Slow Traveling With Confidence and Comfort
Pure views, no freight.
Comfort and ease, always.
Explore freely, cross easily
Project Background
As children grow up and leave home, many parents—now empty nesters—find themselves at a turning point. After years of fast-paced schedules and family obligations, they’re ready to rediscover themselves and explore life on their own terms. This phase opens the door to new interests, slower rhythms, and more intentional experiences.
Wander Rail was created with this moment in mind. It imagines a scenic train travel experience that blends the romance of rail with the simple beauty of moving at a slower pace. It offers travelers a way to see the diverse landscapes of the U.S. and Canada, from sweeping valleys to winding rivers, without the pressure or pace of traditional tourism. Wander Rail invites people to unwind, reconnect with nature, and savor the journey as much as the destination.
The problem: While slow, scenic travel is growing in interest, many potential riders, especially those new to train tourism, struggle to find clear, inspiring, and accessible information about what the experience is actually like. They want a site that shows the different destinations, and gives a sense of how it feels to be on board.
The objective: Design a website that makes it easy for users to search for scenic train routes, book a trip, and check in, all within a calm and intuitive experience. The site should feel visually immersive and reflect Wander Rail’s values of curiosity and connection, while removing friction from the core travel-planning journey.
The solution: Wander Rail offers scenic routes through quieter, less-traveled regions of the U.S. and Canada, without the unpredictability of freight traffic. The website is designed to show these routes in a way that feels inspiring and inviting, helping users imagine themselves on the journey. Planning and booking are made simple, clear, and stress-free, so users can move from curiosity to committed travel with confidence. Checking in is straightforward and can be done before leaving home. All they need to do is show up and enjoy the ride.
Project Details: Inspired By The Journey Itself
Role: I was the end-to-end UX/UI designer for Wander Rail.
Tools used: Figma, Canva, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop
Approaches taken: I took a blended approach to this project. I began with a structured process to understand the market, the audience, and the goals of the experience. This helped me build a clear foundation before moving into visual direction and feature planning.
Once I moved into wireframes and prototyping, the process became more iterative. I tested early layouts, made adjustments based on clarity and flow, and continued refining the design to create an experience that felt calm, intuitive, and easy to navigate.
People love the sense of calm and connection that comes with train travel. What holds them back is the lack of clear, inspiring, and easy-to-follow planning resources. They want a planning experience that is straightforward with minimal stress.
I led each interview and asked participants to share what draws them to train travel, as well as the challenges or frustrations they’ve experienced along the way.
Can you tell me about one of your most memorable train trips, or a trip you’ve always wanted to take by train?
What made you choose train travel over flying or driving?
How do you usually plan your travel?
How important are trip updates like delays, weather alerts, or schedule changes?
Was anything confusing or difficult about booking or finding trip details?
All interviews were remote via Google Meet.
User Interviews
Research: Insights From Scenic Rail Riders
Personas:
Synthesis
Problem Statement:
Empty nest travelers are eager to explore the U.S. and Canada by train as a meaningful, slower alternative to air travel, however they struggle with poor online booking experiences, inconsistent onboard quality, and a lack of reliable information. Without a trusted, user-friendly platform to help them plan, book, and enjoy multi-stop rail travel, they face stress, discomfort, and missed opportunities dampening what should be a joyful, discovery-filled journey.
POV: Independent train travelers need a way to book reliable, accurate tickets for multi-stop train trips easily and confidently because current systems are confusing and inconsistent, and mistakes can lead to lost money, missed connections, or poor travel experiences.
HMW: How might we create an easy to navigate booking system for travelers to purchase tickets for their upcoming adventure?
Prioritization: Aligning Features To Real Traveler Needs
About
Case Studies
Contact
Wireframes: Mapping the Journey
Lo Fidelity Wireframes
I prioritized the desktop experience for planning and booking since users preferred a larger screen for those tasks. The mobile version came next, as most users primarily used their phones to check in.
Hi Fidelity Wireframes
Seeing the high-fidelity wireframes come together was rewarding. The design reflects my goal of creating a visually rich experience that inspires users as they plan a trip they’ll remember long after they return home.
The imagery and color choices were selected to evoke calm and curiosity, helping users feel immersed in the journey from the moment they land on the page.
Visual Branding: Inspired By Landscape and Memory
Wander Rail’s visual branding was inspired by the greens and natural textures found in the landscape, along with the deep wood tones often seen in historic train interiors. The warm colors reference a quieter, more nostalgic era of rail travel. The logo reflects that same sense of familiarity and simplicity, inviting travelers to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Testing and Iterations: Refining the Experience
Usability test results
Prototype: Will add when I transfer this to my website
Final results
I’ve always loved to travel. A few years ago, a train ride from Detroit to Chicago shifted something for me. I found myself drawn to the experience of moving slowly, watching the landscape change, and having the time to just look, think, and breathe. That ride led me into researching scenic train journeys across the U.S., Canada and Europe, and I became fascinated by the idea of travel that prioritizes presence rather than speed.
Wander Rail grew from that curiosity. I imagined a scenic rail company for people who want to explore the quieter and lesser-seen parts of the U.S. and Canada. This project let me bring together a personal passion and a practical design challenge: how to make slow travel feel inviting, attainable, and simple to plan.
I tested the Wander Rail v.1 prototype with six users. Overall, they said the site felt easy to navigate. The biggest issue was that the departure time and journey class were visually too close, making them seem like one choice. Users felt like they were being asked to choose the departure time again. I adjusted the spacing and separated these into two clear steps, which made the flow smoother.
I also switched the order of the buttons. A couple of users expected to see “Book now” first instead of “Where do you want to wander?” Reordering them made the page feel more intuitive. After these changes, users moved through the booking flow with more ease.
Revisions
Before
After
Before
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