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UX UI design project
My role: UX/UI Designer | Visual Designer| UX Writer
Background
With Covid 19 swiping the world, it has dramatically altered the way people travel in the long term. As international air travel has been suspended in many countries, Airbnb launched “Online Experiences”, a mix of virtual tours, classes, shows and more, on top of its Experiences offerings in April 2020. Now over 500 Online Experiences are available, charging from $10 to 40 USD, ranging from 30 to 90 minutes on Zoom.
Challenge
Airbnb first launched the Experiences platform in 2016 hoping to transform itself into an end-to-end travel agency. Yet, this section is losing money and never been able to break even before covid. Surprisingly, this new Online Experiences where the team pulled together within two weeks, become one of the best-reviewed products it launched.
This new form of education and entertainment gives customers a temporary connection to elsewhere, a sensation on the five senses and an in-depth look of new knowledge without leaving the comfort of home.
It’s clear that Online Experiences is here to stay (for a while at least), but can the platform be taken to the next level and sustain its momentum even after the covid era? Is it able to cater for a better consumer journey and user experience in the long term?
Is virtual travel the new sexy?
Research
A quantitative and qualitative research were conducted in 2018 on Hong Kong people’s views on Airbnb and its Experiences platform for my honors project. Part of the findings can be taken into this research.
I’ve also conducted 4 causal interviews with several Airbnb Experiences users aged 19 - 30 in 2021, on their views on traveling during covid and opinions after taking the online classes.
I) Survey
70 local young professionals aged from 18 to 29 were recruited by snowball sampling method.
Top 3 brand image of Airbnb
Friendly
Localised
Down to earth
II) Focused Group
A one-hour-long focus group with 6 targeted young adults was conducted. Responses drawn from the group, they most valued Airbnb’s affordable price and wide ranges of choices in the travel destinations. None of the participants have actually joined any local experience tours Airbnb provided though they are aware of the offering.
“There were cheaper options elsewhere.”
A one-hour-long focus group with 6 target audiences conducted at Hong Kong Baptist University , 20 Feb 2018
III) Interviews
I like the diversity and uniqueness.
I made Sangria with drag queens in Portugal and they were so engaging with the audience. The attending groups were fun!
User 1
I took the Guided Meditation With Sheep session. It was relaxing! Heard there are internet security issues with Zoom and didn’t want to use it.
User 4
User 3
I couldn’t search for and
book a specific experience at all. The random browsing is annoying.
Major drawback: no search function and the categories are quite random.
The chocolate tour with Nick was interesting though, with very advanced storytelling on Jamaica.
User 2
The current app experience
1.
Online experience is hidden under the Explore page without predominant importance, user might omit the experience without paying enough attention.
On the main page, the search bar is missing, user can only filter out experience by date (which is not as important since everything is online) and has to scroll through the suggestions and listed experiences one by one.
2.
Categorisation is only shown after the user scrolls down the page, yet with 14 categories to choose from, the scroll bar is way too long and might prolong decision-making time.
3.
No stars/review level is shown for easy browsing, users have no way to determine how good or bad the individual review is.
The passage is the same with the web but too lengthy for an app, it’s time consuming for users to read through.
4b.
4a.
Show dates is not a clear CTA button.
4c.
Insights
1# Weak Online Experience positioning
Airbnb has done a splendid job in creating a fun and cultural value positioning. For people who’ve joined Experiences, they absolutely love it. Those who never, they can’t see the worth of the events. Customers prefer cheaper options when comparing similar events.
2# User journey not tailored made to fit Online Experience
Looking at the user experience on the website and the app, the lack of search function on the platform is a major turndown. The “dates first” priority is more applicable to booking accommodation and local experiences. Online experience is far more flexible than that. The categorisation also isn’t solid enough for easy searching and filtering. It doesn’t give users enough freedom to navigate around and make a decision quickly.
Persona
Vanessa, 21, University student
based in Hong Kong
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Vanessa received education from both the east and west. She likes exploring exotic cultures and making local friends around the world.
Her favourite travel memory is from Mexico where she went on a bar tour with some Mexican friends. It was chaotic, sweaty but forever unique.
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Be able to learn unfiltered authentic cultures
Goals
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Not knowing the best ways to visit foreign countries when travelling isn’t allowed
Frustrations
Justin, 31, banker
based in Singapore
Being a world traveler, Justin enjoys both having an iced cold beer by the river in Sri Lanka or a fancy Michlin star meal in London. During covid, he has to fly to several cities for work yet it doesn’t bring him joy.
He craves an escape to his busy 24/7 finance job and some new experiences to bring him inner peace.
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To get some personal space and rest
Goals
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No time to visit around while working abroad
Frustrations
User experience journey of booking a virtual experience
The user journey illustrates how users Vanessa and Justin search for and book a virtual trip. The map visualizes how a user interacts with the booking platform and I further include their emotions, thoughts and actions throughout the experience. By targeting their pain points, I hope to explore opportunities to improve the booking platform.
Solution
The values of travel lie within oneself. It’s never about how many external stimuli the world offers, it’s about the inner self and the mind, the feeling of traveling outside your comfort zone and coming back different than how you left. Travel is a healing process.
Same with virtual travel, it’s more than a virtual class --- it’s the immersive cultural conversations, the refreshed feeling entering a new aspect, the lifeline it offers to professionals whose industries have been crippled by the pandemic, that makes it special.
I want to level up the value positing of Airbnb Online Experiences. Airbnb isn’t just a cheap accommodation provider, it’s a cultural and mindful educator you can’t find elsewhere.
Personalised experience tailored made for users
Provide a mindful experience focusing on cultural exchange and the good it delivers
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Provide users with tailored made suggested literary based on preference and past traveling habits
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Allow users to filter activities based on mood and interests
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Illustrates the impacts the guests are bringing via joining a section: how they are supporting small business and creating economic opportunities
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Provide intro info on guests joining the sections to get a sense of cultural friends
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Journal on gratitude and feelings after the session
Seamless in-app experience
Simplify the long scrolling and searching process
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Add search function for users to search by keywords or by mood
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Clear activity categorisation: better layer the activities and reduce redundancy of words per page
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In-app virtual experience: ditch Zoom the third party platform and opt for in-app video call function
Key product message
Mindfulness
Travel
User flow
Wireframes
Style guide
Let's book your next journey!
App Showcase
Home
Bold illustration to set the tone
A dedicated Experiences session designed in the navigation bar to distinguish from accommodation
Category
Categorise activities into 8 groups for quick and easy navigation
Experience showcase
Search bar allowing users to search by keywords or by mood
A list of recommendations formed by users’ filtering and search choice
Fun Illustration that fits the lively brand element
Experience details
Change the “Show dates” button to “Book Now” for direct CTA, booking process remains unchanged when user can instead check the dates when scrolling down the page
Support small business - illustrates how booking the experience plants a good seed to other life
Group wordings into box items and add stars in review session for easier browsing
Booking Confirmation
With the 2-step booking process remains unchanged, on the final page guests are given intro of whom are joining the class
Opportunity to connect new online friends with mutual interests
Video call
Click to call in original Trips session instead of third party provider
Journal & feedback
6 mindful questions to guide users to reflect on past emotions, relax from stress and reset for a great day ahead
Users are required to fill in the first two questions while the rest are optional
Voice note function available to lesson the hustle of filling in the form
Users can view the review and journal they wrote in past trips
Learnings & Takeaway
Ever since Airbnb was launched, I loved its value positioning and clean user-focused layout. It was my buddy when I traveled alone in Europe at the age of 20. As a loyal user of Airbnb, I have mixed feelings about it.
Working on this case study and really went in-depth on the existing problems users faced while using the platform. I learnt a lot about what functions best facilitates users’ searching and booking process. Having a minimal layout doesn’t mean details can be omitted. I realised adding in tiny details like even a star can provide a better picture to the users, and one good solution to a product doesn’t necessarily mean it works the same way for the other (accommodation vs experience).
It is exciting to be able to come up with improved solutions for the platform. I enjoyed the research and interview process, all the way up to mocking hi-fidelity wireframes and developing themed graphic for the brand. Thanks for reading!
Thank you for reading :)
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