Try is an app for travellers to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for themselves and others — with less hassle.
Getting started
Try was created to simplify travel planning and make every trip more enjoyable. It brings together all the tools travelers need — from organizing itineraries to discovering destinations — offering a friendly and professional experience that inspires confident adventures.
The Challenge
In 2018, the landscape of travel experiences was still largely unexplored, especially in regions like Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Platforms like Airbnb Experiences had not yet become mainstream, and travelers often had to navigate fragmented and outdated information to plan their adventures.
Try set out to pioneer a new, easier way for people to create unforgettable journeys. The initial focus was on addressing the specific cultural and technological needs of the Middle Eastern market, but as the project evolved, the vision expanded to reach travelers across Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Building Try meant designing an intuitive, mobile-first platform that users could trust — whether they were relaxing at home or exploring a new city. The challenge was to seamlessly combine discovery, organization, and booking into a friendly, inspiring experience without overwhelming the user.
The essential at a glance
In today's fast-paced world, relevant information must be presented at a glance, quick to scan and easy to understand. So when we talk about taking the Try app home screen to the next level, we're talking about two high-level goals:
1.
Allow users to resolve queries instantly.
Discover relevant actions and information to boost self-service by answering questions, managing problems, and reducing customer service requests.
2.
Simplifying travel planning.
Provide a beautiful, simple and practical overview of users' expenses and transactions.
My Role - Designing the Journey
As a passionate traveler myself, I know firsthand the excitement — and the frustration — that comes with planning a trip. That personal experience shaped every decision I made as the UX/UI Designer for Try.
I wasn't just designing screens; I was creating the kind of experience I would want to use — simple, inspiring, and hassle-free.
Main Task:
Researching user behavior and culture
Turning complex travel planning into intuitive flows
Designing wireframes, prototypes, and interfaces
Building a strong visual adventure identity
Testing, learning, and iterating based on user feedback
Design & Research Tool Kit
Project timeline
Customer Insights
By gathering data and talking to many travelers who had lived different experiences, we were able to create four personas that represent the range of traveler behaviors worldwide. Here are the highlights for each persona:
NEW
LIFE
22-35 years old
Travel period: 3+months
GAP
YEAR
18-25 years old
Travel period: 3+months
STUDENT
HOLIDAY
18-24 years old
Travel period: 3-6 months
WORK
HOLIDAY
25-40 years old
Travel period: 1 month
New Life
Name: Lara Martins, 32 years old
Story: After 10 years working in corporate finance in São Paulo, Lara decided it was time for a change. She quit her job, sold most of her belongings, and bought a one-way ticket to the Middle East.
Motivation: She wants to rebuild her life, find new passions, and experience the world beyond the traditional career path.
What she expects from Try: Easy access to authentic activities and destinations that help her feel like a local and start a new chapter in her life.
Start a New Life
Self Knowledge
Meet New People
Explore New Places
Discover New Cultures
Meaningful Travel Experiences
Find Unique Events
Gap Year
Name: Daniel Reyes, 20 years old
Story: Daniel just finished his business degree in Madrid. Before settling into a corporate job, he decided to travel and see the world, spending several months abroad to gain real-life experiences.
Motivation: Explore the world, discover different cultures, and delay responsibilities for a while while still growing personally.
What he expects from Try: A tool that helps him find affordable, unique, and adventurous experiences without wasting time or getting overwhelmed.
Start a New Life
Self Knowledge
Meet New People
Explore New Places
Discover New Cultures
Meaningful Travel Experiences
Find Unique Events
Student Holiday
Name: Sara Ahmed, 21 years old
Story: Sara studies marketing in Cairo and has a 3-month university break. Instead of staying home, she wants to make the most out of her summer by traveling to nearby countries and building experiences for her future.
Motivation: To make her vacations meaningful by learning new skills, meeting people, and enriching her resume.
What she expects from Try: Quick access to activities and destinations that combine fun with learning, easily fitting into a student budget.
Start a New Life
Self Knowledge
Meet New People
Explore New Places
Discover New Cultures
Meaningful Travel Experiences
Find Unique Events
Work Holiday
Name: Omar Khalid, 29 years old
Story: Omar is a software engineer based in Dubai. Every year he takes 3 weeks off work, and he is passionate about using that time to travel somewhere new, escape routine, and challenge himself.
Motivation: To relax, meet new people, and immerse himself in a different culture — without needing months of preparation.
What he expects from Try: An app that makes trip planning simple, curates authentic local experiences, and maximizes his short vacation time.
Start a New Life
Self Knowledge
Meet New People
Explore New Places
Discover New Cultures
Meaningful Travel Experiences
Find Unique Events
Laying the Foundation: Building TRY's Identity
Before diving into the design of the TRY application, it was essential to establish a strong and relevant brand identity. Creating the right tone and visual direction from the beginning allowed us to ensure that the application would resonate with the adventurous, bold spirit we wanted to inspire in young travelers.
Creating a Bold, Friendly, and Adventurous Brand
For the creation of the logo, we started with the name chosen by the company: TRY. After researching the market and understanding the challenges we were facing, I defined that the visual identity needed to convey an adventurous, friendly, and fun spirit, while maintaining a professional and motivating feel.
I chose a bold typography that would be impactful yet non-intimidating, reflecting the energy of an accessible and exciting challenge for young people seeking new experiences.
Wireframes
We created the IA and dozens of wireframes to make sure the flow and functionality are perfect for the users before we go to the design phase.
The Solution - First Touch
Onboarding: Introducing users to what TRY is all about.
TRY invests heavily in connecting with new users, so it was crucial to create a strong first impression from their very first interaction. Beyond that, it was important to deliver a personal onboarding experience that would foster a connection with the brand and lead users to discover tailored, meaningful content throughout their journey within the app.
Search experiences
Users can search for experiences based on their interests, cities, recommendations, or a specific location if necessary.
Trip details
Users can view the photos, general information and explore all places of the experience by map view or itinerary. Users can also save the experience to their favourites list.
Trip map
Users can explore all places of the experiences and keep track of your route and places with the interface map
Place details
Users can view photos, general information or listen the voice guide to know more about the place.
Design System
Based on the established wireframes, we have started creating a UI Design System that used across the mobile app and website
Your curiosity, spirit of adventure, and love for unique experiences inspire everything we do. Together, we’re creating a world where discovering new passions and exploring the unknown is easier, more meaningful, and more accessible than ever.
Let’s keep exploring — the best is yet to come.
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