ITINERATE
A travel sharing platform curated to build trust through user insight
Turning Travel Stories into Shared Journeys
Itinerate began as my thesis project and has since evolved into a personal passion, a website designed to make travel planning feel as seamless and trustworthy as getting recommendations from a well-traveled friend. Built on the idea that real experiences shape the best journeys, Itinerate is a community-driven space where travelers can explore, plan, and share detailed itineraries, personal insights, and hidden gems. With this project, I aimed to bridge the gap between inspiration and action, making travel planning simpler, smarter, and more authentic.
01
DISCOVER
Challenge
With scattered reviews, endless tabs, and unreliable, generic recommendations, travelers struggle to find authentic, experience-driven insights all in one place.
How Might We
simplify the process and turn travel planning into an effortless, trusted experience that feels like getting advice from a well-traveled friend?
How Might We
create a seamless experience where travelers can find, customize, and trust itineraries tailored to their needs?
How Might We
design an intuitive platform that balances inspiration with actionable travel plans
81% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials consider social media crucial when selecting travel destinations (Link)
Competitive Analysis
To better understand the travel planning landscape and identify opportunities for Itinerate, I conducted a competitive analysis of existing platforms. The goal was to analyze how travelers currently discover, plan, and share their trips while uncovering gaps in user needs and platform functionalities.
By studying competitors, I gained insights into what works, what’s missing, and how Itinerate can provide a more community-driven, trust-based alternative to traditional itinerary planning.
STRENGHTS
Comprehensive Itinerary Planning
Allows users to create detailed day-by-day itineraries, incorporating attractions, accommodations, and transportation.
Booking Integration
Partners with platforms like Booking.com and HotelsCombined, allowing users to book accommodations and tours directly.
User-Friendly Interface
Designed to simplify trip planning with an intuitive layout
WEAKNESSES
AI-Generated Itineraries
Many suggested itineraries are automatically generated rather than being user-created.
Lack of Personal Travel Reviews
Users can build itineraries but do not have access to detailed, user-generated reviews or insights.
Lack of Community Engagement
Does not allow users to follow or interact with fellow travelers.
STRENGHTS
Real-Time Alerts
Provides updates on flight changes, delays, and gate information
Integration Capabilities
Syncs with calendars and other apps for seamless organization.
Automated Itinerary Creation
Compiles comprehensive itineraries by forwarding confirmation emails.
WEAKNESSES
Limited Community Features
Focuses more on itinerary management than on community engagement or user-generated content.
No User-Generated Itineraries
The platform primarily organizes personal itineraries rather than featuring itineraries created by other travelers.
No Destination Insights
Lacks recommendations from other travelers or social sharing aspects
STRENGHTS
Collaborative Planning
Allows users to plan trips with friends in real-time, ensuring seamless coordination
Comprehensive Features
Offers itinerary building, budgeting tools, and integration with maps for route optimization.
User-Friendly Interface
Designed to be intuitive, making trip planning accessible even for beginners.
WEAKNESSES
Limited User-Generated Content
While it offers planning tools, it lacks a robust platform for users to share personal travel experiences and reviews.
AI-Powered Recommendations
Does not provide personalized suggestions based on user preferences or past trips.
Lack of Community Engagement
Does not facilitate traveler interactions, making it less social compared to other platforms.
02
DEFINE
The goal was to uncover their pain points, decision-making behaviors, and trust factors influencing their travel planning process.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Gen Z and Millennials travelers (22-36) who want real, firsthand travel experiences and love sharing their journeys on social media.
RESEARCH
Conducted user interviews with individuals who actively plan their own trips.
Participants were asked about their preferred sources for recommendations, frustrations with trip planning, how they determine the credibility of reviews, and what would make the process easier for them.
Feeling overwhelmed
Many expressed feeling overwhelmed by scattered information, struggling to differentiate genuine experiences from paid promotions, and lacking a single, trustworthy platform for travel planning.
“I saw it on Tik Tok or instagram”
Key findings revealed that most travelers rely heavily on social media for inspiration. Many preferred personalized itineraries over generic guides, and desire an all-in-one solution that consolidates real user insights, itineraries, and visuals in the form of videos or images.
Insights
Information Overload & Research Fatigue
Users struggled with information overload from scattered sources.
Need for a One-Stop Solution
Users expressed a desire for a single platform that consolidates real itineraries, and reviews.
Lack of User-Generated Content
Many competing travel planning tools rely on AI-generated or static itineraries without real user insights, leading to a lack of trust and authenticity.
Limited Community Features
Most existing travel apps focus on itinerary management rather than fostering engagement, social interaction, or real-time user collaboration.
03
DESIGN
04
OUTCOME
A community-driven platform for real travel experiences
Transforming travel planning into a social and immersive experience where travelers can access authentic itineraries, personal insights, and firsthand recommendations from real people, eliminating research fatigue
Helping travelers find the right trip without endless scrolling
A structured search page that prioritizes authentic travel itineraries and insights over paid promotions, allowing users to filter by real experiences.
No more second-guessing your travel plans
A step-by-step itinerary breakdown that details accommodations, activities, transportation, and food recommendations by the traveler, complete with insights and personal reviews.
Making travel inspiration personal and relatable
A traveler profile page where people can showcase their itineraries and upcoming travel plans, share photographs, and share details about themselves, helping others connect and get inspired.
Travel essentials inspired by real journeys
A curated store offering eco-friendly, travel-ready gear that aligns with Itinerate’s values: sustainable, stylish, and functional.
05
REFLECT
The Value of a Passion Project
Itinerate started as my thesis project, blending my love for travel and design. It was also my introduction to Figma and user experience design. When I began my master's program, I had no prior experience with design tools—just a deep curiosity for creativity. Looking back at my earliest designs (insert link), I can see how much I’ve grown—not just in design principles and accessibility, but in my ability to prototype effectively and refine my design thinking. I’ve also learned to work smarter by streamlining workflows, allowing me to focus on strategy rather than repetitive tasks. And the best part? I’m still evolving every day.
Creative Freedom & Iteration
Unlike other projects constrained by strict guidelines, Itinerate has given me full creative control. Every conversation I have about the project sparks new ideas, helping me refine and expand features in ways I hadn’t considered before. Seeing the project evolve screen by screen, feature by feature, has reinforced the importance of continuous iteration. Designing without limits has allowed me to explore, test, and push my creative instincts beyond what I thought was possible.
The Power of Storytelling in UX
Travel is all about stories, and I wanted that essence to be deeply embedded in Itinerate’s experience. Beyond just itineraries, the platform had to capture the emotions, insights, and real experiences of travelers. Designing with a storytelling mindset made a huge difference, not just in UI design, but in the way features were structured to make sharing journeys seamless and engaging. This approach helped elevate the platform from being just another trip planner to a place where people connect over shared experiences.
Next Steps
The next phase involves expanding animation and interaction design across all remaining pages to create a more dynamic, immersive experience.
AI-Powered Storytelling
Transform itineraries into audio stories or travel podcasts.
Smart Itinerary Matching
AI to recommend itineraries and travelers based on similar travel styles and past trips.
Real-Time Updates
A feature for users to update their travel plans while they are traveling than to wait post travel to post.
