How might we encourage travellers to be more spontaneous and explore local culture in a society shaped by trends and conformity?
Timeline
36 hours
Role
Product designer
Team
Sydney Bernal
Ibrahim Ma
Reymart Gutierrez
The problem
A study in 2025 surveyed over 1000+ North Americans & revealed that 90% have fallen for tourist traps at least once in the past 2 years.
The user
The jaded travel enthusiast
They want to be spontaneous, to discover hidden gems and local spots. But everywhere they search, they find overcrowded, overrated tourist traps. The same suggestions, over and over, from influencers and travelers alike. They want to truly support locals while making realistic travel plans.
Current solutions are:
[Search engine rabbit holes]
[Social media hype]
[Gen AI default recommendations]
But it is tedious and sources are unreliable.
Key insights from 4 user interviews
Users want a product that is :
minimize planning/research time
want unbiased & local recommendations
avoid disappointment
Easy & spontaneous
explore without ruining plans
consider factors such as distance, time, preferences
Flexible & realistic
Introducing... Wander
Technical considerations
Behind Wander is a content aggregation system that mines authentic local recommendations from:
Local blogs and niche travel writers
Regional tourism sites and community boards
Local review apps & sites
Social media mentions with lower engagement - keyword such as “hidden gem”
User added reviews!
Decision points
How do we encourage spontaneity?
Users can generate full itineraries and can customize their experience based on activity, preferences and adventure level
How do we keep plans flexible?
Users have their own version of maps with recommendations to discover places near them. Users can also edit their routes in real time.
How do we become a trusted resource?
Users are prompted to review and add to the review ecosystem. Reviews are vetted before being uploaded.
Reflections
Considering feasability from the beginning!
During judging, we were prompted to think about how data is collected and the challenges it will pose. This has allowed me to take a step back and empathize with development and consider the backend architecture. This has since been integrated into every design decision I make.
Problems don’t have to be life changing to matter!
Initially, we really struggled with ideation as we thought our problem wasn’t important enough. However we learnt that ultimately, addressing a user pain point is still a pain point and it matters.
see our paths converging?