As someone who’s passionate about travel—and an MBTI “J” who naturally gravitates toward detailed planning—this project was a perfect intersection of my interests and my UX/UI expertise. Before working on Travous, I was already deeply involved in planning my own trips, but I rarely relied on dedicated travel apps. My own experience, as well as initial user research, highlighted that many people also default to using a mix of Notion, Excel, Google Maps, and other tools to build their itineraries, mainly because these platforms offer flexible ways to brainstorm and dump ideas. However, these tools often lack a coherent and enjoyable user journey, something I was eager to address with this redesign.

From the very beginning, I explored popular travel and itinerary apps across different markets to understand both effective flows and common points of user frustration. I discovered that while some apps try to do too much and create confusion, others are overly restrictive. This insight inspired me to strike a balance—crafting interfaces that are visually inviting and playful, while also communicating information clearly through iconography and concise layouts.

One key learning was acknowledging that users, especially when traveling, don’t want to waste extra time figuring out how the app works or realizing mid-trip that a feature isn’t helpful. The challenge was to keep the flow direct and intuitive, so users always know their next step and where they should go in the app. Simplifying navigation and limiting information overload became design priorities.

Additionally, reflecting my love of collecting and organizing information, I learned how small cues or extra hints—like onboarding tooltips or playful micro-interactions—can make a big difference, especially for first-time users. Even within the short timeframe of this project, focusing on concept clarity rather than adding unnecessary features resulted in a cleaner, more enjoyable planning experience. Throughout the process, I found new ways to present complex, collaborative journeys in a manner that’s both accessible and genuinely engaging for all kinds of travelers.