Arctic Travels

Project Details

UX UI Designer

3 weeks

Figma, Figjam, Canva

Problem

Arctic Travels, a luxury ski and snowboard travel agency, needed a digital experience that reflected its premium brand.

Solution

The final design delivers landing and supporting pages that blend luxury branding with clear flows and a trustworthy, user-friendly experience.

Prototype shows navigation from homepage to destination and booking page.

Prototype shows navigation of homepage, destination and booking pages.

Process

The goal was to create a digital experience that balances adventure, trust, and luxury. Using the Double Diamond process, the project was guided from research to final design with the user at the center.

Diagram of the UX double diamond process, showing two diamonds that represent divergent and convergent stages: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.
Diagram with four boxes showing the UX double diamond phases: Discover (mood boards, competitor research), Define (user personas, information architecture, user flows, SWOT), Develop (wireframes, design system), and Deliver (UI design).
Arctic Travels mood board showing brand inspiration with images of snowy landscapes, text snippets, the Arctic Travels logo, and a blue-and-white color scheme.

Competitor Analysis

To understand the ski and broader travel markets, I created a colour-coded affinity diagram comparing direct competitors (WeSki, Crystal Ski) and indirect competitors (Booking.com, Expedia), with additional context from Skiworld and Trivago.

This revealed that direct competitors excel in destination experiences, while indirect competitors provide stronger booking flows and overall UX, offering key insights for designing a seamless user journey.

Competitor analysis table comparing key travel platforms, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.

Competitor research table - direct/ indirect competitors

User Research

To inform key page designs, I created a 10-question survey exploring users’ expectations and priorities for a luxury travel website.

Single-choice questions captured demographics and habits, while multiple-choice questions identified important features and content.

Screenshot of a Google Form user research survey and its results shown as a bar graph and pie chart, illustrating participants’ travel preferences.
Screen displaying three pink chat bubbles with information about different communities: Course Careers UX/UI course cohort with over 900 members aged 20+, Black Girls in Tech UX bootcamp cohort with 34 women in their 20s-30s, Family and friends small group of 30+.
Text-based slide about travel habits, values, and booking confidence. Contains three sections: Demographic & Travel Habits, Values & Expectations, Booking Confidence, with bullet points under each.
“Users prioritise relaxation and family time over sports and skiing, which challenged my initial assumptions about winter holiday motivations.”

User Personas & SWOT

I conducted a SWOT analysis using insights from the affinity map and user personas to refine Arctic Travels’ strategy.
Key takeaways highlighted the need for flexible packages and trust-building through third-party testimonials to enhance credibility and user confidence..

Profiles of three women with detailed personal and professional information, including their interests, goals, expectations, and frustrations.

User personas

A colorful word cloud featuring terms related to family, work, experiences, and Arctic activities, with words like 'service', 'family', 'time', 'work', 'activities', 'skiing', 'snowboarding', 'adventure', and 'destinations'.

Word cloud

A SWOT analysis table for Arctic travel, divided into four quadrants. The top left lists strengths such as audience, flexibility, price, support, and branding. The top right details weaknesses including brand trust, operational costs, customer retention, performance, and market appeal. The bottom left outlines opportunities like adventure demand, tailored packages, customer incentives, on-trip support, and social proof. The bottom right identifies threats such as Arctic perception, price sensitivity, competition, travel disruptions, and repeat business.

SWOT analysis

Information Architecture

I designed an information architecture with five core pages, using clear labels and curated options to simplify navigation.

The homepage flows from hero and booking bar to curated offerings and testimonials, while package choices were streamlined to All-Inclusive and DIY Explorer to align with user needs and encourage bookings.

Flowchart diagram with sections for Arctic Travels homepage, destinations, activities, accommodation, packages, top banner, and key. Highlights links for various destinations like Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and more. Activities include skiing, snowboarding, and scenic tours. Accommodation options include hostel, lodge, cabin, hotel. Packages feature explorer options, choose destination, transport, accommodation, and activity. Top banner has contact contact travel agent, virtual chat, book video consultation. Color-coded legend explains pages, subpages, booking options, and additional CTA.

User Flow

The user flow maps key steps a user takes to book a trip, designed to be smooth, efficient, and user-friendly. Some areas (like the blog) may be skipped, while others (like testimonials) are optional.

Inspired by competitors like We-Ski, I included a top banner highlighting agent support, which is also available during checkout (e.g., on the confirmation page users can contact an agent to modify their booking). This reinforces Arctic Travels’ commitment to personalised support.

A detailed flowchart with colored labels and boxes outlining the process of booking a travel package on a website, including steps like selecting destination, transport, accommodation, activity, and completing payment and confirmation.

Sarah’s User Journey

This user flow follows Sarah Andrews booking a trip for herself and her daughter. She discovers Arctic Travels via a friend, chats with a virtual agent, selects the All-Inclusive Explorer package, signs in with Google, and updates her activities.

Pricing is clearly shown, payment is completed, and she accesses her trip details and tracking via the My Trips hub, highlighting a seamless, transparent booking experience.

Close-up portrait of an older woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a friendly expression, wearing a beige sweater.

Wireframes

I sketched homepage and destination layouts to explore feature placement and flow, using these insights and user research to inform the high-fidelity wireframes.

Handwritten notes on three pages of lined paper with sketches, arrows, and diagrams related to travel, geography, and planning.

Lofi wireframe sketches of homepage and destination page

A collection of grayscale wireframe mockups for a travel booking website, displaying pages for destinations, packages, booking details, and reviews.

Wireframes

Design System

An informational travel booking and website design layout with sections for text, headings, rating, filters, icons, maps, and a reservation form. Features include ski trip images, contact details, and payment options.

UI Screens

Two smartphones displaying travel booking apps with pictures of scenic locations and resort accommodations.
Screenshots of a travel website featuring Arctic travel packages, hotel bookings, and booking confirmation pages, all with blue and white color themes.

Homepage

A minimalist layout highlights key sections, with subtle ski-slope dividers drawing attention to important information.

Destination

The check-in bar sits at the top for easy access, while immersive image cards showcase the destination and refined package cards allow simple room comparison.

Booking

A structured form with a trip summary, back links, and edit options ensures clarity and flexibility while maintaining transparent pricing.

Payment

Final pricing and terms are shown alongside secure payment options.

Confirmation

A simple, reassuring page with a success tick and accessible trip summary link reinforces trust and clarity post-purchase.

Reflection

I learnt how vital user research is for shaping designs that meet real needs. Testing with real people helped me challenge assumptions and adapt to their feedback. Creating five pages for desktop and mobile was initially challenging, but refining each decision against user experience, industry standards, and brand goals helped me grow as a designer.

Next steps include conducting usability testing with real users to validate the design and make improvements based on their feedback as well as improving accessibility and responsiveness across devices.

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