UI for AI
Building a Zero to One Local-First Discovery & Booking Ecosystem for a Startup
My Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
Holly Zhu
Yukti Poddar
Jason Park
Valerie Cana
Celine Tseng
Dave Song
Cole Biehle
Timeframe
2025 - 2026 (Ongoing)
Tools
Figma
Medium
OVERVIEW
Trippy is an AI-powered travel platform designed to bridge the gap between "tourist-trap" planning and authentic local discovery. As the lead UX designer, I led the product from a blank canvas to a high-fidelity beta, transforming a fragmented planning process into a consolidated experience for Hong Kong locals and travelers.
PROBLEM
Fragmented, Tourist-Centric Planning
Travel planning today is a "Frankenstein" workflow. Users juggle Instagram for inspiration, Google Maps for navigation, and spreadsheets for scheduling.
For Hong Kong locals, this is particularly frustrating because existing platforms fail to surface:
AUTHENTICITY
Recommendations are often generic and tourist-heavy.
FLEXIBILITY
Rigid 5-day itineraries don't match the need for short, spontaneous weekend outings.
CONTEXT
Tools lack "vibe-based" discovery (e.g., "Where is a good date spot near me right now?").
Key Insights: Planning Needs to Be Fast, Flexible, and Uninterrupted
1
Planning Isn’t One-Speed-Fits-All
Users wanted two speeds of planning: deep planning and instant decisions
A single, filter-heavy flow failed to support both mental modes
Momentum Dies Outside the App
Context switching (leaving the app to Reddit or Google) broke momentum
Re-explaining their trip context each time felt repetitive and exhausting
2
3
Too Many Choices Slowed Spontaneity
Over-filtering created friction during spontaneous planning moments
Users often didn’t know exactly what they wanted upfront
SOLUTION
The All-In-One Travel Companion
Trippy streamlines the entire travel lifecycle by consolidating discovery, community, and booking into one seamless journey. By treating every part of your trip like a modular "Playlist," we replace fragmented app-hopping with a single, intuitive platform.
REDUCE FRICTION
We make finding hidden gems as easy as adding a song to a playlist.
END APP HOPPING
Consolidate discovery, community, and booking into one ecosystem.
SUPPORT LOCAL CONTEXT
Prioritize "vibes" (Dating, After Work) over traditional landmarks.
Instant TrippySpot
Instantly discover the best local spots tailored to your mood. Customize your quick-access themes and dive into community-vetted recommendations with a single tap.
AI Generated TripList
The "Playlist" for Places: Transform your preferences into a complete, actionable journey. Let the AI handle the logistics and build modular itineraries while you maintain full creative control.
Community Hub
Connect with travelers to share insights and coordinate adventures. This space allows you to tap into local knowledge or find companions for your next excursion.
CORE COMPONENTS
Design System
The design system for Trippy is a comprehensive toolkit that ensures consistency and efficiency across all user interfaces. It includes a set of reusable components, style guidelines, and design patterns that maintain a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
REFLECTION
End to end design
Building Trippy taught me that great travel experiences aren't about adding more features—they’re about removing the noise. As the sole lead designer, I had to take the high-anxiety chaos of planning and distill it into a modular "playlist" that feels as intuitive as listening to music.
This role wasn't just about the pixels; it was a constant masterclass in collaboration. I worked closely with our CEO and CFO to align the vision with business goals, coordinated daily with the tech team to ensure my designs were feasible, and managed expectations across all our stakeholders to keep the project moving forward.
This project pushed me to balance AI automation with human agency, ensuring the technology handles the heavy lifting while the user stays the author of their own adventure. I’m walking away with a new standard for simplicity: if a tool doesn't turn a complex task into a single, effortless tap, it’s not finished yet.
Triple Korea is our gold standard for high-integration planning. Built-in route navigation eliminates the need to exit the app for Google Maps. Triple keeps users in-app by managing reservations natively.
