Design System
Mobile Design
Travel App
Fun App
Competition
A travel companion mobile app designed to help travelers find destinations that match their preferences, connect with travel companions who share their interests, and find reliable local tour guides. The app was developed using a comprehensive design thinking approach—from research through usability testing—and achieved a SUS score of 83 (classified as “Acceptable,” grade B).
Role
Mobile App
Duration
2 Week
Year
2024
Challange
Indonesia’s tourism sector continues to grow, but the sheer number of destination options across 38 provinces actually makes it difficult for travelers—especially foreign tourists—to decide where to go. Based on in-depth interviews with five potential users (from the Millennial and Gen Z age groups), the team identified a consistent pattern of issues: travelers struggle to find destinations that match their personal interests because online information is often not detailed enough; they have difficulty finding travel companions with similar interests and availability; and they need truly personalized recommendations, not just generic lists.
This challenge was confirmed through problem validation with four users, where all respondents agreed on the difficulty of finding destinations that match their interests and the need for personalized recommendations. On the other hand, the team also sought to address the issue of sustainable tourism—specifically, how to empower local tour guides to earn additional income, in line with SDG Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth. The design challenges were then formulated through three “How Might We” questions: how to connect travelers with compatible travel companions, how to help travelers plan their trips efficiently, and how to help travelers find destinations that match their interests.
Solution
The team addressed these challenges with five interconnected core features. The Destination Recommendations feature uses AI-powered personalization to filter destinations based on user preferences, solving the problem of a lack of relevant recommendations. The Find Friends and Invite Friends features allow users to find fellow travelers heading to the same destination and coordinate via chat, directly addressing the pain point of difficulty in finding trustworthy travel companions. The Tour Guide feature connects travelers with trusted local tour guides at their destination, while also supporting the goal of local economic empowerment.
The Trip Planner feature helps users efficiently organize itineraries based on the time they have available, reducing the risk of disorganized planning. This solution was validated through five usability testing tasks (logging in, searching for friends, offering travel slots, searching for tour guides, and using the trip planner), resulting in a SUS score of 83—indicating that the app is at the “Acceptable” level for use by real users. The entire solution is built on a single, consistent design system to ensure a clean and scalable visual experience across every feature.
Design System
Here is the design system developed by the team for the TripBuddy project:
Visual Design
TripBuddy’s visual design is clean and user-friendly, featuring blue as its primary color—conveying a sense of trust and calm, perfect for a travel context. Playful 3D illustrations featuring a tourist carrying a suitcase and a backpack are used at key moments, such as during onboarding and on the bottom sheet, adding a warm touch to the otherwise systematic design. This combination makes the app feel both functional and enjoyable—like a travel companion you can talk to, rather than just a destination search tool.
Impact
83/100 The System Usability Scale score from testing with 5 respondents places TripBuddy in the “Acceptable” category with a grade of B, indicating that the app has been user-friendly even since its early versions.
5 out of 5 key pain points addressed Every core issue identified during the research—from the difficulty of finding destinations that match one’s interests to the difficulty of finding travel companions
One platform, three beneficiaries. Travelers receive personalized recommendations and travel companions, local tour guides gain opportunities for additional income, and the government receives tangible support for its sustainable tourism agenda.