Explorer Elite
Explorer Elite
Explorer Elite
Where UX Meets Adventure
Where UX Meets Adventure
Where UX Meets Adventure
Your marketplace to book, share, or offer unforgettable adventures, all powered by a global community.
Your marketplace to book, share, or offer unforgettable adventures, all powered by a global community.
Your marketplace to book, share, or offer unforgettable adventures, all powered by a global community.
Role:
UI/UX Designer
Role:
UI/UX Designer
Role:
UI/UX Designer
Date:
March-June 2025
Date:
March-June 2025
Date:
March-June 2025
The Challenge
The Challenge
Modern travelers often plan trips using multiple fragmented tools — maps, docs, messaging apps — making coordination chaotic and visibility of costs, itinerary, and shared plans unclear. The challenge was to create a unified platform where users can organize trips, collaborate in real time, see their itinerary clearly, and avoid jumping between apps. The goal: reduce friction, increase clarity, and make trip planning more social and visual.
Modern travelers often plan trips using multiple fragmented tools — maps, docs, messaging apps — making coordination chaotic and visibility of costs, itinerary, and shared plans unclear. The challenge was to create a unified platform where users can organize trips, collaborate in real time, see their itinerary clearly, and avoid jumping between apps. The goal: reduce friction, increase clarity, and make trip planning more social and visual.
Modern travelers often plan trips using multiple fragmented tools — maps, docs, messaging apps — making coordination chaotic and visibility of costs, itinerary, and shared plans unclear. The challenge was to create a unified platform where users can organize trips, collaborate in real time, see their itinerary clearly, and avoid jumping between apps. The goal: reduce friction, increase clarity, and make trip planning more social and visual.
1.Research
1.Research
1.Research
Goal:
Understand how travelers plan and organize trips
Problem Context:
Modern travelers juggle multiple tools, Google Maps, Docs, WhatsApp ,etc, to plan trips, leading to messy coordination.
Methods:
5 User Interviews, a survey of 20 frequent travelers
Goal:
Understand how travelers plan and organize trips
Problem Context:
Modern travelers juggle multiple tools, Google Maps, Docs, WhatsApp ,etc, to plan trips, leading to messy coordination.
Methods:
5 User Interviews, a survey of 20 frequent travelers
Goal:
Understand how travelers plan and organize trips
Problem Context:
Modern travelers juggle multiple tools, Google Maps, Docs, WhatsApp ,etc, to plan trips, leading to messy coordination.
Methods:
5 User Interviews, a survey of 20 frequent travelers
Key Findings
Key Findings
Key Findings
Competitive Audit:
Trip it, Wanderlog, Notion Templates had strong trip logging but lacked real-time collaboration.
Competitive Audit:
Trip it, Wanderlog, Notion Templates had strong trip logging but lacked real-time collaboration.
Itinerary Visualization: ~70 % of respondents struggle to visualize their plans day-by-day.
Desire to Collaborate: ~55 % wanted to plan together with friends, share edits, have real-time input.
Budget & Cost Clarity: Pain points around hidden costs, unclear breakdowns, and difficulty tracking total expenses.
Itinerary Visualization: ~70 % of respondents struggle to visualize their plans day-by-day.
Desire to Collaborate: ~55 % wanted to plan together with friends, share edits, have real-time input.
Budget & Cost Clarity: Pain points around hidden costs, unclear breakdowns, and difficulty tracking total expenses.
Itinerary Visualization: ~70 % of respondents struggle to visualize their plans day-by-day.
Desire to Collaborate: ~55 % wanted to plan together with friends, share edits, have real-time input.
Budget & Cost Clarity: Pain points around hidden costs, unclear breakdowns, and difficulty tracking total expenses.
Competitive Audit:
Trip it, Wanderlog, Notion Templates had strong trip logging but lacked real-time collaboration.
2.Analysis
2.Analysis
2.Analysis
Affinity Mapping:
revealed three main themes: Visibility (knowing what’s happening each day), Collaboration (planning with others, sharing edits), Budget Clarity (clear cost breakdowns, transparency).
Affinity Mapping:
revealed three main themes: Visibility (knowing what’s happening each day), Collaboration (planning with others, sharing edits), Budget Clarity (clear cost breakdowns, transparency).
Affinity Mapping:
revealed three main themes: Visibility (knowing what’s happening each day), Collaboration (planning with others, sharing edits), Budget Clarity (clear cost breakdowns, transparency).
Persona:
The Organizer : someone who plans group trips, wants tools that make it easy to see the whole itinerary, manage costs, invite collaborators, keep everyone aligned.
Persona:
The Organizer : someone who plans group trips, wants tools that make it easy to see the whole itinerary, manage costs, invite collaborators, keep everyone aligned.
Personas:
The Organizer : someone who plans group trips, wants tools that make it easy to see the whole itinerary, manage costs, invite collaborators, keep everyone aligned.
3.Ideate
3.Ideate
3.Ideate
Divergent Sketches:
Explored multiple divergent concepts:
• Map-First View — emphasizing locations & map overviews
• Timeline View — chronological day-by-day itinerary view
• Chat-Centric View — integrating messaging/collaboration directly
Chosen Direction:
Timeline-Map Hybrid : combines timeline clarity with map context so users can both see what happens when and where. Also created Mid-fidelity wireframes for the Event Page, Booking Page, and a clean Search interface.
Divergent Sketches:
Explored multiple divergent concepts:
• Map-First View — emphasizing locations & map overviews
• Timeline View — chronological day-by-day itinerary view
• Chat-Centric View — integrating messaging/collaboration directly
Chosen Direction:
Timeline-Map Hybrid : combines timeline clarity with map context so users can both see what happens when and where. Also created Mid-fidelity wireframes for the Event Page, Booking Page, and a clean Search interface.
Divergent Sketches:
Explored multiple divergent concepts:
• Map-First View — emphasizing locations & map overviews
• Timeline View — chronological day-by-day itinerary view
• Chat-Centric View — integrating messaging/collaboration directly
Chosen Direction:
Timeline-Map Hybrid : combines timeline clarity with map context so users can both see what happens when and where. Also created Mid-fidelity wireframes for the Event Page, Booking Page, and a clean Search interface.
4.Test
4.Test
4.Test
Usability Test:
6 Travelers planning real trips
Usability Test:
6 Travelers planning real trips
Findings:
Users liked the map preview features; it gave spatial context.
The collaboration flow was confusing, many didn’t notice how to invite or share edits. → Added an explicit “Invite” call-to-action.
Needed clearer “edit” buttons to adjust itinerary items or plans
Outcome:
achieved ~85 % completion rate in the test scenarios. Participants described it as helping them “organize the chaos” and trip planning felt much smoother than before.
Final Design::
The final product uses a clean, intuitive interface balancing map & timeline displays. Key visual elements include:
A timeline slider or daily breakdown so users can see what’s happening each day;
Map previews for each major trip section or event;
Clear buttons & affordances for inviting collaborators, editing items;
Budget summaries visible at each step (before confirmation) so there are no surprises.
The visual language is adventurous but grounded — using clean layouts, strong visual cues, imagery from real trips, typography and color to evoke trust and clarity.
Findings:
Users liked the map preview features; it gave spatial context.
The collaboration flow was confusing, many didn’t notice how to invite or share edits. → Added an explicit “Invite” call-to-action.
Needed clearer “edit” buttons to adjust itinerary items or plans
Outcome:
achieved ~85 % completion rate in the test scenarios. Participants described it as helping them “organize the chaos” and trip planning felt much smoother than before.
Usability Test:
6 Travelers planning real trips
Final Design:
The final product uses a clean, intuitive interface balancing map & timeline displays. Key visual elements include:
A timeline slider or daily breakdown so users can see what’s happening each day;
Map previews for each major trip section or event;
Clear buttons & affordances for inviting collaborators, editing items;
Budget summaries visible at each step (before confirmation) so there are no surprises.
The visual language is adventurous but grounded — using clean layouts, strong visual cues, imagery from real trips, typography and color to evoke trust and clarity.
Findings:
Users liked the map preview features; it gave spatial context.
The collaboration flow was confusing, many didn’t notice how to invite or share edits. → Added an explicit “Invite” call-to-action.
Needed clearer “edit” buttons to adjust itinerary items or plans
Outcome:
achieved ~85 % completion rate in the test scenarios. Participants described it as helping them “organize the chaos” and trip planning felt much smoother than before.
Final Design: The final product uses a clean, intuitive interface balancing map & timeline displays. Key visual elements include:
A timeline slider or daily breakdown so users can see what’s happening each day;
Map previews for each major trip section or event;
Clear buttons & affordances for inviting collaborators, editing items;
Budget summaries visible at each step (before confirmation) so there are no surprises.
The visual language is adventurous but grounded — using clean layouts, strong visual cues, imagery from real trips, typography and color to evoke trust and clarity.
Results
Results
