k2f-travel-planner

K2F Travel Planner — AI-Native Aesthetic Design

Purpose

Teach agents to author travel planners in content_and_design.md: trip content, information layering, and design intent so the result reads like a field guide—not a chat log or destination encyclopedia.

Built on K2F

This skill produces travel planners as .K2F packages. Follow the k2f skill for authoring, pack/verify, and export. K2F keeps agents on trip semantics and visual rhythm while the engine handles layout and typography.

Before you build, install the core skill: npx skills add suzheng/k2f --skill k2f.

When to Use

Turning trip constraints into a shareable planner (couple, family, or group) with days, costs, and checklists in one document.
Merging user notes, bookings, and research into one coherent structure.
Not for destination-only chat or live expense tracking unless the deliverable is still a planner blueprint.

Workflow

Step 1. Generate the content_and_design.md

One blueprint: semantic blocks per planner section plus explicit design intent. Label sections so the k2f skill can map them later.

Sub-steps

Trip frame — Destination(s), dates, duration, travelers, purpose, budget (total or daily), currency, pace, accommodation base(s), must-sees. Note routing (linear, loop, hub-and-spoke) and transit or jet-lag recovery days.
Input audit — List confirmed bookings, dietary or accessibility needs, interests to weight, and gaps. Mark NEEDS USER INPUT for unknown flight times, hotel address, or ticket status; do not invent opening hours, prices, or visa rules—use verify before travel stubs.
Section architecture (include / cut / merge) — Default stack (reorder when the frame demands):
- Trip at a glance (dates, party, budget headline, base neighborhoods) → Essentials (documents, emergency, money, connectivity, key transport) → Day-by-day itinerary → Budget summary → Packing checklist → Culture & safety (compact) → Pre-trip countdown.
- Cut long destination essays, duplicate restaurant lists, generic packing unrelated to climate/activities, and hour-by-hour filler when pace is relaxed.
- Merge overlapping transport tips into Essentials; split multi-city trips into labeled day ranges with transit days called out explicitly.
Itinerary build — Theme per day; geo-cluster stops; time blocks with duration, transit, meals, cost, booking notes. Pacing: short trips 2–3 majors/day; week-long 2 major + 1 minor plus one light day; buffers and an optional rain/tired swap every 2–3 active days.
Budget reconciliation — Fixed costs (flights, lodging, insurance, visas) plus daily buckets (food, local transport, activities, misc); 10% contingency; show total, per-person, and per-day; line items must trace to itinerary activities or stated assumptions.
Supporting modules — Packing grouped Documents / Clothing (climate + dress codes) / Activity gear; culture as short do/don’t and dining timing; prep timeline working backward from departure (bookings that sell out first at the top).
Scan layers — Glance: where, when, how much headroom. Scan: day titles and time leaders. Detail: addresses, confirmation hints, costs—subordinate in design intent.
Design intent — Tone: practical, warm, local-aware; imperative checklists for actions. Hierarchy: title and dates dominate; day + theme anchors; times and places beat prose; costs and must-book flags scannable. Density: airy overview; consistent day blocks; checkbox lists; culture as callouts. Palette: calm journal feel; one accent on day headers; strong contrast on times and bookings.

Rules & constraints

Truth gate: prices, hours, and requirements trace to user input or labeled stubs—not guessed from memory.
Pace gate: total planned hours fit the stated pace; include meals and transit in every day.
Budget gate: category totals reconcile with headline budget or show explicit overrun note.
Routing gate: minimize backtracking; high-energy days not stacked after red-eye arrival without recovery.
Planner boundary: if the user only wants a spreadsheet tracker, note in blueprint that this skill targets a designed planner artifact.

Common failure modes

Attraction list without time or geography → themed days with clustered blocks.
Packed schedule with no rest → pacing table and one light day per week-long trip.
Budget section disconnected from days → tie line items to named activities.
Packing encyclopedia → climate + activity-filtered checklist only.
Culture section as generic country essay → 5–8 actionable do/don’t plus dining timing.
Prep timeline after departure or missing sell-out bookings → reverse chronological from departure date.
Repeating the same practical tip in every day → lift once to Essentials.

Quality checklist

Frame: destination, dates, party, budget, pace, routing, and must-sees documented.
Section stack fits trip length; cuts and multi-city splits explained.
Each day has theme, geo-logical flow, meals, transport, costs, and booking notes or stubs.
Budget reconciles (or flags gap) with contingency stated.
Packing and prep match climate, activities, and departure date.
Glance layer answers where/when/how much without reading full days.
Design intent covers tone, hierarchy, density, checklist rhythm, and accent.

Step 2. Use the content_and_design.md and k2f skill to generate a K2F file and export to an appropriate file format.

Follow k2f to instantiate planner sections from the blueprint, apply roles from design intent, verify, and export (typically PDF or print-ready format).