Travel Agent Places Top 3 at the Agent Glow Up Hackathon 🗺️

<figure><img height="970" width="1456" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oLzD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2f30bf9-f65b-42af-a85d-575329096302_2048x1365.jpeg"></figure><p>Their project ditches the standard chat box and replaces it with a rich, visual agent experience built for the way people actually plan trips.</p><p>👉 Explore <a href="https://campus.buildclub.ai/projects/019ccaf5-5874-71c2-9afb-0529a60cb839">Travel Agent</a> here</p><hr><figure><img height="907" width="1456" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pXVT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F014a1279-9dcf-4ded-9679-9c127931b9a4_3386x2110.png"></figure><h3>The Project: Travel Planner</h3><p>Travel Planner is an AI agent that helps users plan trips through a dynamic, visual interface - designed to feel as good as it thinks.</p><blockquote><p>“I feel like agent interfaces can be so much more than the linear vertical chat interface we keep seeing. This is new technology, but we keep trying to fit it into old design patterns.”</p></blockquote><p>The team set out to explore what an agent experience could actually look like.</p><hr><h3>Why the ‘Agent Glow Up’ Hackathon?</h3><p>The hackathon’s UI/UX theme was the perfect stage for an idea that had been brewing.</p><blockquote><p>“We focused heavily on innovating the user experience and leveraged existing tech instead of building anything technically new. The hackathon felt like the right place to challenge that.”</p></blockquote><hr><h3>Challenges</h3><p>Four hours. One shared vision. A lot of coordination.</p><blockquote><p>“We didn’t want it to just look like Google Maps - we wanted an app rooted in our shared travel experiences. One of the biggest learnings was how a designer and engineer actually communicate with each other in real time.”</p></blockquote><p>Integrating tools like GMI Cloud, Exa, and AdaL added another layer to navigate.</p><hr><h3>Highlights</h3><p>The team managed to align a designer and an engineer around a single vision - and somehow walked away with a fully working product that neither could have built alone.</p><blockquote><p>“The speed was insane - we somehow pulled all of this off in 4 hours. Designers focused on the idea and visuals while engineers went to work on how to solve things. The synergy just clicked.”</p></blockquote><hr><h3>What’s Next?</h3><p>With the hackathon behind them, the team isn’t slowing down - they’re already thinking about what Travel Agent could become with more time and a few features they didn’t get to ship.</p><blockquote><p>“We hope to iterate on the existing project and add more features we couldn’t get to. I think we have a strong base to grow from.”</p></blockquote><hr><h3>Advice for Future Hackathon Builders</h3><p>Show up, pay attention, and use your resources.</p><blockquote><p>“Don’t be late. Be attentive during the workshops. And make sure to talk to the teams from sponsoring companies - it saves you from getting stuck on problems you don’t need to be stuck on.”</p></blockquote><hr><h3>Big Picture: Design and Code Are One Loop Now</h3><p>You don’t need to be super technical anymore. What you need is a great idea and the right team.</p><blockquote><p>“The biggest lesson is how easy it is to build something today. The only things that matter are the quality of your idea and the quality of your execution. More designers need to wake up and realize this. From a developer’s perspective, it’s become crucial to have a great design idea or prototype to start from - you can add features while simultaneously improving the UX. That loop is everything.”</p></blockquote><hr><p><strong>📌 Connect with the team on LinkedIn</strong></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/megh-dedhia">Megh Dedhia</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shram-kadia">Shram Kadia</a> </p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrii-mazur-design">Andrii Mazur</a> </p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-kumar-b-180869205">Sanjay Kumar</a></p></li></ul><p><br><strong>📌 Explore their project, <a href="https://campus.buildclub.ai/projects/019ccaf5-5874-71c2-9afb-0529a60cb839">Travel Agent</a>.</strong></p><hr>