Packed
AI Packing App
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Overview
​This project stems from my passion for travel and a common issue I’ve observed: overpacking. Many travelers end up paying extra for luggage or find they don’t use everything they packed, leading to wasted space and fewer memories from their trip. After a backpacking trip to Thailand, my perspective on travel changed—I realized we don’t need to bring so much to have an amazing adventure. My mission is to create an app that uses AI to help users organize and plan their outfits and packing lists based on their destination, trip length, travel purpose, and weather, ultimately helping them avoid overpacking.
Goal
​​My goal for this project was to create an easy-to-use packing tool for frequent travelers to help them avoid overpacking. I aimed to alleviate the stress of deciding what to wear and to minimize "what if" scenarios. The primary objective is to ensure that users utilize at least 85% to 90% of the items they bring on their trips, while also improving packing time by at least 40%.
Tools
Figma, Miro, Milanote, Canva, and Procreate
Competitive Analysis
​​The first step in creating Packed was to examine what similar competitors were offering. I aimed to identify features that I could add that they weren’t using. I reviewed six different packing list apps and conducted a SWOT analysis on them all.
Strengths
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Packmate: Has a good UI ​
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Packmate: Uses AI (paid plan) to create packing list
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Packmate: Categorized well and simple and easy to use
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PackTeo: Allows for customization
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PackTeo: Allows users to categorize which items are in which luggage, which enhances organization
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​Pack point: Customization of activities
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Pack Point: Weather integration
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Pack Point: easy to use/ fast set up
Opportunities
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I can add a feature where users can see their clothes in the app, and AI puts the outfits together, helping them avoid overpacking
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​Categorize items inside folders, making it easy for the user to access different lists
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Allow users to manage others' lists; for example, for a child
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​Shows outfits coordinating with each activity
Weaknesses
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Packmate: Not a huge difference from its competitors because it's used only for the packing list specifically
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PackTeo: Everything is manual
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PackTeo: UI is cut and paste (cookie cutter)
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PackTeo: It takes too long to set up the list
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​Pack Point: Doesnt show activities for each day ​
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Pack Point: Doesn't put categories in a "folder" and requires users to have to scroll down extensively to check off an item
Threats
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High Competition – Many other packing and travel organization apps exist
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User Retention Challenges – People may uninstall after one-time use
User Interviews & Analysis
​​To address common issues faced by travelers, I conducted user interviews to better understand their mentality while packing, habits, pain points, and desired features.
Take Aways
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Most travelers go on trips between 5 to 20 times a year, engaging in a mix of business and personal travel.
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Interviewees have different methods for organizing their packing lists and luggage. For example, some visualize what they need by starting from head to toe. This includes packing hair products, makeup, and glasses at the top, then moving down to socks and shoes.
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Others prefer to create lists on their phones, jotting down whatever comes to mind. Some base their lists on the weather and planned activities, often bringing three extra days' worth of clothing in case something unexpected happens during the trip. Additionally, some travelers begin their packing with bottoms—like pants or shorts—and mix and match these with various tops.
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On average, interviewees use about 70% to 75% of what they pack. Half of them exceed a weight of 50 lbs, while the other half do not. The main reason for overpacking is the feeling of being unprepared and the concern that they won’t have enough outfit changes.
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Some challenges they face include overpacking, ensuring everything fits, and knowing which items to bring.
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**Desired Features:**
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A checklist for each category.
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Notifications about the weather to help select outfits accordingly using AI.
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Integration of specific items like sunscreen tailored to each activity.
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An option to specify the type of packing planned, such as light or maximalist.
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Day-by-day coordination of outfits with details of planned activities.
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The ability to review the packing list when returning home to avoid forgetting items.
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The option to include multiple outfits for each day.
Personas
I created three personas to represent users' needs based on the interview responses. Chelsea, a mother of three, requires a better method for organizing the packing process for her family. Michael, a traveling software developer, wants to combine business trips with mini getaways and needs to be prepared for both scenarios. Lastly, Julia, a business owner who travels internationally and domestically, aims to pack efficiently while wanting to see her outfits for each day in advance to help her reduce the time spent getting ready during her trips.
Meet Chelsea
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Meet Michael
Meet Julia
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User Journeys
​Here are the user journeys for each persona. They outline how each persona will initially interact with the app, detailing their actions, goals and experiences, thoughts and feelings, pain points, and opportunities. This information will help me adapt to their needs as they progress from awareness to loyalty.
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Sitemap
​After completing the user journey, I moved on to the sitemap. Creating the sitemap allows me to gain a complete understanding of the app's layout. It also helps me identify the number of screens I need and any elements that may be missing.
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Design Process
Below, I showcased several main screens that illustrate the design process from low-fidelity, mid-fidelity, to high-fidelity.
Low-Fidelity
Mid-Fidelity
High-Fidelity
Testing & Results
For testing I had participants complete 2 scenarios and 2 tasks to complete which are listed below. Afterward, I organized the information on a rainbow spreadsheet and gave each issue a rating on what needed to be fixed.
Scenario 1: You are a new user planning a trip and must decide on the outfits you will take. Please follow the steps to create a new trip and review your outfit plan and the packing list.​
Scenario 2: You bought new clothes and want to upload the latest items to the app. Please demonstrate how to complete this scenario.
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Task 1: Edit the tags of an item
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Task 2: Delete an activity while creating your schedule
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