Stay Anywhere with Persoanlized Airbnb
OVERVIEW
Project Summary
This project began as a personal exploration into the growing disconnect between Airbnb's promise of personalized travel experiences and the reality faced by users. Having observed declining engagement metrics with local experiences and increasing user frustration with discovery, I initiated a comprehensive redesign that would redefine how travelers interact with the platform.
Project Challenges
1. Information Overload
Users felt overwhelmed by too many activity options or cluttered layout, making it harder to find what they wanted.
2. Discoverability of Local Activities
Some users struggled to notice or access the local activities section, especially when it wasn’t prominently placed.
3. Balancing Personalization with Simplicity
Integrating AI suggestions and surveys without making the experience feel intrusive or complicated required careful UX consideration.
Key Accomplishments
55% Higher "Local Activities" Feature Engagement
5 mins Lower Average Task Completion Time
2 Score Higher On User Satisfaction
My Role
UX Research
UI Designer
Project Type
Renewal Design
Contribution
100%
Duration
09.2024 - 10.2024
RESEARCH
01 Research: Losing Ground In a Competitive Market
To define a clear project scope, comprehensive background research proved essential for identifying specific issues within the Airbnb platform. Analysis of Airbnb's market reports, examination of competitive platforms, and evaluation of real user reviews provided critical insights that sharpened understanding of user pain points.
02 Research: First-hand Observation
Before understanding users more deeply, I personally explored the Airbnb website from a user's perspective to reveal key pain points. This direct experience helped me to shape the subsequent user research approach ensuring questions addressed genuine usability challenges rather a hypothetical issues.
Here are some pain points I found on my observation:
03 Research: Understanding Users
Building on initial observations, I wanted to hear directly from users to confirm whether these pain points were widespread issues. This led me to design a targeted survey for 30 Airbnb users focusing on the challenges identified during personal exploration.
Research Key Takeaways
01
Most users (60%) miss out on experiences, with half completely unaware the feature exists
02
Planning feels disjointed with separated accommodations and activities interfaces.
03
Users can't sort results by what matters most to them
04
Finding nearby activities, deals and similar options is too difficult.
Then…
How might we redesign Airbnb to seamlessly connect accommodations with local experiences while giving users more control over personalization?
DEFINE
Impact-Effort Matrix
After analyzing the user survey results, an impact-effort matrix was created to prioritize solutions based directly on reported pain points. This approach evaluated potential features based on both user value and implementation complexity.
The matrix revealed three high-impact opportunities:
Enhanced Sorting Options - High impact with relatively low implementation effort, addressing users' frustration with finding relevant properties efficiently
Integrated Activities View - Critical for solving the disconnect between accommodations and experiences that 60% of users weren't even aware existed
Personalized Landing Page - A strategic consolidation of several smaller features (deals, similar options, recommendations) into one cohesive solution that maximizes impact while managing development complexity
IDEATION
01 Ideation: Redesign UserFlow
43% reduction in steps
(from 7+ to 4)
Transformed two separate paths into one integrated process
Aligned with natural trip
planning behavior
Eliminated manual location
cross-checking
Key UX Concepts
PROTOTYPE
Wireframes
USER TESTING
Local Activities Feature Testing
Before developing detailed high-fidelity mockups, I conducted systematic user testing with wireframes that represented my redesigned user flow. This critical intermediate stage used A/B testing methodology to verify that the redesigned features truly aligned with user needs and expectations. To ensure reliable results, participants were randomly selected from the same pool as my initial survey, eliminating potential selection bias. This methodical approach provided valuable validation before committing resources to the final design phase.
User Testing Goals
Maximizing "local activities" Engagement: Measured if users noticed and interacted with local activities.
Minimizing Average Task Time: Average task completion time to book a nearby activity.
Cognitive Position: User confidence in knowing where they are in the flow.
Satisfaction: User-reported enjoyment and ease of use.
Main Page
A Page Just for You
Local Activities Pop-up
Check Local Activities Before and After You Book
USER FEEDBACK
Ensuring the Redesign Improves User Experience
Three core metrics were selected to measure the redesign’s impact: feature engagement, average task time, and user satisfaction. Feature engagement reflects how effectively the design draws users to local activities. Average task time highlights efficiency in completing bookings. User satisfaction captures the overall quality of the experience. Together, these metrics reveal both functional and emotional improvements in the user journey.
REFLECTIONS
Adapting Design Through User-Centric Iterations
Throughout this project, I learned the importance of actively engaging with users during each stage of the design process. Initial assumptions about user behavior often shifted after analyzing real feedback, highlighting the need to remain flexible and iterative. The journey also emphasized the value of addressing accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that the platform serves a diverse audience effectively. By focusing on actionable user insights, I was able to align the final solution with both user expectations and business goals, creating a platform that fosters trust and engagement.