Cover photo:
Itinero - a collaborative trip planner
Date - February to May 2024
Roles - UX design, UI design
Responsibilities - User research, wireframing, prototyping

01 Introduction

Overview

Itinero is an intuitive app that streamlines the trip-planning process, making it easier for users to collaborate with friends and family.

Problem

Planning a trip with family and friends can be daunting and time-consuming, especially when traveling with a big group. The trip-planning process typically involves back-and-forth communication to coordinate preferences, schedules, and logistics. It can quickly become stressful, leading to miscommunication and tension within the group.

02 Goals & Objectives

Project Goals

To create a user-friendly app that facilitates group planning and decision-making
To offer a more streamlined, collaborative, and efficient way of trip-planning
To help users stay organized and keep track of trip logistics in one place

Research Objectives

Understand user needs and frustrations with trip planning, pinpointing where problems may arise during their process
Identify common user experiences and behaviors when traveling with a big group
Understand how users typically collaborate with friends and family when trip planning (their process, tools and platforms used)
Identify ways to improve and differentiate the app from existing solutions

03 User Research

Research & Pain Points

I began my user research by conducting remote and in-person interviews with friends. The interviews were semi-structured with open-ended questions and follow-up questions as necessary. This allowed me to understand the specific needs and pain points users face when traveling, while maintaining consistency across the interviews. The three main pain points I came across were: lack of collaboration and accountability; defining preferences and expectations; and lack of organization.

Pain points:
1. Lack of collaboration and accountability - Challenges may arise when people don’t actively participate in the trip-planning process, leading to disorganization, miscommunication, and other frustrations

2. preferences and expectations - Failing to clarify expectations in advance can lead to conflicts throughout the trip. It can also be time consuming to find accommodations and activities that align with everyone’s preferences.

3. lack or organization - It can be difficult to organize everyone’s thoughts into one place, especially when trip details are scattered across different conversations and platforms

I also conducted a competitive audit by analyzing the current travel app market. I looked into three direct competitors and one indirect competitor to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This process allowed me to identify best practices as well as opportunities for improvement and differentiation.

User Personas

04 Design Process

Information Architecture & User Flows

Wireframes

Wireframing was an important step in my design process, allowing me to visualize and gain a general understanding of the app's layout. I began by hand sketching multiple iterations of each screen and highlighting the features that worked best in each version. These ideas were then integrated into digital wireframes using Figma.

Brand Identity

05 Prototyping & Testing

Low-Fidelity Prototype

I designed additional screens to create the low-fidelity prototype. I prototyped five different user flows: overview (onboarding + main pages), creating a new trip, adding flight and lodging, budgeting, and building the itinerary.

View Lo-Fi Prototype Screenshot of lo-fi prototype from Figma

Usability Testing

I conducted usability tests with friends to gather initial feedback on the app's usability and design. By observing users interacting with the prototype, I was able to identify any confusion and usability issues that arose during navigation. The image below shows key feedback recorded from the usability testing sessions. The insights were organized into categories for clarity and actionable outcomes. While this image shows the main concerns/suggestions, it does not show all of the feedback collected during the sessions.

Most users either wanted to see the upcoming trips on the Explore/Home page or have the Trips page as the Home page
Confusion over the wording “Forward email” and “Sync with Gmail” options when adding flight and lodging information
Confusion over the split options on the Budget page

High-Fidelity Prototype

I applied the insights from the usability tests by turning the Trips page into the Home page to improve usability; changing the order of the pages in the bottom navigation bar; redesigning the layout of certain pages to enhance clarity and functionality; and changing the wording in certain parts of the app to avoid confusion. I also incorporated the remaining feedback from the usability tests and made further adjustments as necessary.

View Hi-Fi Prototype Usability testing notes

06 Final Product & Reflections

Itinero — Collaborative trip planner that streamlines your trip-planning process

Overview of the app's main pages

Create a new trip from the Trips page by selecting the button on the bottom right corner.

Easily add flight and lodging details by searching or syncing with third-party apps like Airbnb and Gmail.

Screenshots of final prototype (pages for add flight user flow)

Add a new flight user flow

Plan out each day of the trip by navigating to the "Itinerary" tab. Build itineraries by adding activities to the calendar.

Set a budget and keep track of travel expenses by navigating to the "Budget" tab.

Challenges

The main challenge I faced throughout this project was balancing my design ideas with user feedback, particularly when discerning which suggestions to prioritize. Another challenge was maintaining a cohesive and consistent design throughout the app wheccounting for diverse user need.

Reflections & Moving Forward

Throughout my design process, I learned the importance of flexibility and adaptability in design. The user feedback offered perspectives I hadn't initially considered, reminding me of the importance of thorough testing and iterative design.Moving forward, I plan to continue prioritizing an incorporating user feedback into my work to ensure user-centric designs. I also plan on continuing to hone my skills as a UX/UI designer by exploring new design tools and techniques to enhance my workflow.

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