Aventi — Designing a Leisure App Through Collaboration, Research, and Cross-Cultural Teamwork

• Research & Data Analysis Lead 
• Project Manager / Team Lead
• Marketing & Visual Branding Strategist

Team: 5 Designers (UX/UI Bootcamp Capstone Team)
Timeline: 6 weeks
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, ChatGPT, Google Sheets, Miro

As team lead, I bridged research, design, and visual identity to guide Aventi from early concept to working prototype.

Research Analyst

I designed and refined the survey, analyzed 42 participant responses, and uncovered behavioral patterns that shaped our MVP—particularly around cost sensitivity, planning habits, social discovery, and inclusivity needs.

Visual Marketing Lead

I created the brand voice, color palette, and UI direction to ensure that Aventi felt approachable, energizing, and aligned with the emotional experience of leisure discovery.

Project Manager + Mentor

I set workflows, coached teammates on communication and time management, facilitated feedback sessions, and provided hands-on support when skill gaps or blockers emerged.

My biggest takeaway: design leadership is as much about emotional intelligence as it is about process.

Understanding How People Seek Connection

Before designing anything, our team needed to understand how people actually plan leisure.
We weren’t just asking about events—
we were asking about human behavior, motivation, and barriers.

Research Objectives

We set out to uncover:

• How people plan activities both locally and while traveling

• What influences their decision-making (cost, time, interest, proximity)

• What frustrations or accessibility gaps prevent them from engaging in leisure

• What features people wish existed to make planning easier

Methodology

To surface patterns across diverse demographics, we conducted:

• A 42-participant online survey using Google Forms

• Structured and open-ended questions refined through ChatGPT to reduce bias

• Quantitative analysis in Google Sheets to identify behavior trends

• Collaborative synthesis sessions in Miro

My role was to design the survey, refine the questions, and lead data interpretation—transforming raw numbers into insights our team could design around.

What People Told Us (and What They Didn’t Realize They Were Telling Us)

Our findings revealed five behavioral themes that shaped every design decision.

1. People want activities that match who they are—not just what’s available.

Across all age groups, Entertainment + Outdoor were most preferred (42%).
Women showed a strong affinity for Classes & Workshops, valuing learning and community.

This told us personalization was essential—not optional.

Cost and location define the decision-making process.

58% of respondents ranked cost and personal interest as their top drivers.
Women also placed higher emphasis on location and convenience.

This showed us Aventi needed filtering tools that respected real-life constraints.

3. Planning behavior varies widely, and users struggle to coordinate with others.

• 70% book activities within a week

• 88% prefer booking online

• Men favored spontaneous exploration, while women tended to research ahead

This revealed conflicting planning styles—Aventi needed flexibility.

Users rely heavily on social proof.

Younger participants (18–34) discovered activities through:

• Friends

• Social media

• Recommendations

Older adults leaned more on personal referrals.

This insight led directly to the “shared planning” and “community discovery” features.

Inclusivity and accessibility are non-negotiable.

Non-binary participants emphasized accessibility needs.

Women emphasized identity-based discovery and easier friend coordination.

Many users noted time and cost as barriers.

This helped us design with sensitivity—not assumptions.

Turning Human Behavior Into Product Strategy

These insights allowed us to define the core problem:

People want to explore activities that reflect who they are,

but existing platforms don’t support different planning styles, budgets, or social needs.

To solve this, we mapped four MVP objectives:

1. Personalization

Recommend activities based on interests, past behavior, travel style, and preferences.

2. Social Connection

Make it seamless to coordinate with friends, share to groups, and invite others.

3. Flexible Planning

Support both spontaneous discovery and structured planning.

4. Accessibility & Inclusivity

Account for mobility needs, affordability, family considerations, and diverse lifestyles.

Our MVP Focus — Two Features That Bring the Experience to Life

From five initial concept flows, we prioritized two that best addressed user pain points and behavioral patterns:

1. Archetype Quiz Onboarding

A short, engaging quiz that helps users discover their travel or leisure “archetype,” generating tailored recommendations that evolve over time.

This solved the need for:

• Personalization

• Reducing cognitive load

• Helping unsure users start somewhere meaningful

2. Vision Board (Later renamed “Bucket List”)

A collaborative planning space where users can:

• Save events

• Plan trips

• Share with friends

• Create lists for future adventures

Testing revealed users expected visuals, so we redesigned it to feel like a true bucket list, not simply text entries.

To support how users actually discover, plan, and share activities, we designed an Information Architecture that prioritizes personalization, ease of navigation, and social coordination. The primary navigation was intentionally minimal, allowing users to move fluidly between discovery and decision-making:

• Home — Personalized recommendations tailored to interests and availability

• Explore — Search and browse events with flexible filters

• Calendar — Manage schedules, sync availability, and reduce planning friction

• Profile — Control preferences, accessibility needs, and saved content

• Floating Action Button (FAB) — Quick actions for sharing, saving, and adding activities

This structure ensures users can enter the experience from multiple pathways without feeling overwhelmed.

What Worked, What Didn’t, and Why It Mattered

We tested two primary user flows with four participants using voice memos, screen recording, and observational notes.

What Users Loved

• The inviting color palette and UI
• The engaging archetype quiz
• The sense of personality and playfulness

Where Users Struggled

• Vision Board lacked visual clarity

• FAB button was unclear

• Text size needed to be larger

• Some pathways were confusing or incomplete

Leadership Through Empathy, Structure, and Adaptability

This project wasn’t just about designing an app—it was about guiding a team of adults through a complex, multi-stage process.

What I Learned as a Leader

• People learn differently, especially across industry and time zones

• Clear communication prevents 90% of blockers

• Meeting teammates where they are builds trust

• Delegating based on strengths accelerates progress

• Coaching newer designers requires patience, structure, and empathy

What We Would Improve With More Time

• Earlier prototype testing to resolve navigation friction

• More complete pathways to support exploratory user behavior

• Additional testing rounds to refine archetype results

High-fidelity designs included:

• Archetype Quiz Flow

• Bucket List Flow

• Home & Explore Navigation