Trecco

Building a Community-Driven Travel Experience

Trecco is an innovative mobile app designed to transport travel enthusiasts into a virtual world of exploration and community-building. The app offers a social media-like platform, multimedia capabilities, and comprehensive travel-related information, creating an inclusive space where users can connect, share, and inspire each other.

Platforms

  • iOS

  • Android

  • Web

My Role

  • Product Design

  • UX Architecture

  • Data Flow

  • Client Communication

Business Problem

Planning trips can be overwhelming, with travelers relying on scattered sources like blogs, social media, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Trecco aimed to simplify travel planning by creating a community-driven platform where users could share, discover, and organize travel experiences seamlessly. The challenge was to design an engaging, intuitive, and scalable platform that encouraged contribution and exploration.

Research Methods

To ensure Trecco aligned with traveler needs, we conducted:

  • User Surveys – Collected insights from 200+ travelers to understand how they plan trips and what pain points they face.

  • Competitor Analysis – Studied platforms like TripAdvisor, Google Travel, and Instagram to identify gaps in the market.

  • Usability Testing – Iterated on prototypes with early adopters to refine interactions and improve discoverability.

  • Behavioral Analysis – Reviewed engagement trends from travel forums and communities to understand sharing habits.

Failed Iterations & Key Learnings

  1. Social Feed vs. Curated Lists – Initially, we designed a real-time social feed, but testing revealed that travelers preferred structured, curated lists over an endless stream of posts.

  2. Complex Filtering System – Early designs included extensive filters, but users found them overwhelming. We simplified this by introducing smart tagging and AI-powered recommendations.

  3. Trip Planner Feature – The first version required manual itinerary creation, which was time-consuming. We pivoted to a collaborative trip planner that allowed users to save and organize places effortlessly.

Metrics & Outcomes

📈 60% increase in user engagement within the first three months.
💬 High community participation, with users contributing 35% more content than projected.
🔄 40% faster trip planning compared to traditional research methods.
👥 Strong user retention, with 70% of early users returning to the platform for trip planning.

Key Takeaways

  • Deep User Research uncovered travelers' frustrations and shaped a more engaging solution.

  • Iterative Testing & Feedback Loops helped refine the platform based on real user behavior.

  • Focusing on Simplicity over complexity ensured a seamless and enjoyable user experience.

Trecco successfully provided travelers with a community-driven, intuitive way to plan and share their journeys.

Awards & Recognition

The public release of Trecco was met with great acclaim, earning numerous accolades:

  • Platinum Hermes Award in the Mobile App Category (2022)

  • Davey Awards (2021):

    • Mobile Features, Best Visual Design, Aesthetic: Best in Show

    • Mobile Features, Best User Interface: Gold

    • Mobile Apps/Sites, Travel: Silver

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