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Cons of Design #1: Learnability may not be very high, as it may be difficult for the user to figure out where each of the features are located (ie, travel networks are created from the profile page). The use of overlaid boxes for several actions might also result in some confusion to the user.
Design #2
Home Page: After creating an account and logging in, Sarah will be directed to this simple page, where she will be presented with the choice of adding a trip or searching the current trips that have already been inputted by other students. Each of the pages on the site contain a navigation toolbar with three links: Home, Edit, and Logout. The "Home" link redirects here.
Add Trip: When Sarah selects the "Add Trip" button, this new page will be displayed where she can enter her personal information and the details of her upcoming trip. After clicking the "submit" button, Sarah will then be directed back to the "My Trips"/"Edit My Info" page.
My Trips: The "edit my info" link at the top redirects here. (It would probably make more sense to change the name of this link to "My trips"). Here, Sarah can view all of the trips that she has previously entered into the system, and she can also change, delete, or add trips.
Search: Sarah can search other students' trips by way of name or location. After submitting a search query, Sarah is redirected to the "Results" page.
Results: This page displays all results from Sarah's search in a list and on the map. She can navigate the map by clicking and dragging, scrolling, etc. If she selects a particular student, that student's personal information will be displayed on the page as well.
Pros of Design #2:
Cons of Design #2: