JourneyGo is a fun, gamified app designed to simplify group trip planning for young adults.
JourneyGo
Group Trips, Made Simple & Fun.
PROCESS
Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, Iterate
ROLE
Product Designer
TOOLS
Zoom, Figma, Slack
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Challenge: Group trip planning is chaotic-too many options, ending debates, and no fun way to decide. Existing travel apps help with booking but fail at group coordination. Our app makes trip planning effortless and engaging with interactive decision-making tool, turning indecision into excitement.
Goal: Create an engaging, user-friendly app that simplifies decision-making and enhances the group planning experience.
SOLUTION STATEMENT
JourneyGo simplifies the chaos of group trip planning through a gamified and collaborative experience. By transforming indecision into fun interactions like “Swipe Battle,” the app helps groups reach quick, engaging decisions while keeping the process stress-free and enjoyable.
Secondary Research
While conducting secondary research, I focused on the psychology behind group decision-making and travel coordination. I discovered that one of the most common challenges is getting everyone to commit to shared decisions.
Key Findings
People are more likely to commit when decisions are made through interactive and participatory experiences.
Travel and lifestyle apps that use gamification report significantly higher levels of user engagement.
📊 48% of studies show that incorporating gamified decision-making increases overall user participation and satisfaction.
📈 54% of users are more likely to try and stick with an app that uses gamification, helping boost retention and brand loyalty.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS & THE GAP
TARGET AUDIENCE &
USER PERSONAS
Who Will Use This App?
Primary age 20-35
Frequent travelers, friend groups, family trips planners
User Personas
Spontaneous traveler who enjoys fun, hassle-free trip planning but struggles with group decisions.
Sarah Kim: Organized planner who values structure but wants an easier way to gather group input.
INSIGHTS & ANALYSIS
Theme 1: Collaboration
Theme 2: Engagement
Theme 3: Structure
Users want a way to vote and decide easily.
Decision-making should be fun, not frustrating.
A structure but intuitive experience is needed.
Group input should be quick and seamless.
Interactive elements keep users engaged.
Clear navigation prevents confusion.
A shared decision-making process reduces conflict.
A playful approach makes planning more enjoyable.
Users want guidance without feeling restricted.
USER FLOW
Creating user flows helped me understand how I wanted each screen to be laid out to guide users in completing their tasks.
SKETCHING
Sketching helped me bring the app’s user flows to life. During this process, I developed a clear vision for the app’s look and feel — modern and minimalistic.
USABILITY TESTING & KEY DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS
After the initial concept testing phase, I conducted three rounds of usability testing to refine JourneyGo’s design. Each round uncovered user pain points that led to actionable changes. These insights helped guide four major improvements that enhanced clarity, usability, and engagement.
1️⃣ Clearer Onboarding Experience
Before → After
Why This Change?
Switching to a gradient color scheme adds visual depth and modern appeal, making the interface more dynamic and engaging. This subtle change enhances user experience by creating a contemporary look and helping content stand out.
2️⃣ Modernized Visual Style
Before → After
Why This Change?
Switching to a gradient color scheme adds visual depth and modern appeal, making the interface more dynamic and engaging. This subtle change enhances user experience by creating a contemporary look and helping content stand out.
3️⃣ Enhanced Readability on Interest Selection
Before → After
Why This Change?
I changed the background to a gradient because the city background made the typography hard to read, with the words not standing out clearly. The gradient simplifies the design, ensuring better readability and maintaining a smooth visual flow without overwhelming the content.
FINAL HI-FI SCREENS
The main goal during the design process was to create a seamless and playful experience for users planning group trips. As the project evolved, I made several refinements to improve layout efficiency and enhance key interactions—especially around gamified decision-making and the planning flow.
MOCKUPS
These mockups highlight JourneyGo’s clean, playful design. Each screen was built to simplify group planning while keeping the experience fun and easy to navigate.
DESIGN OVERVIEW
Takeaways & Lessons Learned
Working through this project taught me the value of being intentional with every design decision from structure to interaction. I learned how balancing functionality with play through gamification can drive engagement, and how refining both visual and UX details early on creates a smoother, more delightful experience.
As part of a paid design project with MetaLab, I received feedback highlighting my strong approach to product thinking, originality in features, and user-centered research. I also received valuable feedback encouraging me to continue strengthening my visual design craft by refining typography, iconography, and layout areas I’ve been actively developing to better support thoughtful, modern interfaces.
Final Notes
If I had more time I would conduct additional user testing and research, improve accessibility, expand to diverse user groups, and gather more feedback for continuous improvements.
Let's Connect
@estefaniasanchez2017@gmail.com