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WanderWise Travel App

UX Research & Information Architecture Conceptual Case Study

A UX research case study focused on improving onboarding and navigation for a travel planning app. Through surveys, affinity mapping, and card sorting, user pain points were identified and translated into a redesigned information architecture aligned with real user mental models.

Project Overview

Role: UX Researcher
Methods: Surveys, Affinity Mapping, Card Sorting, Sitemap Redesign, Empathy Maps
Tools: Google Forms, FigJam, Figma, Zapier,  Synthetic Users, Stark
Timeline: 2 weeks
Platform: Mobile App (iOS)

Problem Statement

Early users showed strong interest in WanderWise but frequently abandoned the app during onboarding and trip creation. Initial usability issues suggested unclear navigation, poor feature hierarchy, and a lack of guidance for first-time users.

The goal of this project was to identify key user pain points and redesign the app’s structure to better align with user expectations and mental models.

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Research Goals

  • Identify why users drop off during onboarding and planning

  • Understand how users expect travel planning features to be organized

  • Improve navigation clarity and feature discoverability

  • Create a scalable, research-backed information architecture

User Persona Insights

Opportunities for Design

  • Simplify onboarding with clear entry points

  • Make key tools like Budget Planner and Saved Trips easy to find

  • Offer personalized recommendations based on profile and past behavior

  • Allow non-linear navigation between inspiration, planning, and trip tools

Research Methods

Survey Research

A user survey was designed and distributed to gather quantitative and qualitative insights into user frustrations, motivations, and expectations.

Survey Research Link >
 

Key Findings:

  • Users were unsure how to start planning a trip

  • Navigation labels were confusing or misleading

  • Important tools (budgeting, weather, planning aids) were difficult to locate

  • Users wanted clearer personalization and recommendations

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Affinity Mapping

Survey responses were synthesized into an affinity map to identify recurring themes and prioritize usability issues.

  • Primary Themes Identified:

  • Unclear onboarding flow

  • Confusing navigation structure

  • Lack of personalization and guidance

  • These insights informed the focus areas for restructuring the app.

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Card Sorting

Card sorting exercises were conducted to understand how users naturally group and label features within a travel planning app.

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Key Insights:

  • Users preferred task-based groupings over abstract labels

  • Planning tools were expected to live separately from inspiration content

  • Feature names needed to be more explicit and action-oriented

Insight Summary

User drop-off during onboarding and trip creation is primarily driven by unclear entry points, difficult-to-find core features, and a lack of personalized continuity across sessions. Addressing these issues requires prioritizing features that immediately reduce confusion and build trust, while sequencing more complex functionality into later phases to balance user impact with development effort.

Information Architecture Redesign

Using insights from affinity mapping and card sorting, a revised sitemap was created to improve usability and reduce cognitive load.

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Key Changes:

  • Renamed Explore Ideas to Trip Ideas for clarity

  • Created a dedicated Trip Tools section for utilities such as budgeting and weather

  • Moved the Budget Planner out of trip creation and into utilities

  • Simplified top-level navigation to prioritize core user tasks

  • The revised structure aligned the app’s navigation with user mental models and improved feature discoverability.
     

Insight Summary:
User drop-off was driven by a mismatch between how the app was structured and how travelers naturally plan trips. The original sitemap assumed a linear planning journey, while research showed users move fluidly between inspiration, planning, tools, and saved content. The revised sitemap introduces clearer mental models, improves feature discoverability, and supports non-linear behavior—reducing cognitive load, increasing confidence, and enabling personalization at the right moments.

Outcome & Impact

  • Clearer navigation and task flow

  • Improved onboarding clarity for first-time users

  • Research-driven decisions supported by user data

  • Scalable IA foundation for future usability testing and iteration

Reflection

​This project demonstrates a full UX research workflow, from data collection to synthesis and implementation. It highlights my ability to translate research insights into actionable design decisions that improve usability, clarity, and overall user experience.

Artifacts

  • UX Research Plan

  • Survey Questions and Results

  • Affinity Mapping

  • Card Sorting Analysis

  • Revised Sitemap

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