JourneyJar
Social Media for Travelers
JourneyJar
Social Media for Travelers
Role: Sole UX/UI Designer | Team: 4 Developers | Tools: Figma, Procreate | Timeline: Semester (12 weeks)
Role: Sole UX/UI Designer | Team: 4 Developers | Tools: Figma, Procreate | Timeline: Semester (12 weeks)
A full-stack social media platform designed to connect friends through shared travel experiences.
A full-stack social media platform designed to connect friends through shared travel experiences.
Check out Style Guide
JourneyJar is a social media web app that allows users to plot, log, and share their travels through an interactive globe. The goal was to create a platform for young travelers to connect, share itineraries, and build global friendships. My role was to design the end-to-end UX/UI and establish a cohesive brand identity.
JourneyJar is a social media web app that allows users to plot, log, and share their travels through an interactive globe. The goal was to create a platform for young travelers to connect, share itineraries, and build global friendships. My role was to design the end-to-end UX/UI and establish a cohesive brand identity.
The Process
The Process
I established the brand identity through a warm, natural color palette inspired by travel and landscapes. The design system balanced modern simplicity with a sense of adventure — reflected in the soft typography, organic tones, and consistent logo rules. This foundation guided the rest of the app’s visual language.
I established the brand identity through a warm, natural color palette inspired by travel and landscapes. The design system balanced modern simplicity with a sense of adventure — reflected in the soft typography, organic tones, and consistent logo rules. This foundation guided the rest of the app’s visual language.
Concept
Concept
I started by exploring concepts that captured travel, exploration, and connection. Early logo drafts combined global and compass motifs, evolving into a simplified, circular design that symbolized direction and community. The goal was a logo that could stand alone and scale well across digital use cases.
I started by exploring concepts that captured travel, exploration, and connection. Early logo drafts combined global and compass motifs, evolving into a simplified, circular design that symbolized direction and community. The goal was a logo that could stand alone and scale well across digital use cases.
Prototype
Prototype
Using Figma, I designed and prototyped the full user flow — from landing screens to profile and itinerary pages. The prototype served as a visual blueprint for the development team, providing detailed layouts, spacing, and interaction references to bring the experience to life.
Using Figma, I designed and prototyped the full user flow — from landing screens to profile and itinerary pages. The prototype served as a visual blueprint for the development team, providing detailed layouts, spacing, and interaction references to bring the experience to life.
Collaboration
Collaboration
This was a collaborative, semester-long project with a team of developers in our WebDev club. While I focused on the end-to-end UX/UI design, the development team handled the coding and implementation. Close communication ensured design decisions were practical and achievable within our technical scope.
This was a collaborative, semester-long project with a team of developers in our WebDev club. While I focused on the end-to-end UX/UI design, the development team handled the coding and implementation. Close communication ensured design decisions were practical and achievable within our technical scope.
Reflection
Reflection
Working as the sole designer on a developer-focused team was both challenging and eye-opening. Since the rest of the team met in person while I worked virtually, all communication happened through Discord, which often made feedback vague and hard to interpret. Comments like “make it more Instagram-like” didn’t provide much direction, so I learned to ask targeted questions and guide discussions toward specific, actionable feedback. This experience taught me that strong communication and clear design intent are just as important as visual design itself.
The project also strengthened my understanding of end-to-end UX/UI design. I learned how to turn abstract ideas into clear, consistent design systems that developers could easily implement. Creating a detailed style guide was key to maintaining cohesion across the interface. I also learned to advocate for thoughtful design choices—like keeping the logo simple and scalable instead of cluttered—while balancing creativity with practicality.
Designing the JourneyJar brand from scratch reinforced how visual identity shapes user experience. The final logo merges a stylized “J” and a jar containing a compass, symbolizing both the name and the spirit of travel. If I continued this project, I’d focus on improving communication workflows, setting clearer design timelines, and gaining more insight into development to align design and implementation. I’d also refine responsiveness, enhance accessibility, and expand features to make sharing journeys even more engaging.
Working as the sole designer on a developer-focused team was both challenging and eye-opening. Since the rest of the team met in person while I worked virtually, all communication happened through Discord, which often made feedback vague and hard to interpret. Comments like “make it more Instagram-like” didn’t provide much direction, so I learned to ask targeted questions and guide discussions toward specific, actionable feedback. This experience taught me that strong communication and clear design intent are just as important as visual design itself.
The project also strengthened my understanding of end-to-end UX/UI design. I learned how to turn abstract ideas into clear, consistent design systems that developers could easily implement. Creating a detailed style guide was key to maintaining cohesion across the interface. I also learned to advocate for thoughtful design choices—like keeping the logo simple and scalable instead of cluttered—while balancing creativity with practicality.
Designing the JourneyJar brand from scratch reinforced how visual identity shapes user experience. The final logo merges a stylized “J” and a jar containing a compass, symbolizing both the name and the spirit of travel. If I continued this project, I’d focus on improving communication workflows, setting clearer design timelines, and gaining more insight into development to align design and implementation. I’d also refine responsiveness, enhance accessibility, and expand features to make sharing journeys even more engaging.
