Reisen: Research-led UX for modern traveller

Creating a travel itinerary and expense planner that simplifies trip planning, budgeting, and group coordination

Scope

Research • UX/UI • Brand

Overview

As UX designer and sole researcher on Reisen, I led the end-to-end design of a travel itinerary and expense planning app — from user research through to brand identity and interactive prototype. Developed as my MA Innovation Design dissertation, the project was grounded in extensive research to ensure every design decision reflected real traveller behaviour and needs.

Scope of Project

Conducted mixed-methods UX research including an online questionnaire with 402 responses and one-on-one interviews to identify core pain points
Developed a full brand identity and UI guidelines covering typography, colour, components, interactions, and system states
Designed end-to-end UX across three core features — Itinerary Hub, Expense Planning, and Community — from wireframes through to a tested prototype

The Challenge

To design a single, cohesive app that solves the three most common travel planning frustrations: fragmented itinerary management, difficulty budgeting across a group, and the lack of collaborative planning tools, without adding complexity in the process.

Outcome

Reisen received strong academic validation as an MA dissertation project and was recognised as having high potential as a real business model. User testing with travel enthusiasts and a professional planner led to meaningful improvements in navigation and collaborative features, with the final prototype demonstrating a clear, intuitive experience across all three core use cases.