ROADWAY - AI Powered Travel Planning App
ROADWAY
Year
2025
From "I want to travel" to a clear, personalized itinerary - without the blank-page frustration.
Roadway combines curated trip ideas with AI-driven editing so travelers can shape routes, activities, pace, and budget in a simple, guided way. End-to-end UX/UI project designed solo in 4 weeks.
Scope of Work
Problem & Solution
The gap I found: AI chat planners expect users to already know what to ask. Traditional apps offer structure but zero inspiration. Users end up stuck before they even start planning.
The core insight: People don't want to open a blank chat. They want to see a real trip idea first - then make it their own.
The solution: A hybrid model where curated itineraries are the entry point and AI acts as a co-pilot for personalization. Browse first. Edit fast. No endless back-and-forth.
Research & Insight
Rather than just listing feature requests, I focused on how users describe their frustrations in reviews of AI travel tools and traditional apps like TripIt and Google Trips.
Three clear patterns emerged:
People don't know what to ask AI. Prompts return vague results. Users lose confidence quickly and abandon the tool.
Chat-based planning is exhausting. Users repeat themselves across messages, then copy everything into a separate doc just to have a readable plan.
Concrete examples unlock imagination. Seeing a real route or themed itinerary helps users picture themselves traveling - inspiration has to come before personalization, not after.
Personas & Design Implications
Alex, 25 - Solo traveler. Travels often but short trips. Hates starting from scratch. Needs curated ideas he can customize fast.
Vanessa & Marco, 32–35 - Couple. Plan longer vacations together but waste time negotiating and reorganizing. Need a structured plan that's easy to align on and adjust without starting over.
Results
Eliminated blank-page anxiety through curated entry points
Reduced planning time by making editing faster than generating
Built trust in AI by keeping users in control of an existing plan
Created a single space where inspiration, structure, and personalization coexist
The final experience feels guided, flexible, and tailored - without ever feeling overwhelming.
Reflection
What worked: curated starting points lowered friction, editing over generating improved trust, clear structure made planning feel actionable.
What I'd push further: collaborative planning for couples, granular AI controls through sliders instead of prompts, offline access and export.
Key learning: AI delivers the most value when it supports human decision-making instead of replacing it. Good UX around AI is about structure, clarity, and control — not conversation.
