Waymo Journey+

Reimagining long-distance autonomous travel beyond transportation

Timeline

Feb – May 2026

Role

UI/UX Design
User Research

Tools

Figma

Team

Individual Project

Waymo Journey+ high-fidelity app mockups

an AI journey companion that redefines long-distance autonomous travel — plans, accompanies, and remembers every journey

As autonomous driving matures, Waymo has the opportunity to expand beyond short urban rides into long-distance regional travel. While today's robotaxis focus on safely transporting passengers from point A to point B, longer journeys introduce new needs around planning, discovery, productivity, and comfort.

Waymo Agent reimagines these extended rides as meaningful travel experiences by understanding each traveler's intent, curating personalized itineraries, adapting throughout the journey, and preserving memories after arrival.

project
overview

Background

Autonomous vehicles are changing how we travel — but not why we travel.

Since 2024, the U.S. robotaxi market has rapidly shifted from pilot programs to commercial deployment. With its established consumer platform, operational data, and industry-leading scale, Waymo is uniquely positioned to pioneer the next generation of autonomous travel experiences.

$2 T+

addressable robotaxi market by 2030

750 M

estimated annual robotaxi rides by 2030

Map showing Waymo service areas across the United States

Market Opportunity

"Waymo's July 2024 rider survey found that 89% of surveyed riders are very interested in using Waymo to get to / from SFO"

Personal vehicles dominate regional travel

97%

of 50–990 mile business trips use personal vehicles

94%

of 100–249 mile business trips use personal vehicles

High-value travelers can be early adopters

More than 1/4 of long-distance business travelers earn $100,000+ annually

High value-of-time users prioritize productivity, comfort & convenience

Research

Competitive Landscape

Position Map

User Need Satisfaction

Interview

Users want personalization & discovery, not just speed

Privacy & control of the environment are essential

Memories & highlights matter — people want to memorize each trip

User Journey Map

Illustration of the Parks family traveling in a Waymo vehicle across California

Problem Framing

Insight

Privacy is emotional safety

Riders want the cabin to feel like their own space. Control over who shares it — visually and aurally — directly impacts comfort and willingness to ride.

Trust starts before the ride

Anxiety peaks before booking and when first interacting with the vehicle. Transparency about vehicle behavior, pickup accuracy, and safety builds confidence early.

Social pressure changes behavior

Passengers unconsciously adapt to their group — quiet when others are quiet, entertain kids to keep harmony, and avoid actions that create friction.

Ride is not just transportation but experience

On longer journeys, riders want meaning and moments to rest. The experience should adapt across time, energy, and purpose of trip.

HMW Statement

How might Waymo redesign autonomous travel to restore psychological safety, cognitive relief, social comfort, emotional energy, and contextual awareness across the entire journey lifecycle?

Opportunity

Reduce ambiguity

Clarify what to expect — before, during, and after the ride. Reduce user pathways during exploring, planning and final decision making process. Transform trip beyond just ride to full travel and exploration.

Personalize the journey

Enable riders to shape the ride without cognitive load. Create one of a kind experience based on individual interest. Make users feel guided yet still in control of everything throughout the trip.

Support the full travel arc

Extend support before, throughout, and post ride. Offer relevant context: routing, stops, scenery, recommendations. Make the journey feel meaningful, memorable, and effortless.

Ideation

Journey Preview

Preview the full ride with key stops, route context, and travel conditions so riders feel informed before the trip begins.

Flexible Stops

Let riders add, remove, or reorder stops in real time with dynamic rerouting and updated arrival estimates.

Scenic Mode

Surface scenic routes and relevant points of interest to make the journey more engaging and destination-aware.

Memory Collection

Capture meaningful moments throughout the ride and turn them into a shareable, revisit-able travel keepsake.

Waymo Agent

Waymo Agent is an intelligent system that understands you, plans every detail, accompanies you in real time, adapts to you, and remembers every moment.

More Discovery

Find places you truly love

Better Use of Time

Make every minute valuable

Personalized for You

Tailored for your needs

Memories that last

Relive every adventure

01 UNDERSTAND

Understand your intent, mood, destination, and context through natural conversation.

Voice conversation
Mood detection
Context awareness

02 COMPANION

Accompanies you during the ride with real-time suggestions, updates, and insights.

Live recommendations
ETA & traffic updates
Interesting facts
Nearby highlights

03 ADAPT

Adapts to your mood, preferences, and journey context to create the perfect environment.

Learn from your life
Mood-based ambiance
Soundscape & music

04 REMEMBER

Captures & organizes your memory so you can relive and share your journeys anytime.

Auto memory capture
Immersive memory space
Personal travel journey

Design Development

Userflow & Low-fi

Storyboard

Sarah plans the family trip on her phone at home

Planning: Sarah sets trip preferences and books Waymo Journey+ for the family vacation.

The Parks family arrives at LAX with luggage

Arrival: The family lands at LAX and heads to pickup with luggage in tow.

Route options for scenic and long-distance trips

In-transit: Journey preview compares scenic, long-distance, and short stop options.

Waymo Agent recommends Sunny Side Up Cafe

Pit-stop: Waymo Agent suggests Sunny Side Up Cafe as a kid-friendly lunch break.

Family relaxes together inside the Waymo cabin

Destination: James and Sarah unwind while the kids stay entertained in the cabin.

Family reviews trip memories after the ride

Reflection: After the trip, the family revisits highlights and memories from the journey.

Final Design

Home Screen

The home screen has high similarity to Waymo’s original home screen design with two additional elements — a notification banner that allows users to quickly access their last trip memory and a future upcoming trip card.

Book Ride

Booking keeps the familiar Waymo ride request flow while adding clearer pickup timing, route context on the map, and a streamlined confirm step for longer journeys.