Momentr (Full Case Study)
Modernizing group trip planning with a mobile app
built for collaboration, clarity, and seamless decision-making.
ROLE
UI/UX Designer (Solo Project)
SKILLS
Competitive Analysis
User Research
Information Architecture
Prototyping
Usability Testing
TIMELINE
6 months
Coordinating travel with friends can quickly become a stressful experience. The joy of the trip is often overshadowed by the complexities of planning — and the process can feel overwhelming and take away the excitement of traveling together.
Why this matters
A long-running Harvard study on adult development, summarized by its current director Robert Waldinger, found that strong social connections are one of the most significant contributors to long-term happiness and health. (Mineo, 2017)
35%
Post-covid, we are noticing a strong resurgence of group traveling, with a 35% rise in bookings for groups of eight or more, as people increasingly seek meaningful shared experiences - whether through multigenerational vacations, food-focused trips, or outdoor adventures (Apse, 2025).
What tools are already out there
I conducted a heuristic analysis of popular trip planning tools to evaluate how well they balance customization, information hierarchy, and user engagement. I focused on four key heuristics:
Visibility of system status
User control freedom
Flexibility + efficiency of use
Visual design
Key Observations
Apps like TripIt and Wanderlog gate features behind early paywalls, discouraging users from completing onboarding.
Excessive customization and feature options lead to decision fatigue, slowing down the planning process.
Tools like Excel and Google Sheets prove effective for trip planning, leveraging existing mental models.
What I wanted to know from users
1
What tools/methods do people currently use to plan group trips, and what aspects of those tools work well or fall short?
2
What factors do people consider when determining if someone is a good travel companion?
3
How do people perceive and experience shared decision-making when planning trips with friends?
4
What pain points or challenges are commonly overlooked when planning trips with friends?
What users shared
I surveyed 26 participants to capture quantitative data on travel habits and the pain points of group coordination. From there, I conducted 6 in-depth interviews focused on recent or upcoming trips to understand planning behaviors, tool usage, and key friction points.
What themes emerged
Recurring themes emerged as I created this affinity map.
Challenges Accommodating Different Preferences
Lack of Equal Contribution/Input
Distrust of Online Sources
Managing Budget Constraints
Existing Decision-Making Tools/Methods
OPPORTUNITIES
How might we make it easier for everyone to communicate their preference and expectations early in the planning process?
How might we ease the burden on group planners by distributing tasks and decisions more collaboratively?
User roles and goals
PAIN POINTS
GOALS
Carrying the weight of planning the trip when no one else contributes.
When expectations and preferences are added last minute.
Reach a group consensus when making decisions.
Recieve input from everyone
Delegate tasks among group members.
When no one is prioritizing the trip.
Not enough engagement in the group chat.
Submit suggestions and ideas easily.
Know what tasks need to be done.
Provide input or vote on ideas.
THE LEADER
THE CONTRIBUTOR
THE PARTICIPANT
Too much notifications feels overwhelming to keep up with to know important details.
Does not want to part-take in smaller decisions.
Know only high level details about the trip.
Receive reminders to respond or vote for big decisions.
User Flows
Mapping out the flow for creating an account and creating a new trip.
Throwing my ideas on paper
Breaking down my solutions into quick screens.
Mapping the screens
Initial wireframes to give my solutions mores structures.
Curating the visual identity
Personalized travel profile
Users begin with a travel quiz to determine their archetype. These insights inform personalized planning, highlight travel compatibility within the group, and help establish alignment from the outset.
Empowering personal input
To establish clear preferences early, users are prompted to select their top activities before moving forward with planning.
AI-generated vision board
To maintain alignment throughout planning, I introduced an AI-generated vision board that aggregates the group’s preferences into a vision board. The visual updates dynamically as members join and is anchored at the top of the dashboard to continuously reinforce the group’s shared goal.
Assigned Tasks
Present individually assigned tasks in a visible way to increase transparency around upcoming decisions and ensure all members can contribute feedback.
Testing with real users
Complete onboarding by creating a travel profile.
Create a new goup trip.
Add a poll to the group trip.
Feedback from users
I hosted two rounds of usability tests to gather real-time feedback on gaps in the overall app.