Contextual elements of a Wayknowing journey

While it’s true that memorable trips can be forged in even the most adverse conditions, we seem to be most fond of those moments in time when everything “just magically came together.”

That magic was likely the result of many disparate component parts lining up just right. Credit for that alignment could be due to maniacal planning or perhaps just plain luck. Maybe it was exceptionally lovely weather, the absence of crowds that allowed for a leisurely pace, snagging a highly coveted reservation, or finding easy accommodations for your wheelchair-bound grandparent.

Different things matter to different people, so it’s important that platforms surface as many relevant Wayknowing elements as possible during our journeys. We can then filter these as we please to help prioritize experiences that matter the most. With apologies to Chat GPT’s recommendations, or United Airlines’ Hemisphere magazine, their “three perfect days” in some far-flung country may not be remotely close to mine.

After a decade in experience design, I’ve co-led focus groups, spoken directly to people in their homes, and conducted field research in the U.S. and abroad. The key to research is finding patterns, and some concerns come up repeatedly, both for personal and retail journeys. They are contextual elements that can create anxiety when left unanswered. Many of these can be measured and quantified and are invaluable to know in advance. The list includes:
- Time
- Distance
- Accessibility
- Weather
- Attendance
- Parking
- Availability
- Expenses
- Bookings

At first blush, this list may seem dizzying, but we unconsciously process a lot of this background information just heading out the door to run a local errand or join friends for a movie.

But planning a multi-day or multi-week vacation multiplies these factors a hundred fold. While a successful trip doesn’t necessarily hinge on any singular component, it’s also not a great feeling to return home with regrets or missed opportunities.

Time
In Napa Valley barrel-aging rooms, the collective loss of fermenting wine due to natural evaporation is referred to as “the angel’s share”. This vaporous phenomenon is difficult to control and puzzling to account for. Despite careful trip planning, travel time can feel like that—we never seem to have enough of it and wonder where it went at the end of the day.

Time tops this list of components because it’s the most finite and quantifiable. Many would also say it’s the most precious. Time and distance are often, but not always, joined at the hip when it comes to getting around our environments.

In transit
Factors affecting arrival times, especially for terrestrial travel, include topography—specifically elevation and type of terrain. While innocent enough looking on a map route, steep dirt roads can turn your progress into a slow crawl. Delays can pop up, seemingly out of the blue, due to traffic, accidents, construction, road detours, public events, or other random events like parades and civic celebrations. Real-time notifications along our route are vital for staying in the know.

Listless waiting
Time is the key metric for calculating distances from A to B (or C, D, and E). However, there are also situations that consume time without covering any distance at all. For instance, downtime becomes lost time during processes like airport screening or long ticket lines. While non-productive (and often non-enjoyable), they are nevertheless part of the collective journey, and they do add up.

Operating hours
Even though New York is a city that (theoretically) never sleeps, there are limited windows, unfortunately, for many desirable experiences. This is especially true in Fall and Winter when both the sun and businesses set early and can cut our wanderings short. Shops, parks, restaurants, and attractions all have normal operating hours. Museums frequently close on Mondays, and countries and cities worldwide celebrate unique cultural holidays that can effectively close down a city.

Seasonality
Time, obviously, also refers to the time of year and seasonality. Weekdays the world over are less busy when school is in session. Many parts of Europe thin out during August as shop owners and residents take holidays. India’s rainy season lasts from June to September. Tulips bloom in Amsterdam from the end of March until May. So, depending on what you want to see and do, there are definitely windows of time to either embrace or avoid.

Distance
This is the most common and well-understood element of human journeys. Civilizations have documented distances on maps as far back as the Roman Empire. Covering long distances can feel insurmountable or effortless, depending on the mode of travel. Mapping apps typically include distances measured for vehicles, public transit, pedestrian paths, ride-share, flights, watercraft, and bicycles. As mentioned above, distance and time are inextricably linked and dependent on your mode of travel.

Accessibility
Physical
Accessibility notifications usually only indicate ADA wheelchair accommodations (the U.S. and U.K. requirements differ). However, people with different needs may require more information than just ramp access. For example, knowing in advance whether a restaurant has chairs with arms (necessary for lifting) can mean the difference between a nice night out and a frustrating evening for someone with an injury or failing motor skills. The Socialbility app is specifically designed to “help disabled people find accessible places” and offers over 40 accessibility features to filter search results. The availability of benches, seating, or restrooms can all be deal-breakers for the elderly planning an outing.

Terrain and elevation are also huge factors that can inhibit mobility. If caught unaware, steep grades, cobblestone streets, or unpaved paths can interrupt or derail a trip. Princeton University provides a phygital campus experience using both physical and digital communication and even includes areas with steep inclines.

Sensory
Noise levels are now rated on Open Table and other dining reservation platforms. A buzzy vibe can add to the energy of a night out, but not at the expense of yelling to your dinner companions to be heard. Flashing lights, strong scents, and frigid air conditioning are other sensory elements that can affect us in unhealthy ways. Addressing the needs of a neurodiverse audience is currently lacking in most navigation-based disciplines.

Weather
As much technology as we have to predict the weather, Mother Nature still throws curve balls now and then. Long-range forecasts can help us weigh our chances for the upcoming week, but short-term microclimate predictions are critical to know whether we’ll be dining al fresco or at an indoor table tonight. UV indexes, allergen warnings, and quality of air ratings can adversely affect those vulnerable to such conditions.

Weather apps with scrollable radar timelines can help you fast forward and see if those rain clouds will eventually be where you need to be in the next 30 minutes. But it’s not always the wet stuff we have to contend with. Extreme heat predictions and precautions can help save lives. These hyper-local forecasts can help us adapt our plans hour-by-hour to rapidly changing conditions if we know what to expect.

Attendance
Crowd density can directly affect time, especially when those crowds are on public transit, compressed into city streets, or driving in cars on the freeway. Ticket lines, museums, and popular photo hot spots can feel like human mosh pits when overrun by too many people.

Crowds can also impact our psychological state. Enochlophobia is the irrational fear of crowds. While the global percentage of people affected is unknown, we all have experienced some form of uneasiness when surrounded by a shoulder-to-shoulder throng of fellow humans. Density is also relative. A group of 75-100 people won’t even register in a stadium but, to some, would feel claustrophobic in a small bar or nightclub.

But the goal isn’t to avoid clusters of fellow humans at all costs. We’re social beings, and a healthy gathering of people conveys a certain type of energy that can make a restaurant or night out feel lively. Some people advise to only eat at restaurants that draw crowds. Many extroverts feed off of social density and prefer light chaos over serenity. Some platforms, like Google Maps, show a live “busy" graph along with levels for “popular times” to help us anticipate wait times and density levels.

Parking
If driving is necessary to get where you need to be, parking availability will be a key factor in your trip planning. Knowing the options and estimated costs for garages, open lots, meters, or valets can ease some anxiety when using your own vehicle. Some parking apps like ParkChirp that let you reserve a garage space in advance, although how they ensure availability is unknown.

There are also a number of apps that can help you find available street parking spots in real time, as well as street cleaning schedules and local parking rules. These are all helpful for avoiding tickets in an unfamiliar city.

Availability
After finally getting to where you want to go, there’s no more depressing sight than a “sold out” sign. Whether it’s an attraction, event, or product, there will always be a finite availability of goods and services at any given time. A scarcity of tickets, seating, or inventory can turn an otherwise fun gathering into a frantic “what do we do now” evening.

Expenses
Post-pandemic payment systems worldwide seem to favor cashless platforms, but there are still local vendors who rely on legal tender. Travel guides typically publish basic information on currency and average costs. Knowing in advance how much local currency to keep on hand can prevent you from turning up empty-handed.

Publishing anticipated costs for events, experiences, and hospitality services can help determine whether they’re within your budget. Insider advice on local customs for gratuities and tipping can also help prevent a cultural faux pas.

Transit fares may require a range of stored-value cards, passes, credit cards, or digital-based mobile apps. It pays to know in advance: travel card sales in Japan were paused in the summer of 2023 due to global semiconductor shortages, leaving tourists scrambling for options. Who could have predicted that?

Bookings
Is spontaneity dead? One would hope not, but walking into a popular restaurant or getting a good seat at a theater without advanced planning is increasingly difficult. And when it comes to flights, trains, rental cars, hotels, sporting events, or concerts, you’re likely booking weeks or months ahead to secure your spot.

While much can be done ahead of time online, unexpected and esoteric offline rules still exist. For instance, a casual restaurant may claim not to accept reservations, but you can call before heading out the door and be put on the waitlist. While not quite a reservation, it’s a way to jump the line and helpful to know with a hungry family in tow.

And then there’s the inevitable rookie error, like not noticing that many foreign countries transpose the day and month formatting, start their weekly calendar interface on a Sunday rather than a Monday, or use a 24-hour rather than a 12-hour clock. Trust me, I’ve made every goof you can imagine.

Since many of these bookings and transactions happen directly with the provider, your receipts, confirmation numbers, notifications, and reminders become scattered among various apps, emails, and texts. Services like TripCase can aggregate all these confirmations into one location.