AI agent-assisted travel planning website

AI Agent WorkflowHuman-in-the-loop DesignVersioned Prototyping

This case study documents the workflow behind a privacy-safe Texas travel planner: how raw social-media notes became a mobile itinerary, reservation tracker, expense splitter, and public demo.

25+

iterations from notes to working tool

2

outputs: private operating tool and public portfolio demo

0

private confirmation numbers or home addresses in the public version

Agent Workflow

1. Parse messy inputs

I provided social media posts, preferences, fixed flights, hotel constraints, meeting blocks, and budget concerns. The agent structured them into cities, stops, food ideas, and decision points.

2. Turn preferences into product rules

The itinerary was shaped around summer heat, EV charging, conference timing, reduced activity density, and a College Station home base.

3. Verify unstable facts

The agent checked official sources for ticketing, free-vs-paid admission, opening hours, and reservation rules before adding them to the tool.

4. Iterate through UI feedback

Each version responded to concrete issues: wrong images, unclear city labels, long pages, missing drive times, and the need for mobile expense tracking.

Version Timeline

  1. V1-V4: Knowledge extraction

    Created a complete list of locations and repeated highlights from collected posts.

  2. V5-V10: Route planning

    Added city-level route logic, direct Google Maps links, and realistic travel pacing.

  3. V11-V18: Data cleanup

    Corrected photos, addresses, attraction names, costs, and source-backed details.

  4. V19-V20: Mobile architecture

    Split one long document into daily pages for easier phone use.

  5. V21-V24: Decision tools

    Added range alternatives, safari comparisons, reservation lead times, and a shared expense tracker.

  6. V25-V38: Deployment strategy

    Separated private and public versions, then created a single-file private version for easier mobile use.

What This Demonstrates

Prompt refinement

I used repeated, specific feedback to steer the agent from a rough summary toward a usable product.

Human judgment

I made the tradeoffs: what to remove, what to keep, what was too expensive, and what mattered on a hot travel day.

Verification

The agent was useful not just for generation, but for checking official sources and revising assumptions.

Privacy-aware publishing

The public demo keeps the product story while removing operational personal data.

Next Step

The button below opens the public, sanitized travel guide demo. It shows the kind of interface built by the workflow without exposing private trip details.

Public case study page. The private operational planner is intentionally not linked here.

Texas Travel Planner Demo V38

A privacy-safe single-page travel planner with sticky top navigation. Personal addresses, booking codes, and private trip records are removed.

GatewayHouston round trip

Flight details are represented only as a travel structure in this public demo.

BaseCollege Station area

Used as the road-trip base for several day trips.

Houston nightHotel logistics

Includes a final Houston-area hotel night before the return flight.

CarRental car logistics

Pickup after arrival and return before the evening flight are tracked as travel blocks.

ToolingMaps + Reservations + Expense

Single-page navigation, booking checklist, and shared-cost tracking.

Public Demo Scope

This page mirrors the actual single-page planner structure: top navigation, daily jump links, reservation checklist, and expense tracker. It intentionally excludes private identifiers and exact lodging details.

0729 Wed

Flight Day

Arrival and road-trip setup.

  1. Afternoon
    Remote work block

    Keep the work block before airport transfer.

  2. Evening
    Flight to Houston

    Use airline search links in the private version for terminal and gate checks.

  3. Night
    Rental car pickup + base arrival

    Pickup is tracked as a separate logistics block, then drive to the base area after arrival.

0730 Thu

Austin / Pflugerville

A flexible summer day with Option A and Option B.

  1. Option A
    State park + Austin

    Early departure, short hike or scenic stop, then Austin food and water activity.

  2. Option B
    Slow start + water park

    Supply run, hotel-based remote-work block, nap, then Typhoon Texas Austin.

0731 Fri

College Station Base Day

Keep this day light and local.

  1. Morning
    Campus-area walk

    Short local exploration near the base area.

  2. Afternoon
    Rest / Buc-ee’s / dinner

    Low-density day before longer drives.

0801 Sat

Dallas / Fort Worth Stockyards

Sleep in, drive later, target the 4 PM cattle drive and evening rodeo.

  1. Morning
    Slow start

    No early sightseeing; charge the car and leave around midday.

  2. 16:00
    Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive

    Free longhorn cattle drive. Arrive early for a viewing spot.

  3. 19:30
    Rodeo

    Book tickets ahead; center rear seats were marked as the preferred choice.

0802 Sun

Lockhart → San Antonio

Range option and River Walk evening.

  1. Morning
    Range option

    Private planner includes the exact range and an indoor backup. Call ahead for eligibility and document requirements.

  2. Afternoon
    Optional Alamo Church

    Free church ticket only; skip paid tours if no free slot is available.

  3. Evening
    River Walk

    Dinner, walking, optional cruise, then avoid a very late return.

0803 Mon

Houston City + Hotel Night

City-focused day after checking out from the base area.

  1. Late morning
    Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Houston
    Water Wall / Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
    Houston photo stop example

    Address: 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056

    Short photo stop, not a long outdoor block. This demo keeps one representative image to show how attraction photos appear in the private planner.

  2. Lunch
    Houston food stop

    Chinese food options are tracked in the private version.

  3. Optional
    Temple stop

    Keep only if hours and route work well.

  4. After 4 PM
    Check into Houston-area hotel

    Final hotel night is tracked here so the next morning can start from Houston.

0804 Tue

Houston NASA → Airport

Space Center day, rental return, evening flight.

  1. Morning
    Hotel checkout

    Checkout and load luggage before driving to Space Center Houston.

  2. Daytime
    Space Center Houston

    Buy tickets ahead and check tram/tour rules before going.

  3. Evening
    Rental return + airport buffer

    Return the car with enough buffer for shuttle, bag handling, and security.

Reserve

Reservations / Tickets / Call-Ahead Items

Public checklist with lead-time logic.

ItemLead timeAction
State park day pass1-2 weeksBook ahead in summer.
Water park season pass rulesAfter purchase, then 2-3 days beforeCheck access rules and daily hours.
Rodeo tickets2-4 weeksBuy early; choose center rear seats.
Range visit1-2 weeksCall ahead for eligibility and documents.
Alamo Church3-7 daysReserve free church ticket only; skip paid tour.
Houston hotel night3-7 daysConfirm check-in, parking, deposit, and checkout time.
Rental car logistics1 week, then day-ofConfirm pickup/return process, shuttle, deposit, and documents.
NASA tickets1-2 weeksBuy tickets and check tours.
Expense

Expense Tracker Demo

Flexible date entry, shared-cost calculation, local browser storage.

Add Expense

Total

$0.00

Split by two

$0.00 / person

Paid by me

$0.00

Paid by partner

$0.00

Entries

DateNoteCategoryDescriptionPaid byAmountAction

Public single-page demo. The private version uses the same structure with real trip logistics.