AI-powered user experience design
Real-time Collaborative Travel Planning App
Project Detail
AI powered Mobile app design
Team
Reina Lee (me)
Annie Chen
Shawn Li
My Role
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Information Architecture
Wireframing
User interface design
Branding/Graphic Design
Timeline
Sep 2024 - Nov 2024
(6 weeks)
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Brief
Togethery is a real-time collaborative application designed to simplify travel planning for users unfamiliar with regional insights. It offers personalized, location-based recommendations and seamless route planning, ensuring collaborative engagement from start to finish.
MAIN FEATURE 1
Shuffle Suggestions
Shuffle Suggestions offers randomized options, refreshing the content to inspire new exploration ideas. Users can choose and select either Route or Place Based Suggestions based on user’s preferences and location.
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Personalized and Location-Based Recommendation
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Easy decision-making for first time visitors
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Randomized ideas with no repetition
MAIN FEATURE 2
Plan on Map
Plan on map provides users with an interactive map to explore and select places for their trip. Each location on the map is marked with color-coded pins corresponding to different members in the group. Upon selecting “Start Planning,” users can tap on pins to add them to a planned route. As they select locations, a numbered path is drawn on the map by AI.
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Show each companions saved places
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Time-saving for those who are unfamiliar with travel destination
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Effortless route planning by AI
MAIN FEATURE 3
Voting System & Comments
Allows group members to vote on the place, especially if they don’t feel comfortable objecting in real life. Users can also discuss on app without complications.
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Gather each companion preferences unanimously
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Avoid miscommunication
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Real-time discussion
6 Weeks Process
We adopted agile design thinking process to complete the project
since we only 6 weeks were given to our team.
Week1
Topic Selection & Problem Statement
Week2
How might we statement & Research/User Interviews
Week3
Competitor Analysis/Feature Prioritization/
UserFlows
Week4
Sketch Wireframes/Wireflows
Week5
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Week6
High Fidelity Wireframes & User Testing
Problem Statement
Travelers often face difficulty making clear decisions amidst overwhelming online recommendations, while also managing differing preferences and coordinating route planning with their companions.
The Goal
How might we enable easy decision-making for travelers by organizing relevant recommendations, managing diverse preferences, and facilitating flawless collaboration for a feasible trip experience?
Persona
Alex
“Adventure Planner” | 32 | Marketing Manager | New York City, NY
I wish there was a travel planning app designed for first-time travelers like me, that makes it easy to plan and organize everything with my friends at the same time!
Extrovert, Analytical, Busy, Organized, Team player, Active
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Conflicting preferences
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Scattered recommendations
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Miscommunication
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Endless Back & Forth
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To easily collect & filter reliable information
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To be able to plan but stay adaptable during the trip with local attractions
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To share real-time information for collaboration with companions
Research & Insight
1
The trip destination is
Unfamiliar
2
Prefer traveling
In Groups
3
Explore
Over 10 Websites
We ensured that all three questions were open-ended and made an effort to reach as many people as possible to meet our recruiting goals. A total of 20 respondents stated that they have limited knowledge about the destination, prefer traveling in a group rather than solo, and explore multiple websites to acquire insights beforehand.
Interview & Insight
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A good number of highly reliable recommendations are needed to reduce complexity.
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Travel route should be easy to access and time-efficient.
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Travel plans need to be feasible in real life to enhance their uniqueness for a memorable experience.
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Travelers need flexibility and a smoother process for schedule changes.
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In group travel, sharing real-time information is crucial for collaboration and communication.
*Participant Specs: People who enjoy traveling and go traveling often, traveling as a group, and like to plan things out ahead.
* The top image displays only 2 out of 6 interviewees.
Competitive Analysis
Our competitor’s apps provide reliable travel information; however, they tend to have heavy texts and lack of interactive trip-planning features, like real-time collaboration.
We analyzed and compared the pros and cons of six existing apps, focusing on their service offerings and functionality, which provided valuable insights. For our comparison chart, which allowed us to view all existing features at a glance, we selected about 20 assessment criteria to evaluate each app's functionality.
* The top image displays only 4 out of 6 competitors.
Feature Prioritization
We used affinity mapping to generate several feature ideas and then organized them by feature prioritization metrics, making it easier to prioritize our main features.
1. Collaborative Trip Planning
Creating a travel plan, Share schedule / Itineraries, Invite companions, List or timeline view for the schedule, Add from recommendations, Polls
2. Map
Gathering preferences, viewing location details on the map, selecting places to visit, AI-powered generation of travel routes
3. Recommendations
Profile Based Personalization, Real-Time Data Adaptation, Personality Driven Suggestions, AI-Assisted Filtering
4. Profile
Travel logs/History, Saved/Like, Managing reviews, Add friends
Information Architecture
The simpler, the better
We organized our main features through feature prioritization, keeping them simple yet concise. Given the limited time, we focused on the most crucial elements that would facilitate effortless decision-making, which was confirmed during the user testing stage.
Purpose Statement
Togethery is a real-time collaborative app that enhances travel planning before and during the journey by offering personalized recommendations and facilitating seamless coordination with AI assistance.
Brand Identity & Design System
Dream, Plan, Go! - with Friends
Wireframes
Our initial hand-sketched wireframes into low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. During this process, we revisited our feature prioritization and had the opportunity to discuss unique and valuable features aligned with our HMW (How Might We) statement.
The top image displays only a few images from the entire set of wireframes.
← Final Design Prototype
Closing Remarks
I gained invaluable experience working under a tight timeline with a team of creatives, each bringing unique ideas and perspectives. By selecting topics we could personally relate to, we found it easier to identify user needs and understand their pain points.
Throughout the fast-paced, agile research process, I realized the importance of effective strategies for simplification, organization, cohesive design, and strong collaboration. Clear communication with team members was key, enabling us to successfully develop an app that truly reflected our initial goals.
Next Steps
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Conduct additional user research and surveys to gain deeper insights into their goals and needs.
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Integrate user personality types (e.g., MBTI) to further personalize recommendations.
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Utilize the Google APIs to track real-time road and transportation conditions, providing updated routes throughout the journey.
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Expand the range of features to cater to a broader user base, ensuring greater utility.