Travel app . Strategic planning . Product design . Brand tone of voice
Beyond Borders- Redesigned Travel App for Seamless Expansion into UAE & USA
CONTEXT
Blinctrip is a smart travel assistant that helps users plan and manage trips with real-time updates and personalized itineraries, but the app needed a redesign to support its global expansion into the UAE and US by localizing the experience, improving engagement, and increasing conversions.
Understanding
PROBLEM
The app struggled with limited feature depth and no localization, factors that reduced user engagement, weakened user confidence, and made expansion into new markets like the UAE and US challenging.
RESULT
Achieved 55% Task completion rate and an increased Net Promoter Score (NPS) from 32 to 75 that also helped us drive 40% growth in user retention.
MY ROLE
As Product Designer at Blinctrip, I led UX strategy, localization, and MVP validation to deliver a seamless, global-ready travel experience. I defined personas, crafted the visual design, and set the tone of voice. Also drove launch roadmapping, AI personalization, and accessibility-focused UI
Strategy
Before diving into the redesign, we collaborated closely with business stakeholders to define a comprehensive launch strategy. These pillars guided our design, research, and development efforts to align user needs with business objectives. It included the following considerations:
đź’ˇ Designed to aggregate information from different sources and present only the right information at the right time.
Market Entry Strategy
Identifying key user demographics and travel trends in UAE & USA.
Growth & Monetization
Explored partnerships with airlines and hotels, developed referral campaigns, and evaluated revenue streams like premium services and commission-based bookings.
Localization Approach
Adapting UI, content, and payment options for regional preferences.
Compliance & Readiness
Ensured the product met regional legal, privacy, and financial regulations, supporting a secure and scalable rollout.
Uncovering Needs, Behaviors & Gaps
Market Analysis
Started by analysing US and UAE travel trends and competitors to uncover regional needs, guiding personalization and product strategy.
Persona & Affinity Mapping
Through user interviews and market research in the US and UAE, we identified key behaviors and needs. Affinity mapping revealed patterns that shaped clear personas and JTBDs like “plan hassle-free family trips” or “find personalized deals quickly” guiding our feature and UX decisions.
Product Mindmap
We mapped key features, user flows, and pain points to visualize the product ecosystem. This helped us align teams on priorities, dependencies, and user needs across regions.
Defining blinctrip’s brand voice
This mindmap explores how care, reliability, and AI-driven support come together to define Blinctrip’s tone of voice. From visual cues like color warmth and soft UI elements to value alignment, the brand language was crafted to feel supportive, trustworthy, and adaptive to user needs across cultures.
Bold, refined, intuitive – The final visual design
Dev Handoff
To streamline implementation, we built a clear Figma handoff file detailing interactions, screen flows, and use cases. With Dev Mode and well-documented components, developers could inspect and implement seamlessly, ensuring speedy delivery.
Impact & user validation
Our revamped experience wasn’t just a visual upgrade, it delivered measurable impact. Through iterative user testing and feedback loops, we observed a significant boost in engagement, satisfaction, and task completion. Real users resonated with the personalization and AI-driven flow, turning ideas into action faster than ever.
đź’ˇMy learnings
This 6-month project was a perfect blend of research, strategy, and visual storytelling. By deeply understanding our target markets and enhancing the product experience, we successfully positioned the travel app for launch in the UAE and USA. The journey reinforced my belief that great design is rooted in strong strategy, and I look forward to applying these learnings to future projects.
from my time at Blinctrip...
