Local Lens
find your next hidden gem.
Team
Kristen Huang
Tools
Figma
Role
UI/UX Designer
Duration
October - November 2024
💡 EMPATHIZE + DEFINE
The story
I love to travel —
but planning for it sucks.
Exploring a new place should be exciting, but building the perfect itinerary often feels overwhelming. While many travelers want to support local businesses and experience the culture beneath the surface, they’re usually funneled toward the same generic tourist spots.
That’s why I want to create a platform where locals can share genuine reviews and personal recommendations about their favorite places, giving travelers a trusted way to discover hidden gems and unique, authentic experiences. It’s a space where locals can celebrate their hometown pride, and tourists can truly connect with the roots of the places they visit.
The interviews and audience
To better understand travel habits and planning pain points, I interviewed and surveyed 15 people from both large and small cities. Here are some key insights I gathered from their experiences…
Interviewee #1
“I wish I did more research prior to my trip. When I arrive at a new place, I am always confused on what to do.”
Interviewee #2
“I always forget about planning restaurant meals such as making reservations around the area.”
Interviewee #3
“I get frustrated when planning out my itinerary because I never know where or how to start.”
Interviewee #4
“I wish there was a way to create a list of places to eat or things to do that is organized by neighborhood or area.”
Interviewee #5
“It’s hard trying to figure out an itinerary since there is a lot to do in a day. It gets stressful.”
Interviewee #6
“I love visiting all the famous tourist attractions but sometimes I want to support local businesses.”
I created some personas to help understand my users' needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals.
Primary and secondary personas
Final problem statement
Tourists want to explore a new city confidently so they can enjoy their stay in a new place and ease their planning stage of the trip.
💡 IDEATE
What actually is Local Lens?
Have you ever visited a big city, but all you go to are the mainstream tourist attractions?
Local Lens is a platform designed to strengthen the relationship between locals and tourists. As someone from New York City, I’ve seen firsthand how this relationship can be complicated. Many locals feel frustrated when tourism disrupts their daily routines. But as someone who also loves to travel, I’m always searching for local recommendations, hidden gems, and authentic experiences in every new place I visit.
Local Lens aims to bridge that gap by creating a space where locals can proudly share their city, and travelers can explore it with respect and curiosity.
User Journey Map
Wait, but why would locals want to share their favorite places?
Everyone has their opinions about tourists and some people want to “gatekeep” their favorite places. So why would locals feel motivated to post their hidden gems? This was one of the challenges I had but after researching and interviews locals from big cities, here is what some said...
Interviewee #1
Interviewee #2
“I can explain why I gravitate towards my favorite locations and what makes them special to me.”
Interviewee #3
“I hope to inspire the tourists by sharing my recommendations and they would tell me their favorite places in return.”
Interviewee #4
“I think a local’s favorite spots represent the culture of a city or home and what it truly has to offer and what makes it special.”
Interviewee #5
“It’s endearing that tourists want to see the city I live in as a place they would travel to. It makes me feel more appreciative and love my city more.”
Interviewee #6
“My hometown has a lot of hidden gems and beautiful sights that people might not be able to find if they were visiting for the first time.”
I created a sitemap and sketched some initial screens to envision the product.
Lo-fi wireframes
Low fidelity wireframes
User testing feedback
Some users didn’t realize they could choose the categories prior to searching up locations
“I thought I could click on the review to view the activity profile instead of clicking the button.”
“How will the followers and following aspects work?”
Someone explained how posting a review had a confusing layout
💡 PROTOTYPE
Style Guide
I wanted to create a bright but organized style for Local Lens to make users feel excited to travel to a new place and reduce the stressful feeling that comes with planning itineraries.
Typography:
Azo Sans is a geometric sans-serif typeface that is loosely based on elementary forms of geometry. It is also more suitable for humans to read in longer texts.
Colors:
I decided to use sky blue as the primary color symbolizing calmness, hope, and freedom.
Iconography:
I chose to use Lucide for fresh's icons for a clean and friendly look that is created with their rounded edges and simplistic design.
Buttons:
To make the buttons clickable and easy to read, I followed these guidelines:
I made sure the text on the call to action buttons were straightforward and easy to read.
I ensured the text and background followed color contrast accessibility guidelines with added dropdown effects.
I gave them a size and padding that is easy for users to click.
I made buttons with a larger corner radius to create a more "friendly" feeling.
Local Lens style guide
Finally, Local Lens came to life!
Interactive map displayed with recommendations and reviews
Users are able to filter by location, category, and activities to narrow their search process. They can also explore locations by navigating through the interactive map.
Detailed and thorough activity pages
Extensive activity pages with information about the location with local reviews. Users can decide to save their favorite activities as a way to keep track of their interests.
Easy to post a review
Users can post a quick review on their favorite place by including a rating, description, and images.
Ranking system
A review rank status is displayed on profiles where users can rank up deciding on the number of reviews they write. This makes the platform more enjoyable and motivates locals to share their favorite places.
Want to browse more of Local Lens?
View the Figma file and feel free to look around! 📍
💡 REFLECTION
Lessons and key takeaways
Make sure the product is feasible
At first, I questioned how practical the idea of Local Lens really was. Why would locals want to share their favorite “secret” spots with tourists? This doubt was one of my biggest concerns. But after conducting research and speaking with locals from major cities, I was surprised by how enthusiastic many of them were. They weren’t just willing to share recommendations, they were excited to highlight what makes their hometowns special. This experience taught me the value of truly understanding your target audience. Sometimes, research doesn't just validate an idea, it shifts your perspective entirely and makes your product more meaningful.
Next steps for Local Lens
🌟 Design a mobile app version of the website so that Local Lens can be more convenient for those on the go
🌟 Incorporate a more interactive and social community where users can follow, chat, and share tips when visiting their hometown
