Client
Enroute by LocHist LLC
Project category
D2C, GenAI, Travel
Timeline
4 Months
Team
Founder/CEO
Founding UX Designer (That's me ๐)
4 UX Researchers
TL;DR:
LocHist LLC, an early-stage travel startup, set out to build Enroute, an AI-driven MVP that changes how travelers plan and experience trips. LocHist wanted itinerary planning to feel effortless and personal, for solo travelers and groups alike.
Trip planning today is spread across disconnected tools with no shared plan. Travelers visit an average of 38 websites before booking, 70% struggle to find activities that match their interests, and 50% find it difficult to coordinate plans with friends.
Enroute brings the whole process into one AI-assisted itinerary. Every traveler adds to a shared bucket list, AI generates routes matched to the group's interests and budget, and AI search adds web results to the plan in one tap. In moderated usability testing, 10 of 10 participants completed every task across 3 user flows, and 7 of 10 rated the AI's suggestions as relevant.
My Contribution
As founding designer, took Enroute from
70 raw ideas to a 0-1 MVP pilot
Partnered directly with the Founder/CEO & 4 UX researchers
Turned the founderโs vision and research findings into a focused MVP scope with 3 core features.
Designed a scalable MVP grounded in a Business outcomes
Used a Business Model Canvas to tie design decisions to revenue streams, customer segments, and AI costs.
Owned designing of end-to-end hi-fi prototypes & usability testing
Ran moderated usability testing with 50 participants and trained a custom GPT model to measure perceived adoption.
A Sneak peak
On average, travelers visit
38 websites before making a booking.
So we asked 30 travel enthusiasts, What apps/methods do you use to plan your itinerary?
The Problem
Trip planning is time consuming, disorganized, and impersonal for modern travelers.
The Solution
Enroute turns everyoneโs preferences into a shared itinerary, editable with AI powered search and paired with a smart budget estimator
Travelers spend less time planning and more time packing!
Collaborative AI Generated Itineraries
Travelers explore the app and save the places and activities they love to a shared bucket list. AI arranges those picks to fit the group's timeline, budget, and preferences, creating an editable itinerary with a match score for how well it suits everyone.
How this solves the problem
Search, generation, and editing all happen in one flow, so the group starts from a working itinerary that already reflects every travelerโs picks.
AI-Powered Search
Travelers who want to build their own itinerary search for hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Results are filtered by each traveler's preferences and constraints and ranked by rating, cost, and distance, and any result goes into the trip in one tap.
How this solves the problem
Enroute does the searching across dozens of travel sites for the traveler. That turns the 38-website research loop into one shortlist that leads straight into the plan.
Route Map and Trip Cost
Every itinerary shows up as a route on the map with distances between stops. Next to it is a live trip cost that updates as stops are added, removed, or reordered.
How this solves the problem
Mapping the route and tallying the budget, two jobs travelers used to do in separate apps, now happen inside the itinerary itself.
Impact
Enroute delivers smarter, faster, and more meaningful travel experiences with potential to reduce planning time by up to 40%.
Percieved Adoption Rate
Sample size: 10
Peopleโs Choice Award
Capstone Project Showcase
Expressed Interest to upgrade
for premium features
Deep Dive
Business Goal
Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that provides hyper-personalized travel experiences, leading to user acquisition and potential monetization opportunities
My Personal Challenge
Since travel is inherently vast and deeply personal, it was initially challenging to define the scope and align it with both business objectives and user needs.
In collaboration with stakeholders, we used the Business Model Canvas supported by data-driven insights to map both business and user needs, helping us narrow down the project scope.
Research
in-depth interviews with frequent travelers and secondary research
10
In-depth interviews
30+
Survey responses
50+
Research papers analysed
Insights from research
Lack of personalization
70% struggle to find activities that match their interests
Disjointed collaboration
50% experience difficulty coordinating with friends while planning
Decision fatigue
Sifting through numerous websites to find information
Competitive Analysis
Competitor
Tripadvisor
Wanderlog
TripIt
Pros
Strong reviews & recommendations
Good group planning features
Great for itinerary organization
Limitations
Lacks collaborative planning tools
Doesnโt auto-generate itineraries
No AI-powered personalization
Gap in the market
No collaborative AI-powered trip planner that helps groups coordinate plans seamlessly.
Scroll to see more analysis
Problem to solve
Disconnected travel tools, Poor Collaboration, and Decision fatigue while creating an itinerary
User Goal
Curate Personalized routes, Shared planning, real-time Automation of tedious search and planning the itinerary
Ideation
How might we help travelers co-create personalized itineraries while reducing the time spent on planning and searching?
Dreamer
70 Wild Ideas with No restrictions
Explore places using fun facts or riddles with hints on the map.A platform/device that gives directions for rare finds.
Historical flashbacks with vintage photos or ads.
UI with vintage elements related to each state.
App displays a checklist of โhow to be a local in...โ
Users can apply filters to customize options.
Location-based audio narratives with notifications.
Group listening feature for audio narratives.
Synchronized playback for listening groups.
Users input exploration time, walking time, and preferences for ideal route suggestions.
Digital scrapbook (audio, video, badges) sent to users post-visit for social sharing.
Route filters: budget, popularity, rare finds, ratings, crowd levels.
Itinerary and planning tools.
Geo-location-based podcasts.
Gamification elements for engagement.
Treasure hunt game: earn points, credits, or restaurant discounts by completing tasks.
Platform that narrates stories about places as users visit or drive by.
App suggests local transportation options for an authentic experience.
State-specific welcome messages (e.g., "Howdy, partner!" in Texas).
Unlock vintage postcards upon entering a new state or completing challenges.
Mid-century travel poster-style illustrations in the UI.
Retro sound effects tied to the cultural vibe of each state.
"Surprise me" feature suggests hidden gems based on available time and location.
Conversational UI with a fictional character as a travel guide.
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access.
Engaging, interactive map interface for routes.
Select themes to generate personalized routes.
Use GenAI to generate personalized routes.
Notifications for spontaneous pop-up events or markets nearby.
Local transportation suggestions, including bikes and quirky transport options.
Highlight lesser-known festivals, traditions, and community events.
Calendar of seasonal events like farmersโ markets and parades.
Curated food trails guiding users to authentic local eateries.
Region-specific cuisine recommendations (e.g., lobster rolls in Maine).
Reviews, comments, and pictures under audio narratives.
Fun fact and trivia swipe-able cards.
Downloadable generated routes.
Route pins with detailed location cards (safety, parking, maps, etc.).
Users choose content format: audio, quizzes, fun facts, videos, or photos.
AI-generated live camera maps with interactive trivia and 3D elements.
AR-enhanced travel guidance with interactive storytelling.
Meta glasses as a travel buddy providing real-time suggestions.
AI-driven itinerary and trip planning based on user preferences.
Voice assistant syncing with geo-location for real-time recommendations.
Travel influencersโ routes available for users to explore.
User reviews contributing to filters and badges.
Unlocking 3D historical models and artifacts based on exploration time.
Public leaderboard displaying collected artifacts.
Bonus XP and coupons for visiting partnered locations.
Digital slam book for capturing and sharing trip memories.
State-themed elements inspired by unique state names (e.g., "The Garden State").
Social networking and engagement features for travelers.
Celebrity voice guides tailored to user interests.
Suggestions for current events at the travel destination.
AI-personalized recommendations while maintaining privacy.
AI-generated plans visualized in a user-friendly format.
Display trending social media content related to the destination.
AR filters overlaying historical images and videos at landmarks.
AI personas narrating stories as historical figures.
Collecting stories from local figures and presenting them as time-travel experiences.
Localized welcome messages on the homepage (e.g., โHello from the Hoosier Stateโ).
Follow historians and their audio narratives on destination history.
Add places with audio narratives to personalized itineraries.
User-generated content: travelers record and upload their experiences.
GPS-triggered audio narratives at landmarks.
Short trivia quizzes post-audio narrative for engagement.
Sending digital postcards via email after completing challenges.
Interactive, gamified elements to maintain user interest.
Accessibility considerations (parking accommodations, etc.).
Real-time leaderboard tracking user progress and discoveries.
Realist
15 Realistic ideas based on business goals
AR-based route visualizer
โSurprise Meโ hidden gem feature
GenAI-powered route generator with thematic filters
Conversational UI with AI travel guide
Treasure hunt game with points or restaurant discounts
Checklist: โHow to Be a Local inโฆโ
Unlockable digital postcards or badges by state
Digital scrapbook (photos, video, badges)
Downloadable generated itineraries
Route filters: budget, popularity, rare finds, ratings, crowd levels
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access
Select themes to generate
personalized routes
Fun facts and trivia swipe-able cards
Critique
3 ideas that aligns both user needs and business goals
GenAI-powered route generator with thematic filters
Conversational UI with AI travel guide
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access
Feature 1
Colaborative AI Generated Itineraries Based on Trip Details
to create a plan that fits everyones needs
Scenario
Group travel often results in conflicting interests, making itinerary planning a hassle. Traditional planning requires constant discussion and compromise.
For example: One traveler may prefer museum visits, while another prefers outdoor hikes.
Solution
An AI-powered itinerary builder that automatically considers everyones preferences and generates customized trip plans based on user-provided details.
Create a bucket list
Invite people to this trip
Add locations, activities, etc. to your bucket list
Feature 2
Manual itinerary generation based on AI Internet Search
Scenario
When planning a trip, users must manually search for locations, Activities, hotels, activities, and transport options and fit them in their preferred budgets leading to long and inefficient workflows.
Solution
An AI-powered search feature, which will search the internet to find best hotels, restaurants, locations to created a curated list with just a click to help you build a custom itinerary
How might we connect search and discovery to the itinerary so travelers can build their trip without losing context?
Category browse
Difficult to scan as itinerary builds
Difficult to track, Overcrowded screen
Rejected
Traditional AI chat
Very tedious, need multiple prompts
Difficult to track, Overcrowded screen
Rejected
Timeline with draggable search
Selected
AI internet search user flow
The search results will automatically be filtered based on your preferences
List view
Map view
You can use either list view to see high-level details or use a map view to visualize your route
List view
Map view
Solving Business Goals
Business Goals
Design the MVP so it can support viable revenue streams and pricing strategies within the pilot/MVP stage without requiring a complete redesign later. The goal is to test monetization options early while keeping flexibility to expand pricing tiers in future releases.
Success Criteria for Pricing Strategy
Clearly cheaper alternative compared to competitors
AI Model Usage Cost Feasibility
Scalability & Retention Potential
Different Pricing plans explored
One-time fee model
Fixed payment at the time of download or saving a trip.
No recurring revenue to cover AI costs.
Must decide to pay upfront without trial.
No incentive for repeat use.
Pay as you go model
Charge per trip, per route, or via credits purchased at time of saving the trip.
Data Encryption
Hard to build loyalty.
Subscription model
Selected
Freemium approach โ App is free; premium features unlocked with monthly/yearly plans.
Churn risk if features arenโt sticky.
Map view
Usability Testing
What did the user day about the new design?
Types of testing
We conducted remote moderated usability testing including
3
Methods
10
Participants
3
User flows
Avg. Time on Task:
3:23s
10/10 completed the tasks successfully
We created and trained a custom GPT model to analyze user preferences and the travel archetypes to see if the generated itinerary matches with user preferences.
7/10 have expressed satisfaction of relevance of suggestions
User Quote
"I wish I had an app like this when planning my honeymoon, It would have been so easy"
One of the user during user testing
User Quote
"Usually, planning my weekend getaway takes longer than the trip itself. Enroute had it sorted so fast"
One of the user during user testing
Impact
Enroute delivers smarter, faster, and more meaningful travel experiences with potential to reduce planning time by up to 40%.
Percieved Adoption Rate
Sample size: 10
Peopleโs Choice Award
Capstone Project Showcase
Expressed Interest to upgrade
for premium features