YourGuide

YourGuide is a concept travel app designed to help users discover hidden gems, learn about culture, and plan authentic journeys. By blending personalized recommendations, interactive maps, and cultural insights, it reimagines how travelers connect with the world.
UX Case Study · Mobile App
OVERVIEW

Modern travel apps often overwhelm users with generic information, leaving little room for personalized, authentic experiences. Research revealed that travelers crave hidden gems, cultural learning, and tailored recommendations — not just popular tourist sites.

The challenge was to design a mobile app that provides personalized travel recommendations, interactive exploration, and cultural insights, empowering users to travel more meaningfully.

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  • Conducted user interviews with travelers ages 24–50 to understand pain points and desires.
  • Created personas, affinity maps, and task flows.
  • Designed site maps, wireframes, UI kit, and high-fidelity mockups.
  • Ran usability tests and iterated designs based on feedback.
  • Aligned branding and visual identity with values of exploration, culture, and adventure
APPROACH
  • Empathize → Conducted user interviews and studied academic tourism research to uncover needs for cultural depth and authenticity.
  • Define → Identified key user goals: discover hidden gems, learn culture, explore freely without tour guides.
  • Ideate → Developed concepts for personalized recommendations, interactive maps, and social features.
  • Prototype → Built low- and high-fidelity wireframes, focusing on intuitive navigation and visually engaging UI.
  • Test → Gave participants travel-related tasks (sign-up, search, save a destination, explore map) and refined based on usability feedback
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    KEY FEATURES/ HIGHLIGHTS
  • Interactive map to uncover hidden gems and local spots.
  • Personalized recommendations tailored to user preferences.
  • Cultural education features embedded in destination guides.
  • Favorites & saved trips for easy planning.
  • Social connection features to share and explore together
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    OUTCOME

    In this project, the focus was on the modern traveler: someone eager to discover hidden gems, embrace cultural learning, and feel independent while navigating new destinations. The design had to balance personalized guidance with the freedom to explore on one’s own terms, creating an app that felt supportive without being restrictive.

    • Delivered a concept app that reimagines travel apps as cultural companions, not just logistical tools.
    • Showcased how personalized recommendations and interactive maps can enhance exploration and make hidden gems accessible.
    • Validated strong user demand, with all participants highlighting the need for travel solutions that blend independence with education.
    • Positioned the app as a bridge between user goals (authenticity, discovery, culture) and business goals (differentiation, engagement, retention).

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    REFLECTIONS
    This project allowed me to combine my personal love for travel with my UX practice. I learned the value of integrating empathy, research, and design iteration to create a solution that resonates with diverse users. YourGuide became more than just a design challenge — it was a way to reimagine how technology can connect people to places, culture, and new perspectives
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