Planning a trip should feel exciting, but in reality it’s often a headache. Travelers deal with scattered information, endless booking forms, and generic recommendations that don’t match their interests. Add in the uncertainty of hiring tour guides, and suddenly a dream vacation feels like work.

Enter Travelbud — a mobile app designed to make planning feel less like paperwork and more like discovery. It streamlines booking to cut the clutter, offers personalized recommendations based on traveler interests, provides transparent tour guides, and includes real-time distance indicators so users know exactly how close experiences are to them.

Conducted user research (survey + interviews) that directly shaped product decisions.

Created a user persona and empathy map to guide design around real traveler frustrations.

Led UX and UI design, from early flows to final prototypes.

Designed and tested personalization and trust-building features (badges, distance indicators, streamlined booking).

To understand the struggles, I dug into how people currently plan trips. I conducted a quantitative survey with 20 participants (18+ years old, frequent and aspiring travelers) and combined that with competitive research across existing travel platforms. Some of the key insights i gained are;

Fragmented info - Too many tabs, forums, and blogs just to piece together one itinerary.

Clunky booking - Multiple sites, repeated forms, and no guarantee the booking even sticks.

No personalization - Travelers want cultural events, hidden gems, or foodie spots that feel tailored, not generic lists.

Opaque tour guide services - No real way to judge quality or trust guides before booking.

Talking to travelers highlighted two big frustrations: wasted time and decision fatigue. People wanted something that felt like having a local friend to show them around, but in app form.

Existing platforms offered strong event discovery and reviews but fell short on:

Personalization - Few tools tailored recommendations to traveler interests.

Booking flows - Multi-step, confusing processes were common.

Tour guide services - Lacked transparency or reliable information.

Mobile experience - Many weren’t optimized for mobile-first users.

Discovery - Mapped frustrations through surveys, empathy mapping, and competitive analysis. Defined user personas (e.g., Allison Steele, a busy young professional seeking authentic but efficient travel).

Concepting - Explored userflows and sketches to reimagine booking around personalization and simplicity.

Design - Built wireframes, mockups, and high-fidelity prototypes with a focus on a mobile-first experience that felt both intuitive and inviting.

Testing & iteration - Tested prototypes with 4 real users, leading to key refinements.

With Travelbud, users can expect a seamless and enriched exploration of destinations, making every adventure truly memorable. Travelbud marks a new era in travel, where convenience, personalization, and connection converge to create exceptional experiences for every traveler.