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Aeris

  • 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

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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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.

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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.

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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.

Concept 2 : A travel app that offers real-time neighborhood recommendations, helps users discover places, and connects travelers through a Reddit-like discussion platform.

Concept 3 : A travel app that connects users with fellow travelers, pairs them by preferences for personalized recommendations, and facilitates connections abroad.

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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EDITING YOUR DAY

BUILDING 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 MENTOR:
    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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