AI, Native Mobile App, etc.
Challenge
Spontaneous travelers aged 18-30 were spending nearly 2 hours reconstructing their trip details when friends requested recommendations. With 75% of details forgotten within a week and users toggling between multiple apps, the process was frustrating and time-consuming. The challenge was to automate travel documentation while maintaining the spontaneous nature of unplanned trips.
Results
Through extensive user research with 30 participants and iterative design testing, I created an automated journaling solution that reduced trip sharing time by 94% (from 90 minutes to 5 minutes). The app saw 93% user adoption in testing, with automated timeline generation becoming the most utilized feature. Privacy controls and manual override options helped drive high engagement rates among privacy-conscious users.
94%
93%
75%
Process
Working cross-functionally with an iOS dev team, I conducted 8 in-depth user interviews, ran card sorting sessions with 12 participants, and analyzed competitor offerings. This research informed my design of a privacy-first automated system that combines camera roll photos with location data. After identifying key drop-off points, I implemented daily review prompts and one-tap sharing to reduce user friction.
Learnings
Through iterative design and user feedback, I discovered the critical balance between automation and user control. Early designs were too dense with information, leading me to simplify the UI for better engagement. I also learned that passive data collection significantly impacted battery life, requiring me to optimize the location tracking approach. Building trust through clear privacy controls proved essential for user adoption.
