a booking reference, confirm their identity, and are directed to their specific locker. Large touch targets, high-contrast text, and a single action per screen ensure the kiosk works for every traveler, including those who aren't comfortable with technology.

Before designing a single screen, we questioned everything.

The ideation phase for yourSAFE wasn't about generating ideas, it was about questioning assumptions. Before committing to any design direction, the team stress-tested the core concept through a structured Q&A format, challenging every part of the product model.

Each question was designed to expose a risk or gap. Each answer either validated the direction or forced a pivot.

Not one flow, because real users don't always start from the beginning.

yourSAFE was designed around various distinct user states, recognizing that returning users, notification-driven users, and users who are already at the locker all need fundamentally different entry points.

Key decisions made at the sketch stage:

Map-first home screen - Early sketches tried a list-based locker directory. The map emerged as the right entry point because travelers think spatially - "what's near me right now" not "browse all locations."

Confirmation screen layout - Multiple sketch iterations tested how much information to show post-payment. Too little created anxiety. Too much created overwhelm. The final layout shows exactly five pieces of information: booking reference, location, QR code, locker size, and end time.

Kiosk single-column layout - Touch targets on early kiosk sketches were too small and too close together. Sketching at actual scale (imagining a 15-inch touchscreen) forced larger tap zones and more whitespace where a decision that directly improved accessibility.

The most critical design decision: a clear, reassuring booking confirmation screen. After payment, users see their booking reference, locker address, access QR code, and a step-by-step preview of what happens when they arrive at the kiosk. This is the moment most storage apps lose trust - yourSAFE wins it back by making the next step completely legible before the user even moves.

Key design principles applied:

• Confirmation before commitment: users always see what happens next before they take an action.

• One task per screen on the kiosk - no cognitive overload after a long journey.

• Trust signals throughout: lock confirmation, storage timer visible in-app, retrieval reminder notification

Kiosk/ In-locker screen Design - yourSAFE

One function per screen
No screen asks the user to do two things at once. Each step is a single decision - scan, confirm, or pay. Eliminates cognitive overload for tired, first-time users in a public setting.

Multi-language support from screen one
Language selection is the very first interaction - before anything else loads. Travelers in India come from every state and country. Forcing English-first creates an immediate barrier for non-English users.

Printed ticket issued on drop-off
A physical ticket is printed after every drop-off - backup for dead phones, lost screenshots, or users who simply prefer paper. The ticket carries the locker number, booking ID, and retrieval time. Tangible proof = tangible trust.

Partial pick-up, drop, full pick-up options
Users making multiple stops in a day may need to grab one item and re-lock the rest. Three explicit modes - drop, partial pick-up, full pick-up - prevent the locker from being locked unnecessarily and reduce return trips for frequent users.