inspiration
I went to Paris in May. I didn't visit many sites since I only had three and a half days. But I truly felt Paris. I spent at least 4 hours just sitting in a chair with a cigarette and coffee on the table—watching people. That was the moment I felt Paris. How people walk, how people talk, and how they interact. You notice the nuances if you pay enough attention. It's a feeling that you can't describe—only feel.
Then I started to think… how can we capture this in a digital travel product?
Most travel platforms today—whether it's Airbnb, Booking.com, or boutique hotel apps—are designed around utility. They streamline the experience by helping users search, filter, book, and review as efficiently as possible.
For many trips, this approach works perfectly well. Sightseeing tours and top-10 lists continue to dominate travel planning. However, not everyone travels to see landmarks. For some, the most meaningful part of a journey isn't checking off tourist attractions—it's sitting on a park bench, people-watching, and absorbing the atmosphere of a neighborhood. It's that quiet, authentic feeling of being somewhere else.
[Moodborad]
One place can hold many different experiences. Paris, for example, can be intense and electric, or slow and introspective. But for someone who’s never been, discovering those nuances often requires hours of research and luck — a luxury most modern travelers don’t have.
So how do we design for that? How do we bridge the gap between logistics and emotion, between where we go and how we want to feel?
[Pictures]
Concept
Now imagine this: before your trip even begins, you're offered a curated list of stays that match your emotional intent. A peaceful escape, a creative recharge, a sense of human connection. Think of it as the Airbnb version of Apple Music’s mood playlists or Instagram’s Explore feed, but instead of pairing you with content, it pairs you with places, hosts, and experiences that resonate with the way you want to feel.
[Moodborad]
In the end
Coming from a UX background, especially Enterprise UX, I understand this concept hasn't undergone usability testing. This is, of course, just a concept. However, I believe creativity springs from life, which will never be purely data-driven.
As travel becomes more personal, intentional, and experience-led, platforms have both an opportunity and responsibility to evolve beyond utility.
Adding feelings and emotions into products invites us to reimagine the digital journey as part of the emotional one. It asks us not just where users want to go, but who they want to be while they're there. It reframes travel discovery as a sensorial and emotional experience, not just a checklist of filters.
For platforms like Airbnb, this could mean creating a new layer of interaction that strengthens brand loyalty and builds long-term user trust. When empathy is thoughtfully designed, it becomes a powerful way to help people find not just a place to stay, but a place to feel. All of this will expand the creative and economic ecosystem around the platform.