User Experience Design
Go Away
Travel App
Designing for Usability
Location
Boston | MA, US
Brief
Create and test prototype the user interface and user experience for travel and booking mobile application from the ground up - looking at all stages of the project and user journey. Perform research and interviews for data analytics to inform the mobile app's direction and functionality.
Tools
Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator, Market Research
Creating a travel app from scratch required adhering to core UX and UI design principles and following a structured design process. This included conducting in-depth user research, developing detailed personas and user scenarios, and progressing through multiple iterations before prototyping the app in Adobe XD (now discontinued). Each stage ensured the design addressed real user needs while maintaining a clear and intuitive interface.
The resulting concept, Go Away, was designed as a comprehensive mobile travel app that simplifies the travel planning journey. It provides a centralized platform where users can research destinations, book flights and accommodations, and manage itineraries with ease. Informed by market research, user interviews, and data analytics, the app was shaped to deliver a streamlined booking experience and reflect industry best practices in travel technology, usability, and digital product design.
“...We always dream of the adventure -going to the places where miracles and the impossibles happen...
Personas &
Scenarios
The first stage of the project involved conducting a series of UX research interviews focused on travel applications. I selected a diverse range of platforms — including Expedia, Skyscanner, and BlackBerry Travel — to compare different app styles, features, and target markets. This provided valuable insight into how leading travel apps approach user experience, functionality, and design.
To complement this research, three users were asked to complete the task of booking a flight within each app, while I observed their process and noted strengths, weaknesses, and usability issues. This hands-on usability testing highlighted what worked well, what caused friction, and what features could be improved. These findings directly informed decisions on what to include, refine, or omit in the development of my own travel app concept.
The next stage focused on creating wireframes for the app, exploring both hand-drawn sketches and digital tools to understand the process from multiple perspectives. By experimenting with different methods, I gained insight into how wireframing supports UI/UX design, idea development, and user flow planning. This dual approach ensured a deeper understanding of how early concepts evolve into structured app interfaces.
Throughout the planning stages, the wireframes went through multiple iterations as research and testing revealed new opportunities and limitations. The final app prototype differed significantly from the initial sketches, shaped by continuous learning about what worked and what didn’t. Using Balsamiq wireframing software, I refined the sketches into digital wireframes, experimenting with layouts, interaction patterns, and adjustments to optimize usability before moving toward a high-fidelity prototype.
Production
Stage
Testing
Stage
The next stage involved rigorous app usability testing to evaluate which features performed effectively and which required further refinement. This step was essential to improving the overall user experience (UX) and ensuring that the prototype met both functional and design objectives. By identifying pain points early, the development process could stay focused on creating a more seamless and intuitive interface
Testing was carried out with the same group of participants from earlier research phases, providing continuity and reliable comparative insights. Users were observed as they navigated through the prototype, allowing the team to collect valuable data on usability, interaction patterns, and areas of friction. These findings informed iterative UI design improvements, user flow adjustments, and feature optimization to align the product more closely with user needs.
From there the next step was to create a prototype using whatever application we desired. I opted to use XD which, at the time writing, is in beta so a little limited in what I could accomplish but I thought it would be useful to learn the application when it is in it’s infancy so I would be able to master what I could so subsequently I would be easily be able to add to my knowledge as the application matured.
The footer design evolved from a blue element to an off-white background in order to improve visibility and highlight the navigation more effectively. While the original intention was to frame the app content with blue at both the top and bottom, usability testing revealed that the navigation wasn’t clear enough. Adjusting the footer colour and layout became an important step in refining the overall UI design and enhancing accessibility.
As part of the process, a high-fidelity mockup of the app was created and tested with 3–5 users to gather actionable feedback. Iterative changes were made between each round of testing, including adjustments to the navigation footer, to improve clarity and ensure a more intuitive user experience (UX). Although not strictly part of the formal testing procedure, these refinements demonstrated a practical approach to usability testing, iterative design, and navigation optimization, all aimed at delivering the best possible app experience.