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Aeris

For my thesis project, I led the creation of a travel-focused app offering

real-time, curated recommendations for travelers, simplifying decision-making and providing personalized, on-the-go insights.

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  • Brief

  • Secondary Research

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  • User Interviews

  • Insights

  • HMW Statement

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  • Prototyping

  • User Testing

  • User Feedback

  • Ideation

  • Final Design

  • Final Presentation

  • Reflection

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For my Engineering Design Innovation master’s thesis project, I identified a gap in travel planning and developed a platform to simplify decision-making and improve the user experience.

I conducted 15+ user interviews to identify common travel challenges and analyzed existing tools to uncover underlying issues in travel planning.

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Through conversations with travelers, I conducted secondary research on existing travel planning tools, categorizing them into three app types and analyzing travelers' feedback on each.

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After conducting secondary research, I identified key insights into the challenges travelers face abroad with existing tools and how they apply them in real-world travel contexts.

When travelers face last-minute changes, they seek online support but often get overwhelmed, leading them to dismiss helpful resources and settle for the easiest option with poor results.

When I was in Korea, I got delayed in traffic, which completely threw off my plans. I was so stressed that I was left scrambling to find the nearest food place - Jane

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When unexpected issues arise during a trip, many travelers choose to struggle alone and face defeat, convinced that help is inaccessible.

From developing key insights, it became clear that the underlying issue in travel planning is that most tools focus on logistics management rather than streamlining the process for travelers.

When I was in Thailand, I missed my tour guide and had no backup plan. I considered asking for help or look up alternatives, but it felt too complicated, so I went to the hotel. - Lauren

"

Travelers often feel overwhelmed by trip planning because most tools require them to handle logistics manually, instead of providing in-the-moment functionality.

By identifying the key underlying issue, I recognized the opportunity to create an application that eliminates clutter, providing real-time, curated recommendations that adapt on the go, along with the necessary design requirements.

design requirements

After defining the design requirements, I developed 3 prototypes that explore different approaches to addressing travel planning challenges while meeting those requirements.

Concept 1: A travel app that offers real-time, curated, and personalized recommendations, making finding places and planning quicker, simpler, and just one tap away.

Based on traveler feedback, Concept 1 was chosen as the best fit for their needs, enabling me to iterate and test various features before finalizing the version.

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Onboarding: Travelers favored more image options, with three rows of app-related and general images to reduce decision fatigue.

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Explore: Travelers preferred a simple, clean, minimal explore page with a Pinterest-like layout.

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Your Likes: Travelers expressed a desire to categorize their likes by activity type and view event previews.

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Build Your Day: Travelers preferred a single-page layout with questions organized by time of day in a vertical row for simplicity.

Through design iteration, I finalized Aeris, a travel platform offering real-time, personalized recommendations that simplify planning and provide seamless, stress-free travel experiences.

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building your day

planning your day

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editing your day

planning your day

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presenting aeris

  • Presenting my work                                                                                                                                       Presented my thesis to the program, faculty, and families, preparing a slide deck that helped me refine my communication skills and present my design process effectively​

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  • Working solo                                                                                                                                                     Gained hands-on experience in UI/UX design, implementing animations, branding, and engaging with travelers to inform design decisions and guide my process

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  • Learning from my mentors                                                                                                                                      Benefited from my mentor’s guidance, deepening my understanding of design principles and improving my ability to communicate my work clearly and concisely

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