As someone who loves discovering new destinations, I realized that planning a trip to less-known areas is painfully inefficient. Information is scarce, scattered, and often unreliable. Existing travel apps focus on mainstream attractions, leaving hidden gems overlooked.
That’s where I saw an opportunity : AI-powered mobile app that instantly creates personalized itineraries enriched with authentic hidden gems.
JOBS TO BE DONE (JTBD) :
“When I plan to travel to a new, less-known destination, I want to generate a personalized itinerary instantly so that I can maximize my time exploring without worrying about missing hidden gems.”
RESEARCH PHASE :
I conducted market benchmarking, a quick survey (20 respondents). The goal was to validate pain points and highlight opportunities.
Competitor Benchmarking
Objective :
Compare existing travel apps, find gaps.
Competitor
Strengh
Weakness
Opportunities for Terra
Booking, UI polished
Generic itinerary, mainstream
Add unique itinerary value
Huge user reviews
Info overload, no curation
Curated AI validation
Google Travel
Maps + Calendar integration
Manual, generic
AI instant planning
Niche hidden gems
Limited coverage, static |
Scale with AI personalization
Key Insight :
Competitors excel in mainstream services, but fail in fast, personal, hidden gems-focused itinerary generation.
User Survey
Objective :
Validate user pains & needs.
Question 1 :
How long do you usually spend planning a trip?
65%
15%
20%
65% → 3–5 hours
20% → >5 hours
15% → <2 hours
Question 2 :
Do you struggle finding hidden gems?
70%
30%
70% → Yes
30% → No
Question 3 :
Would you trust AI to generate your itinerary?
50%
20%
30%
50% → Yes, with option to edit
30% → Yes, fully
20% → No
Question 4 :
What do you value most in travel apps?
40%
20%
10%
30%
40% → Personalization
30% → Unique experiences
20% → Efficiency
10% → Social sharing
Theme
Pain Points
Needs
Time & Effort
Research takes 3–5 hrs |
Instant planning
Autheticity
Mainstream results only
Hidden gems, local vibes |
Trust
Info unreliable/scattered
AI validation
Flexibility
One-size-fits-all apps |
Customizable itinerary
Quotes :
“If I only use TripAdv***r, I’ll end up in Bali’s mainstream spots.”
“When I went to Flores, finding local recommendations took a long time.”
“I want something quick but still authentic, not the usual tourist spots.”
Key Insight :
Users struggle the most with hidden gems and want personalization + efficiency. AI is acceptable if editable. User needs balance between speed (AI) and authenticity (hidden gems).
USER PERSONA :
From our interviews, we distilled user insights into realistic personas that represent explorers with different travel goals and behaviors. These personas became our north star, guiding decisions across UI design, content flow, and the personalization logic that powers AI-generated itineraries.
“I want unique places for my travel content. But every search result shows me the same mainstream spots.”
“I only get 2–3 days off. Can’t waste half of it researching.”
“I want to connect with locals, not just take photos at tourist spots.”
Problem Statement
Information is scarce and unreliable.
Destination research takes too long.
Existing travel apps offer generic, mainstream itineraries.
Design Response
Collects user input (destination, duration, budget, preferences).
Generates day-by-day itineraries instantly.
Suggests hidden gems validated by AI-curated reviews.
Allows one-click save/export to Maps or Calendar.
After understanding the problem deeply, we moved into the solution space.
This is the phase where ideas started to take shape through brainstorming and mapping.
Every pain point we found now had the chance to be solved.
DESIGN GUIDELINE :
This flow illustrates how a traveler goes from curiosity (“I want to explore a new place”) to confidence (“I now have a reliable, hidden-gem-rich itinerary”). The focus is on speed, simplicity, and flexibility.
DESIGN GUIDELINE :
We create a design guideline concept consisting of color combinations, typography, and logo concepts. This guideline will be used for branding needs, UI design, publications, and others.
Main Font
Poppins
Light
Regular
Medium
Bold
Black
Aa
Primary Blue
#014CE5
Light Blue
#E5EEFF
Sky Blue
#014CE5
Navy
#014CE5
Color
The bold Primary Blue (#014CE5) embodies trust and clarity, perfect for an AI travel companion. Lighter blues bring freshness and contrast. Navy grounds the palette, balancing professionalism with a sense of exploration.
Typography
Poppins was chosen for its modern, geometric clarity and versatile weights, ensuring strong hierarchy and seamless readability across devices.
Group 1 : Testing with the Frontline Users
Task List
User 1
User 2
User 3
User 4
User 5
Login & Select Course
View Course Details
Take Theory Exam
View Exam Result & Certificate
User Highlight
Smooth overall, no issues.
Minor confusion in theory test
Navigation flow can be smoother. |
Smooth overall, no issues.
Smooth overall, no issues. |
Task List
Positive (Smooth)
Neutral (Minor Struggle)
Negative (Failed/Big Struggle)
Usability Score
Login & Select Course
5/5
0/5
0/5
100
View Course Details
3/5
2/5
0/5
80 |
Take Theory Exam
4/5
1/5
0/5
90
View Exam Result & Certificate
5/5
0/5
0/5
100
Overall average usability score :
92.5
Notes & Insight
Overall usability performance is strong, with most tasks scoring above 90 and an average of 92.5, showing that the platform feels intuitive and easy to navigate.
The only area needing improvement is the course detail page, where two users hesitated, indicating a need for clearer hierarchy and better visual cues.
