Arooha-Travel Package Gamification
Arooha-Travel Package Gamification
Personalised trip building that delivered 4× more qualified leads.
Scope:
Scope:
Product Feature
Product Feature
/
Client:
Client:
Arooha
Arooha
/
Duration:
2 months
Year
2024
Duration:
2 months
Year
2024
/ TL;DR
/ TL;DR
If you’re short on time
If you’re short on time
I designed a gamified travel-package customisation feature that lets users curate their own trip while visualising cost, time, and experience in real time.
I designed a gamified travel-package customisation feature that lets users curate their own trip while visualising cost, time, and experience in real time.
The feature became a key differentiator for Arooha, driving 4× more weekly leads and 1.5× higher conversion.
The feature became a key differentiator for Arooha, driving 4× more weekly leads and 1.5× higher conversion.
/ Context
/ Context
Arooha offers curated travel and visa services across multiple countries.
Arooha offers curated travel and visa services across multiple countries.
Traditionally, users selected packages based on fixed itineraries and number of days.
Traditionally, users selected packages based on fixed itineraries and number of days.
While this worked for older travellers, younger travellers wanted something different:
Flexibility
Cultural depth
Hidden experiences
A sense of ownership over their trip
While this worked for older travellers, younger travellers wanted something different:
Flexibility
Cultural depth
Hidden experiences
A sense of ownership over their trip
They didn’t want to consume a package — they wanted to curate an experience.
They didn’t want to consume a package — they wanted to curate an experience.
/ My Role
/ My Role
My responsibilities as a product designer on this project
My responsibilities as a product designer on this project
UX & UI
Gamification logic
Interaction design
Feature flow definition
UX & UI
Gamification logic
Interaction design
Feature flow definition
/ Shout Out To The Whole Team
/ Shout Out To The Whole Team
Madan
Madan
Product Designer
Product Designer
Khazal
Khazal
Product Manager
Product Manager
Prantik
Prantik
Team Lead
Team Lead
Jintu
Jintu
Developer
Developer
/ The Problem
/ The Problem
What we set out to solve
What we set out to solve
Fixed itineraries created friction for modern travellers:
Fixed itineraries created friction for modern travellers:
Packages felt rigid
Expectations varied widely across users
Comparing value was difficult
Too many activities caused decision fatigue
Users struggled to balance budget, duration, and experience
Packages felt rigid
Expectations varied widely across users
Comparing value was difficult
Too many activities caused decision fatigue
Users struggled to balance budget, duration, and experience
The challenge was clear: How do we give users freedom without overwhelming them?
The challenge was clear: How do we give users freedom without overwhelming them?
/ Goals
/ Goals
Objectives we are trying to achieve
Objectives we are trying to achieve
Business goal:
Increase conversions by allowing users to customise trips while previewing cost and experience in real time.
Business goal:
Increase conversions by allowing users to customise trips while previewing cost and experience in real time.
User goal:
Help travellers feel like they are personally curating a meaningful, premium travel experience
User goal:
Help travellers feel like they are personally curating a meaningful, premium travel experience
/ Key Constraints
/ Key Constraints
Real-world limitations that shaped the solution, from logistics to user fatigue.
Real-world limitations that shaped the solution, from logistics to user fatigue.
Customisation could not be supported for all countries (research, partnerships, permissions).
Certain activities conflicted in time or location.
Too many activities caused fatigue.
Activities varied greatly in cost and duration.
The experience had to feel premium, not transactional.
20-40 activities / events had to feel manageable.
Customisation could not be supported for all countries (research, partnerships, permissions).
Certain activities conflicted in time or location.
Too many activities caused fatigue.
Activities varied greatly in cost and duration.
The experience had to feel premium, not transactional.
20-40 activities / events had to feel manageable.
/ UX Research Insights
/ UX Research Insights
From internal discussions and behavioural observation
From internal discussions and behavioural observation
Users unknowingly overshoot budgets.
Travellers underestimate how long experiences actually take.
Too many choices reduce confidence.
People want full freedom — but with guidance.
Progress feedback increases engagement and confidence.
Users unknowingly overshoot budgets.
Travellers underestimate how long experiences actually take.
Too many choices reduce confidence.
People want full freedom — but with guidance.
Progress feedback increases engagement and confidence.
/ Design Implementation - The Core Idea
/ Design Implementation - The Core Idea
Gamified trip building
Gamified trip building
Instead of asking users to pick a package, we let them build one.
Instead of asking users to pick a package, we let them build one.
On a country detail page (e.g., Egypt), users can:
Click “Customize Package”
Browse activities grouped by city
Select experiences they care about
See real-time feedback on their trip quality
On a country detail page (e.g., Egypt), users can:
Click “Customize Package”
Browse activities grouped by city
Select experiences they care about
See real-time feedback on their trip quality
The experience shifts from planning anxiety to guided exploration.
The experience shifts from planning anxiety to guided exploration.
/ Design Implementation - Travel Score
/ Design Implementation - Travel Score
Travel Score & how the Gamification works
Travel Score & how the Gamification works
As users add activities, a Travel Score increases automatically.
As users add activities, a Travel Score increases automatically.
The score is computed based on:
Backend-rated quality of each activity
Cost of the experience
Overall balance of the itinerary
The score is computed based on:
Backend-rated quality of each activity
Cost of the experience
Overall balance of the itinerary
Higher value experiences contribute more strongly to the score.
Higher value experiences contribute more strongly to the score.
Users don’t see the math - they see the result.
Users don’t see the math - they see the result.
/ Design Implementation - Progress Bar
/ Design Implementation - Progress Bar
Visual feedback that nudges users forward without pressure
Visual feedback that nudges users forward without pressure
A single progress bar communicates experience quality:
Let’s start
We can do better
We’re getting somewhere
This looks great
You’ll have a blast
Unforgettable experience
A single progress bar communicates experience quality:
Let’s start
We can do better
We’re getting somewhere
This looks great
You’ll have a blast
Unforgettable experience
As users progress:
Confidence increases
Engagement improves
Motivation to explore grows
As users progress:
Confidence increases
Engagement improves
Motivation to explore grows
At higher stages, a mystery experience unlocks - reinforcing delight without forcing spending.
At higher stages, a mystery experience unlocks - reinforcing delight without forcing spending.
/ Design Implementation - Customisation Widget
/ Design Implementation - Customisation Widget
The Customisation Widget
The Customisation Widget
A persistent control centre that keeps users oriented while they explore
A persistent control centre that keeps users oriented while they explore
A sticky widget anchors the entire experience and contains:
Travel Score & progress bar
Selected activities list
Number of travellers
Total cost
“Enquire” CTA
A sticky widget anchors the entire experience and contains:
Travel Score & progress bar
Selected activities list
Number of travellers
Total cost
“Enquire” CTA
This keeps users oriented while exploring, without losing context.
This keeps users oriented while exploring, without losing context.
/ Design Implementation - Design Decisions
/ Design Implementation - Design Decisions
Key Design Decisions
Key Design Decisions
Grouped activities by city to reduce cognitive load.
Surfaced cost and time upfront, because that’s what users compare first.
Single unified progress bar, not multiple metrics.
Gamification without pressure — encouragement, not manipulation.
Fallback CTA (“Get in touch for best package”) for users who felt overwhelmed.
Grouped activities by city to reduce cognitive load.
Surfaced cost and time upfront, because that’s what users compare first.
Single unified progress bar, not multiple metrics.
Gamification without pressure — encouragement, not manipulation.
Fallback CTA (“Get in touch for best package”) for users who felt overwhelmed.
This ensured freedom without abandonment.
This ensured freedom without abandonment.
/ Outcomes & Impacts
/ Outcomes & Impacts
Results that mattered
Results that mattered
Outcome & Impact:
Became a key differentiator against competitors.
Meta ads highlighting package customisation performed strongly.
4× increase in weekly leads.
1.5× increase in conversion rate.
Strong internal validation across business and sales teams.
Outcome & Impact:
Became a key differentiator against competitors.
Meta ads highlighting package customisation performed strongly.
4× increase in weekly leads.
1.5× increase in conversion rate.
Strong internal validation across business and sales teams.
Most importantly, users felt: “This feels like my trip.”
Most importantly, users felt: “This feels like my trip.”
/ What I Learned
/ What I Learned
Lessons that shaped my approach
Lessons that shaped my approach
Freedom needs structure to feel empowering.
Gamification works best when it’s subtle.
Progress feedback builds confidence, not just engagement.
Complexity should be absorbed by the system — not exposed to the user.
Turning static content into interactive systems changes behaviour.
Freedom needs structure to feel empowering.
Gamification works best when it’s subtle.
Progress feedback builds confidence, not just engagement.
Complexity should be absorbed by the system — not exposed to the user.
Turning static content into interactive systems changes behaviour.
Why this matters
Why this matters
This feature wasn’t about visuals.
This feature wasn’t about visuals.
It was about designing a decision-making system that balances:
User intent
Business goals
Psychological safety
And real-world constraints
It was about designing a decision-making system that balances:
User intent
Business goals
Psychological safety
And real-world constraints
Madan Murali
Madan Murali
I’m always open to conversations, whether it’s about design challenges, collaborations, or just sharing ideas.
I’m always open to conversations, whether it’s about design challenges, collaborations, or just sharing ideas.