Stakeholder Research

During my initial brainstorming session, I made two key observations:

1. Users would have very limited knowledge about the app, as it would be the first of its kind.
2. The number of potential travel destinations is virtually endless, which could make it difficult for users to choose where to go.

​These insights led me to ask a few important questions:

• How can I design the experience to minimize decision fatigue and prevent users from feeling overwhelmed?
• What features can help make the app intuitive and easy to navigate?
• Should the app give all users access to every destination?

After creating a value proposition canvas, two key features emerged:

• Contextual Chat Box – A built-in assistant that helps users navigate unfamiliar locations or time periods by answering questions and providing relevant information.
• Return Home Button – Designed as a safety feature, this allows users to immediately return home if they feel unsafe or encounter an emergency.

User Research

While envisioning users like Lucas and Linda, I realized that the appeal of time travel extends far beyond individual explorers.

The opportunity to experience different eras would excite nearly anyone—which led me to expand the app’s focus to a broader user base, including adults, families, and groups.

Designing with this diversity in mind ensured the experience could be inclusive, adaptable, and enjoyable for a wide range of users.

After deciding on a user persona, I began to tackle a major usability challenge: How can we make an endless list of destinations and time periods feel less overwhelming for users?

To address this, I conceptualized two key features:

1. Popular Visits Page – A curated page highlighting top destinations, helping users explore trending or highly rated trips without decision fatigue.
2. Save Feature – Allows users to bookmark trips they’re interested in, making it easier to revisit and compare options later.

These features aim to simplify the decision-making process by offering structure and personalization, reducing cognitive load, and enhancing overall usability.

Ideation

To further support decision-making, I explored additional ways to present destination information:

• Visit Descriptions – Both the Discover and Saved pages will include detailed descriptions to help users evaluate whether a trip aligns with their interests or needs.
• Future Enhancements – 1. An interactive quiz to guide users to destinations based on preferences. 2. A dedicated page for trips tied to specific historical events. I plan to explore and implement these ideas in future iterations.

Next, I focused on designing the app’s core feature: the travel console.

The console serves as the central hub for users during their trip. It includes essential tools and information to support a safe and seamless experience

Prototype

The first prototype focused on the key pages: Home page, Console page, New Visit page, and Chat page. 

I digitized the design and implemented an important element into the design.

​Another important design decision was implementing a hamburger menu for the side navigation. This choice helped streamline the interface by reducing visual clutter and creating a cleaner, more focused layout.

Heuristic Evaluation

The heuristic evaluation had a significant impact on the evolution of my design.​

It helped identify potential usability issues early on and led to the implementation of key elements:

• Ratings Page – After completing a trip, users are taken to a quick ratings screen. This encourages feedback while providing a seamless transition back to the home page, supporting user control and task closure.
• Pop-Up Warning – A confirmation prompt was added before starting a visit to prevent accidental clicks on the Start Visit button. This aligns with the heuristic principle of preventing user errors and adds a layer of intentionality to user actions.

Usability

I conducted one last feedback session before finalizing my design…