RouteWise
RouteWise, meticulously crafted for explorers, simplifies travel planning and itinerary creation. Seamlessly merge destinations on an interactive map, optimizing itineraries for proximity. Bid farewell to planning complexities and embrace efficient, potential-filled journeys. Travel smart with RouteWise.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
Frequent travelers often struggle to plan complex itineraries efficiently.
Problem Background
Nowadays, most travelers would prefer to plan their own trips themselves due to the flexibility of traveling time. In this case, an efficient and seamless itinerary will play a critical role, since traveling to a completely different country without any guidance and understanding of the local language can be daunting.
In order to create a customized itinerary, travelers usually start by gathering information from several platforms and pinning the destinations down on Google Maps. However, it doesn’t generate an itinerary for the users, and the users have to manually create their own itinerary based on the locations they pinned on Google Maps, which is time-consuming and might not have the best ideal schedule. Additionally, through our user survey, we discovered that when creating an itinerary, travelers are fear of missing out on popular traveling destinations. We would like to have suggested destinations popped out on the side when users are adjusting their itineraries. Therefore, the FOMO situation can be reduced.
People who love to travel often find joy in visiting new destinations. Yet, collecting and organizing multiple destinations on a map and creating an efficient itinerary can be time-consuming and challenging. Without a centralized and user-friendly solution, travelers may miss out on optimal routes, time savings, and a seamless travel experience.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
Time-Consuming Planning: Many travelers find the process of planning a trip time-consuming and overwhelming. They often spend hours researching destinations, accommodations, activities, and transportation options.
Lack of Personalization: Many travelers desire personalized recommendations and itineraries that align with their interests and preferences. One-size-fits-all solutions fall short.
Information Overload: Travelers are bombarded with a wealth of information from various sources, making it challenging to filter and prioritize the most relevant details for their itinerary.
Difficulty in Organization: Keeping track of travel plans, reservations, and important details can be a significant pain point. Users often resort to scattered notes and emails.
Decision Fatigue: Choosing between multiple options for accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be mentally exhausting. Travelers often struggle with decision-making during the planning phase.
Supporting Data
All expressed a need for a more centralized planning platform
Feedback
Interactive Maps: The ability to see destinations and points of interest on an interactive map is a highly valued feature. It helps users visualize their itinerary geographically.
Customization: Personalization options, such as the ability to tailor itineraries to specific interests, dietary preferences, or accessibility needs, receive positive feedback.
Desire for Simplicity: Users appreciate a user-friendly interface that simplifies the travel planning process, making it accessible to travelers with varying levels of tech-savviness.
Landing on the Solution
Generating a customized itinerary: An app/website that allows users to add destinations to the list and create a customized itinerary based on the traveling length and preference of the user
Saving time to build a time-efficient itinerary: Generating a most time-efficient itinerary based on the locations that the users add to the list.
Reducing FOMO: Start with a short survey before users create their itinerary in order to understand the user’s preferences and hobbies (such as if you are an arts person or a sports person) for pop-out suggested locations to add to the itinerary
User Flows/Mockups
Onboarding Flow:
- User registration or login process.
- Introduction to the app's core features and functionalities.
- Optional profile setup.
Destination Selection Flow:
- How users browse and search for destinations.
- Selection of a specific destination or multiple destinations.
Itinerary Creation Flow:
- Adding destinations, dates, and times to the itinerary.
- Choosing accommodations, activities, and dining options.
- Customizing the itinerary based on user preferences (short survey).
Future Steps
Expand Destination Coverage: Gradually expand the coverage of destinations and points of interest within RouteWise. Consider partnerships with travel-related businesses to provide users with a wider range of options, eg: Google Maps.
Enhanced Personalization: Continue to refine the personalization features of the app. Allow users to customize itineraries based on their specific interests, dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, and travel styles.
User Community and Social Features: Consider adding social features that allow users to connect with fellow travelers, share experiences, and provide recommendations to each other within the app.
Marketing and Promotion: Invest in marketing efforts to increase brand visibility and user acquisition. Leverage social media, content marketing, and partnerships with travel influencers or bloggers to reach a wider audience.
Security and Privacy: Continuously improve the security and privacy features of the app to protect user data and ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Cheryl Chen
My journey as a product manager has been a rewarding exploration of the art and science of creating meaningful solutions. One of the most profound lessons I've learned is that focusing on the problem space is the most critical part of the journey. By understanding the pain points and desires of our users deeply, we can craft products that truly resonate. I've also discovered that the ability to break things into smaller pieces before solving them is a powerful skill. It allows us to approach complex challenges with clarity and precision, making them more manageable.
In this role, I've come to appreciate the value of user-centricity, always striving to place our users at the heart of every decision. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is a treasure trove of insights, helping us refine our product continually. Effective communication has been another key learning, as it bridges the gap between technical teams, stakeholders, and end users, ensuring everyone is aligned.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.