AWay Application
AWay is a mobile application designed to support collaborative trip planning. It helps users coordinate itineraries, discover places of interest, and stay organised while planning remotely. I contributed across the project lifecycle, from user research and initial prototyping to high-fidelity wireframes, and was responsible for the branding and logo design.
Client
Masters Project
TUD, Dublin
Date
2023
Skills
Branding/ UI Design/ UX Research/ Prototyping
a way for groups to...
Brief:
Design a user-friendly mobile app that helps groups collaboratively plan trips. The app needed to simplify the planning process, support shared itineraries and address common pain points such as coordination challenges and information overload.
Testing & Prototyping:
Research began with user interviews and general conversations about travel, helping us identify common frustrations in the group planning experience. In the early stages, we created rough paper prototypes to explore layout ideas and gather initial feedback. I later led a pre-recorded user task session using a high-fidelity interactive paper prototype I designed, shown below.
As the project progressed, we used Figma to develop both low and high-fidelity prototypes for user testing via the Figma mobile app. Each session provided valuable feedback, informing improved user flows and greater interface clarity.
A detailed final prototype and custom design system defining fonts, colors, iconography, and buttons were created in Figma before development. This helped identify design challenges early and ensured a smoother build with consistent user experience.
Research & Insights:
04/06
User Conversations
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"I get easily overwhelmed when planning a trip. There's so much information online"
11/08
28/09
Usability Testing (Qualitative)
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“I rely heavily on maps when travelling. I find it particularly useful to see the distance between places on a map and the opening hours when creating an itinerary.”
Usability Testing (Qualitative)
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“The instructions are too long. I don’t usually read instructions unless I can’t figure out what to do next”
19/10
03/11
Questionnaire (Quantitative)
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53.8% of users rated the app as very satisfying when asked to complete a task and fill out a questionnaire, while 30.8% rated it as useful. This indicates a high overall satisfaction level among the 26 respondents.
Group Beta Test, Barcelona
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"I loved that relevant articles were associated with a city and that it includes the places mentioned in the article. The main thing that actually stopped us using the app the whole weekend was that we had recommendations from friends that weren’t included in the Explore section”
Visual Design & Branding:
The AWay branding embodies the optimistic, collaborative nature of group travel. The logo features a simple lowercase 'a' with a looped top, symbolising connection, and an arrow at the end to convey direction. The cursive script evokes the feel of handwritten notes, reminiscent of traditional trip planning.
Green was selected as the primary colour for its association with adventure and outdoor landscapes. The contrast of a vibrant green reflects the joy of travelling with friends and the modern aesthetic of the application.
Outcome:
The AWay app successfully addressed key pain points in collaborative trip planning by providing a streamlined, easy-to-use platform. Iterative testing and design resulted in an intuitive experience, with over 50% of testers rating the app as very satisfying.
This project strengthened my skills in user research, digital design, and branding, showcasing my ability to create cohesive visual identities and effective design solutions applicable across both digital and graphic design disciplines.