Turning Weekends into Experiences: Building itsweekend.wtf

A case study on designing a curated marketplace for trips, events, and dining

TL;DR

itsweekend.wtf is a curated discovery platform I built to answer one universal question:
“What should I do this weekend?”
It helps urban users explore nearby trips, events, and dining experiences. I designed the UX, built the vendor onboarding system, and launched early MVPs to test interest across Delhi-NCR. The platform is now live and evolving.

Background

Every Friday, millions of people face decision fatigue:

“Should we go out?” “Where?” “What’s even happening near us?”

Current discovery apps are siloed:

• Event platforms like BookMyShow show too much

• Travel apps aren’t personalized

• Dining discovery is dominated by reviews, not experiences

There was a clear need for a curated weekend discovery experience — built around emotion, vibe, and accessibility.

The Problem

• Lack of centralized discovery for real weekend options: events, trips, workshops, or getaways

• Fragmented user experience — jumping between travel, food, and activity apps

• Vendors (travel guides, local chefs, etc.) struggle to list experiences and get visibility

• No easy way to organize a group outing, especially last-minute

The Solution

itsweekend.wtf is a multi-vendor marketplace where:

• Users can book curated weekend activities: treks, brunches, pottery, beach trips, nightlife

• Vendors (hosts, guides, chefs) can list their experiences via a simple web portal

• The platform segments offerings into Events, Trips, and Dine-Ins

Process

🎯 Discovery

• Conducted surveys with 80+ users in Delhi NCR and Bangalore

• Identified 3 major motivators: vibe, group-friendly, time-sensitive

• Defined personas: The Plan-Maker, The FOMO Friend, The Impulsive Couple

🧠 Design & Flow

• Designed in Figma: mobile-first, image-forward layouts

• Created listing types for:

  • Fixed Date (Events)

  • Custom Dates (Trips)

  • Time Blocks (Dine-in slots)

• Used emotion-based categories like “Chill Vibes,” “Adventure,” “Afterparty”

🛠 Vendor System

• Built a web portal for experience organizers to create, manage, and update listings

• Added KYC + Aadhar verification for trust

• Vendors could include itinerary, pricing tiers, and gallery

GTM Strategy

• Soft-launched in Delhi with 10 experience partners

• Ran an Instagram-based teaser series: “What’s Your Weekend Personality?”

• Partnered with micro-influencers in travel, food, and nightlife

• Built a “Plan with Friends” shareable feature for organic growth

Early Results

• 50+ curated experiences added within 4 weeks

• 700+ organic sessions within first 2 weekends

• 12 vendors onboarded without paid ads

• Learned that Trips performed 2× better than Events (higher intent)

What I Learned

• Users want less choice, better options

• Social proof (like who else is attending) increases conversions

• Vendor onboarding must be extremely simple — 80% of our vendors weren’t “techies”

• Discovery UX = image + copy + emotion — hierarchy matters more than filters

What’s Next

• Add community trips where users can host outings

• Integrate Airbnb-style stays with filters for location, vibe, and budget

• Enable group bookings, not just individual checkout

• Layer in music, reels, or Spotify vibes to show "what the event feels like"

Final Thoughts

itsweekend.wtf is not just an app — it’s an attempt to build a culture around urban leisure. A place where plans feel exciting, easy, and aesthetic. It taught me that discovery is about curation, not overload — and the best UX is often invisible.