American Express Travel App

The first ever Amex Travel App.

Amex emerged in the travel industry in 1915 with railway and steamship tickets, and today they have expanded with over 3000 partner properties in over 114 countries. The American Express Travel App, launched September 2025, reimagines how card members plan travel. The app brings curated inspirational content, booking, trip management, and integrated card member benefits together in one native mobile experience.

My Role

In the early stages of the project, I played an active role in shaping the product's strategic direction, conducting research into travel trends, audience behaviors, and the competitive landscape to inform both design decisions and broader product thinking. This foundation ensured that creative choices were grounded in a clear understanding of where the premium travel space was heading and what card members truly needed from a digital experience.
Drawing on my background in art direction and brand design, I shaped the app's visual and aesthetic direction with a clear creative challenge at the center: building a product that felt like a natural extension of the iconic American Express brand while embracing the premium editorial aesthetic seen in luxury hospitality and travel
I designed across the full breadth of the experience, from complex booking flows to curated inspiration content. Throughout, I found moments to introduce animation and illustration as subtle touches of delight.

CLIENT

American Express

AGENCY

Razorfish

CONTRIBUTIONS

Art Direction

Product Design

OPPORTUNITY

With modern travel plaanning users are faced with flights on one site, hotels on another, and inspiration scattered across social media, publications, and reviews. Over half of travelers visit 3+ websites to complete a single booking and 81% of consumers reported that they desired a unified app that combines inspiration and booking. Simplification alone however is not enough, about 85% of travelers reported they wanted their decisions vetted by a trusted source. American Express, with a legacy of reliability and trust, was uniquely positioned to create a solution to streamlined and elevate the entire travel experience.

GOAL
Design an American Express Travel app that connects inspirational discovery with frictionless booking & personalized benefits, elevating the user’s journey and the American Express Brand.
Anchored in Heritage

Established in 1850, American Express holds a storied history and deep legacy. We turned to the past to anchor our designs in heritage, and to inform us on the best way to carry the Amex Travel legacy into the future.

Leveraging the
Amex Brand

Amex Travel belongs to one of the world's most recognized brand ecosystems. The challenge was finding travel's distinct voice within it.

After early design challenges due to disjointed libraries, our team fully integrated into Amex’s working ecosystem. This included working closely with their existing design teams and participating in internal design sessions and critiques to understand Amex thoroughly.

Color Enhancements Inspired by Travel

We leveraged the established and recognizable colors within the Amex brand and enterprise design libraries. We complemented the existing color system with distinctive but subtle additions inspired by nature and travel.

Intentional Inspiration

Our research indicated that the initial stage of dreaming about a trip generates more significant feelings of happiness and excitement than the subsequent stages in the traveler booking journey. To engage Card Members during this peak anticipatory phase, we created a dedicated Inspiration tab, where users automatically land after opening the app. Inspired by elevated editorial design, and featuring curated in-house content and itineraries, users are encouraged to explore and discover new destinations and hotels.

Intentional Inspiration

Our research indicated that the initial stage of dreaming about a trip generates more significant feelings of happiness and excitement than the subsequent stages in the traveler booking journey. To engage Card Members during this peak anticipatory phase, we created a dedicated Inspiration tab, where users automatically land after opening the app. Inspired by elevated editorial design, and featuring curated in-house content and itineraries, users are encouraged to explore and discover new destinations and hotels.

Find Your Perfect Stay

We created an immersive quiz experience to allow Card Members to explore properties within Amex's Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection programs. This quiz guides the user through a set of four questions, featuring hotel attributes to help narrow the search. Video content tied to each selection plays in the background, encouraging users to explore various combinations and find dream properties based off of ambiance and experience.

Find Your Perfect Stay

We created an immersive quiz experience to allow Card Members to explore properties within Amex's Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection programs. This quiz guides the user through a set of four questions, featuring hotel attributes to help narrow the search. Video content tied to each selection plays in the background, encouraging users to explore various combinations and find dream properties based off of ambiance and experience.

Wishlist Curation

In order to bridge the gap from browsing to booking, we introduced Wishlists. Wishlists allow users to save and compare properties without losing momentum, and seamlessly make the decision to book on their own time.

Wishlist Curation

In order to bridge the gap from browsing to booking, we introduced Wishlists. Wishlists allow users to save and compare properties without losing momentum, and seamlessly make the decision to book on their own time.

Search & Book

The booking flow sat at the center of the entire app. A flow this complex demanded frequent user testing to know what information mattered most at each phase, especially at key decision points. A clear visual hierarchy and consistent design language brought a complicated journey into one that feels simple and intuitive.

Benefits are surfaced throughout the flow contextually, educating Card Members on their personalized benefits at relevant moments.

Search & Book

The booking flow sat at the center of the entire app. A flow this complex demanded frequent user testing to know what information mattered most at each phase, especially at key decision points. A clear visual hierarchy and consistent design language brought a complicated journey into one that feels simple and intuitive.

Benefits are surfaced throughout the flow contextually, educating Card Members on their personalized benefits at relevant moments.

Filling the Blanks

Using illustration and animation within zero states and load screens to create small unexpected moments of delight.

Filling the Blanks

Using illustration and animation within zero states and load screens to create small unexpected moments of delight.

"For decades, American Express has been synonymous with premium service and trusted advice. Now, with the launch of its first-ever dedicated travel app, the brand is aiming to bring that same reliability to the palm of your hand."

"At long last, American Express now has its own travel mobile app with several key functions that card users and travelers can benefit from."

"The app builds on the company’s decades of travel expertise and offers destination inspiration, such as recommendations for top hotel restaurants or unique spa getaways, according to demo images shared from the new platform."

81,000
81,000

Total Downloads

+35%
+35%

Booking growth

$15m
$15m

Sales in App

OUTCOMES

say hi! hello@sophierobbins.com

say hi! hello@sophierobbins.com

say hi! hello@sophierobbins.com