Case Study: Travel Next Level

An exploration of how design innovation, technical creativity, and user-focused functionality came together to create a unique platform that embodies the spirit of travel and discovery.

By Artemii Lebedev in Articles on December 26, 2024

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Creating Travel Next Level was an exciting challenge that combined design innovation, technical development, and a unique concept tailored for travel enthusiasts.

In this case study, we’ll walk you through the process behind the project — from conceptualizing the core ideas to the intricate details of design and development. We’ll also highlight how the platform’s visual identity and interactive features were carefully curated to reflect the dynamic nature of travel and connection.

The Core Concept

At the heart of Travel Next Level lies the idea of stepping into another world — a journey that begins the moment you walk through an open door. This door symbolizes the gateway to the unknown, offering the thrill of discovery and the promise of something entirely new. It’s the same feeling we experience when arriving in a new country: immersing ourselves in its mindset, traditions, and culture. It’s about diving into a world that is both unfamiliar and exhilarating.

From a conceptual perspective, this approach is intentionally simple and universally relatable. The metaphor of the open door is designed to resonate with everyone, reflecting the essence of travel — exploration, connection, and discovery. The idea doesn’t rely on complexity but instead focuses on creating an emotional connection, ensuring it’s accessible and meaningful to all.

How a Microsite can be an Exciting Playground for Experiments

At its core, Travel Next Level is an affiliate microsite created with CHECK24, designed with scalability in mind to attract future collaborators. Microsites are often seen as simplistic, short-lived, and incapable of fully conveying the essence of a project or a brand.

However, it’s important to remember one fundamental truth: the smaller and more concise the project, the greater the challenge and the opportunity for experimentation. Constraints and boundaries compel us to think more creatively and to push the limits of what’s possible within a tight framework.

With Travel Next Level, this philosophy is embraced wholeheartedly. It transforms the perceived limitations of a microsite into an invitation to innovate, craft, and explore fresh, bold ideas. We see what others might view as constraints as fertile ground for creativity.

Design

The design is executed in a minimalist style, where all the focus is concentrated on destinations and hotels. When a website or platform features many vivid images, there’s little point in shifting the focus elsewhere or reinventing the wheel.

Carefully curated visuals did all the work for us. All we needed was an engaging introduction and immersion, which, in my opinion, was quite successful.

Next, we create a content direction based on familiar patterns, supplementing them with the necessary hook. Be it a blog or continents, it doesn’t matter.

I already had experience implementing audio playback for articles, so we decided to replicate this functionality. On a platform where articles are frequently updated, having such a feature is undoubtedly an advantage rather than the opposite.

In general, providing users with a choice is something that should be prioritized more often. People have different preferences — some enjoy reading, while others prefer listening. This flexibility is exactly what we aim to offer our users.

Mobile Version

The mobile interactivity mirrors the desktop version — we didn’t alter the direction or cut anything down. The render quality and speed remain just as high.

Large typography, ample whitespace, and high-quality images form the foundation of a clean and visually appealing design. Each section focuses on a single action, ensuring clarity and a streamlined user experience. Key functionalities, such as switching languages and logging into accounts, are thoughtfully placed within the mobile menu for easy access.

This approach not only enhances usability but also maintains the minimalist aesthetic, directing the user’s attention to the most important elements without unnecessary distractions. By combining simplicity with functionality, we create a seamless experience across all devices.

Back-End and Connections

This was my first experience creating a “saved destinations” feature from scratch, designed to display content dynamically based on conditions within a user’s account. Thanks to Memberstack, we achieved this with minimal effort. The components work seamlessly through data attributes and account login/logout conditions. This approach allows us to display different content depending on whether the user is a partner or simply a guest. Profile settings and user data updates are also managed via Memberstack. It’s a straightforward and convenient system to work with.

As for multilingual functionality, it doesn’t interfere with the platform’s features. We simply translate all the content while keeping the attributes the same.

Simplicity Meets Functionality

The Travel Next Level project showcases how a clear focus on visuals and functionality can create a practical and engaging platform. By emphasizing high-quality images, intuitive design, and user-friendly features, we delivered a solution that’s easy to use and enjoyable to explore.

The minimalist approach, combined with flexible tools like Memberstack, helped us create a platform that’s not only visually appealing but also ready to grow and adapt over time.