When building a product, it’s easy to guess what users want. However, that often leads to wasted time and effort. This is why in this article I explained how I used User-Centered Design (UCD) to create a travel platform that actually solves real problems for travelers. My goal is to help travelers discover hidden places with useful recommendations and real-time advice. To do this, I ran a survey to learn directly from travelers.
In this post, I’ll share the questions I asked to understand travelers’ needs, the insights I discovered from their answers, the features I designed to solve real problems, and what’s next for my project.
Step 1: Asking the Right Questions
Before designing anything, I needed to understand how people plan their trips, the problems they face when looking for travel information, and what features would improve their experience.
So, I created a survey using Typeform and asked these key questions:
1. How often do you travel? - This helped me understand how engaged my audience is with travel.
2. What type of trips do you prefer? - I gave people multiple choices, like:
Adventure (hiking, trekking, extreme sports)
Relaxation (beaches, resorts, wellness retreats)
Cultural (museums, historical sites, local traditions)
Backpacking (budget-friendly, long-term, multiple destinations)
Gastronomic (food tours, local cuisine experiences)
Nature & Eco-Tourism (wildlife, sustainable travel)
Party & Nightlife (festivals, clubs, social events)
Road Trips (exploring by car, campervan, or motorcycle)
Staycation (exploring your own city or nearby places)
3. How do you usually plan your trips?
People could choose multiple answers, including:
Travel blogs and websites
Recommendations from friends and family
Social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook groups)
Travel apps (Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Airbnb Experiences)
Guidebooks and printed travel guides
Online forums and communities (Reddit, Lonely Planet)
Travel agencies and tour operators
Spontaneous (no planning at all)
4. How important is finding hidden or unique spots to you? (Scale 1-10) - I wanted to see if people cared about discovering lesser-known places.
5. What’s the best hidden place you’ve discovered? - This helped me find examples of unique locations travelers love.
6. What do you enjoy most about traveling? - I wanted to know what makes travel exciting for them.
7. What apps or platforms do you use for travel planning? - This showed me what tools people already trust and more importantly, what features people use for when planning a trip.
8. What features would improve your trip planning experience? - I wanted people to tell me what they felt was missing.
9. What frustrates you the most when searching for travel information? - This helped me understand the biggest pain points.
10. What’s missing in current travel platforms? - This revealed what people wish existed.
Step 2: What I Learned from the Survey Results
I collected responses and analyzed the data. Here’s what I found:
1. Travel Frequency
Most travelers in the survey travel a few times a year. This means they are not full-time travelers but still travel often enough to care about better planning tools.
2. Popular Travel Styles
Many prefer Relaxation (beaches, resorts, wellness retreats) and Cultural trips (museums, historical sites, local traditions).
Backpacking, Gastronomic travel, and Eco-Tourism were also common choices.
Some mix multiple styles (e.g., Adventure + Relaxation + Cultural).
3. How People Plan Their Trips
Most-used methods:
Travel apps (Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Airbnb Experiences).
Recommendations from friends & family.
Social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook groups).
Least-used method: Travel agencies and tour operators.
4. Importance of Hidden Places
The average score was 7.9/10, meaning many travelers love discovering unique places. This enforces the needs of creating a travel app or website that focuses on unique experiences.
5. Most Used Travel Apps
Most common: Google Maps, Booking, Airbnb.
Surprise mentions: Grindr 😱 (for social connections while traveling), ChatGPT (for recommendations).
6. Biggest Frustrations When Planning Trips
Lack of up-to-date or complete information.
Too many touristy places, not enough hidden gems.
Security concerns when exploring lesser-known spots.
Limited options for solo travelers.
7. What’s Missing in Current Travel Platforms?
More interactive and real-time travel advice.
Better filters & ways to display accommodations.
Local contacts to help tourists in each area.
A platform that allows deeper conversations, not just reviews.
Step 3: Features Inspired by Real User Needs
Using these insights, I designed features to solve the problems travelers face:
1. Hidden Gems Map
A map of lesser-known places, recommended by travelers.
Filters to find food spots, nature, culture, and adventure.
2. Smart Trip Planner
Personalized itineraries based on budget, interests, and travel style.
Budget tracker to help stay within spending limits.
3. Real-Time Travel Community
Chat groups for solo travelers, local recommendations, and meetups.
Travelers can ask locals for real-time advice.
4. AI-Powered Travel Assistant
Instant travel questions answered with AI.
Translation & cultural tips for smoother travel.
Final Thoughts
Using User-Centered Design (UCD) helped me move from assumptions to real insights, allowing me to create a travel platform that truly solves problems for travelers. By conducting surveys, analyzing responses, and identifying key frustrations, I was able to design features that focus on hidden travel spots, real-time advice, and smart trip planning.
This process showed me that the best products come from listening to users first. Instead of guessing what people want, I built a solution based on real needs and pain points. Now, the next steps are to test the design, gather feedback, and refine the experience before launching.