This project reduces decision fatigue by turning the Airbnb booking into the starting point for smart personalized planning. It introduces a post-booking flow that auto-generates daily plans based on location and trip context while giving users control through editable options. The solution blends UX strategy, AI logic, and user research to help travelers plan with clarity and ease.
92
%
Satisfaction
70
%
Repeat Intent
Context
Airbnb Is Losing Trust and Its Competitive Edge
As a UX designer focused on crafting intuitive user flows, I initiated a personal project to rethink how travelers plan trips on Airbnb. Once a market leader, Airbnb now struggles to meet user expectations for convenience and integration. Its "Experience" feature was a major selling point, but it's not used as much now due to low accessibility during decision-making. Travelers still have to switch between different services to plan their travel, which is annoying. This broken-up experience lowers user trust and makes Airbnb less competitive, since its standout features aren't so special anymore.
Airbnb is losing competitiveness by holding a 30% market share behind Booking.com’s 37%.
From 13,795 users on Trustpilot rating, compared to Trip.com's 4.4, reveals users' frustration with the platform.
Problem
Users Feel Overwhelmed, Undersupported, and Unheard
Current Airbnb is not complete travel solution. Research revealed three key pain points:
Users aren’t engaging with the “Experiences” feature due to low visibility and lack of relevance to their booking flow.
Planning a trip is time-consuming and stressful. Users are forced to switch between multiple apps to complete their trip plan.
This disconnected experience hurts Airbnb, both with user satisfaction and retention for Airbnb.
52%
of travelers abandon online booking due to poor experiences according to SiteMinder's 2025 report.
"How might we reduce the friction of planning while reinforcing its unique value in the travel space?"
Solution
01. Tailored Travel Questions Powered by AI
My new feature suggests personalized activities, and local tips in one cohesive, editable plan. Every recommendation is based on the traveler’s preferences, group size, and travel goals. Unlike anything currently offered by major booking platforms, this feature holds potential to puts Airbnb back in a leadership position by offering both intelligence and flexibility in one place.
02. AI-Generated, Customizable Trip Plan Tailored to You
Based on just a few questions above, the AI-powered system instantly creates a complete, personalized trip plan, from stays to experiences. Every element is fully editable for guarantee users' autonomy to adjust pace, swap activities, or fine-tune details to match their travel style.
User Research
Airbnb Is Losing Trust and Its Competitive Edge
To identify gaps in Airbnb’s current experience, I conducted a survey of 20 users who had booked travel in the past year. Many said planning trips was hard and tiring, mainly after booking accommodations. It was obvious that users felt they didn't have enough help during this part. It was clear that users felt unsupported during this key phase.
To get better insights, I conducted follow-up interviews with four of the survey participants. In this phase, I focused on uncovering their travel values, including flexibility, trust, timing, and autonomy. The core insight I got was that users simply wanted smarter, better-timed support that adapts to their intent without creating extra work.
Possible Constraints
Designing Within Real-World Limitations
Based on user research, I initially considered a full redesign to address the fragmented user experience. However, after speaking with users and reflecting on business feasibility, I realized that a full redesign might not be the most effective or realistic path for a product like Airbnb. Instead, I defined key constraints to guide the solution: integrate with the existing flow, follow Airbnb’s design system, and keep the experience lightweight.
Reflection
Designing Within Real-World Limitations
This project challenged me to think beyond visual design and focus on what truly drives user impact: context, timing, and trust. By grounding every decision in user research and working within possible business constraints such as limited engineering capacity, brand consistency, and the need to integrate into an existing product, I was able to design a solution that is not only desirable for users but also feasible for implementation. It reinforced the value of designing with both user needs and product realities in mind.