Roam Mate is a smart travel app that helps you plan your trip and has your back with AI-powered Plan B's when things don't go as planned.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Leisure travellers often face unexpected disruptions like bad weather or sudden closures. With limited time at each destination, they need a quick and easy way to adjust plans without losing the day.
SOLUTION
With one tap, users get a full alternate plan tailored to their preferences
The Plan B Button in Roam Mate offers travellers a quick, stress-free way to recover from unexpected disruptions like bad weather or sudden closures. With a single tap, users receive a fully restructured itinerary tailored to their preferences—such as indoor activities, proximity, or dietary needs—based on real-time conditions.
RESEARCH
A User - Centred Approach to Mobile App Design for Itinerary Planning
To understand the needs and behaviours of leisure travellers, I conducted in-depth user interviews and a comprehensive competitor analysis.
This mixed-method research uncovered key user pain points and expectations, which directly informed the app’s design strategy and feature prioritization.
QUANTATIVE
Flexible & Adaptive Travel Experience
71% respondents expressed a desire for greater flexibility when traveling, such as adjusting plans based on mood, weather changes, or unexpected closures.
Real-time location-based recommendations
57% respondents would like to explore the nearby locations and events of interest
Digital Travel Agent
40% respondents struggled to save and organize the travel ideas
QUALITATIVE
“The museum was closed, and it was such a bummer. We came all the way there, and then we had no idea what to do next."
- Juvenita Monteiro
"I have been to places where I booked tickets, but because of the rain, the attractions were inaccessible. I could not really do much—just ended up eating or getting a massage at the hotel."
- Muhammad Saleem
"I want a flexible planner where I can save rough ideas, and it suggests things based on that. Kind of like a digital travel agent you can chat with. It’d be great if it could also recommend nearby spots based on where I am and what I like."
- Fahad Naveed
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Most travel apps like TripIt, TripAdvisor, and Wanderlog are great for planning ahead, but they don't really help when things suddenly change.
Roam Mate steps in with a built-in “Plan B” feature that quickly offers backup options, reroutes, and nearby ideas, so travellers can stay flexible and keep things moving, no matter what comes up.
Strengths of Existing Platforms - Centralized and detailed travel plans
Weaknesses Identified - Outdated design, clunky planning tools, limited suggestions, and poor import functionality. Current apps lack real-time flexibility and on-the-ground support, making trip planning rigid and harder to adjust on the go.
Opportunities for Differentiation - Travel plans change—flights get delayed, weather shifts, stuff happens. Roam Mate helps travellers pivot fast with smart Plan B options, real-time suggestions, and a flexible design that saves time and takes the stress out of last-minute changes.
MAIN INSIGHTS
Concluding every research element, I came up with these two main pain points for users which we translated into HMW’s to facilitate our design process.
Adaptive Travel Experience
Most travel apps struggle with last-minute changes. They overlook weather updates, closed venues, and local events, leaving travellers stuck without good alternatives when plans change.
Lack of Flexible Alternatives
Most travel apps rely entirely on the plans users enter and don’t offer helpful alternatives when things don’t go as expected. This leaves travellers with little guidance or backup options when their original plans fall through or interests shift.
HOW MIGHT WE…
How might we reduce stress for travellers by offering quick, easy-to-find alternatives when their plans are disrupted?
How might we ensure travellers can make the most of their time, even with last-minute changes?
FEAUTURES
Plan B Button: A dedicated button that lets users quickly activate alternative plans when their original itinerary gets disrupted.
AI-Powered Alternative Suggestions: Smart AI generates backup itineraries tailored to the user’s preferences.
Real-Time Obstacle Alerts: Instant notifications alert users about unexpected obstacles like bad weather, traffic jams, or closures to keep them informed.
DESIGN PHASE
Changes after the first user testing
Easy Access to Itinerary from Any Screen
Users found it difficult to quickly view their itinerary while navigating other parts of the app. To solve this, an itinerary icon was added to the navigation bar, allowing instant access to the itinerary page from anywhere within the app.
Quick “Add to Itinerary” Button on Location Screen
To make adding places effortless, a floating “Add to Itinerary” button was introduced on the location screen. This lets users save spots instantly without navigating away, streamlining their planning process.
Radio Button for Date Selection
To simplify choosing the date for adding a place to the itinerary, proper radio buttons were implemented instead of tick marks. This change makes the selection more intuitive and reduces confusion.
DESIGN DIRECTION
THE FINAL DESIGN AND MAIN FLOWS
Personalized Suggestions
At the start, users see tailored recommendations they can add or skip, keeping full control of their itinerary.
Trip Name & Set Travel Dates
Users start by naming their trip and selecting travel dates, which helps personalize their itinerary and keeps their plans organized.
Plan B: Smart Alternatives
Suggests nearby options based on weather and user interests when original plans fall through.
KEY LEARNINGS
Don’t Jump to Solutions
I didn’t realize how often I wanted to jump straight to the solution before fully understanding the problem. Slowing down and really thinking about the problem made all the difference.
Power of Research
Research brought up things I hadn’t considered at all and ended up steering the project in ways I didn’t expect.
NEXT STEPS
A Real Time Map
A real-time map that highlights events, festivals, and activities happening nearby
