Airbnb is a global online marketplace that connects travelers with unique accommodations and experiences.
The platform allows individuals to book short-term lodging in over 220 countries and regions, ranging from apartments to villas. Airbnb has redefined the way people travel by fostering a sense of community and cultural exchange.
The case study focuses on improving the group payment experience within Airbnb, addressing the needs of users engaging in group travel.
I led product design process in a 3-month project to implement a group payment on AirBnb. The goal was to address the needs of users engaging in group travel without sacrificing UX.
Role & Timeline
UX/UI Designer
Oct - Dec 2023
Methods
User Research / User Journey Mapping / Competitive Analysis /Visual design / Prototyping
Problem Statement
The current Airbnb payment system lacks a streamlined process for group
bookings, leading to user confusion and frustration. Users engaging in
group travel experience challenges in navigating and managing payments,
resulting in a sub optimal user experience. This case study aims to
address these pain points and design an improved, user-friendly solution
for group payments, enhancing overall satisfaction for users booking
accommodations as a group.
Research methodology
This section outlines our research methodology, starting with a qualitative survey to capture user insights. Leveraging Dovetail, we organized responses with a tagging taxonomy and visualized patterns in an affinity map. Our aim was to uncover actionable insights actionable insights shaping a more user-centric group payment experience on Airbnb.
Qualitative Research
Results in Dovetail
Affinity map
Tagging Taxonomy
Qualitative research survey
For the first task, we’d like you to write a qualitative research survey following what you’ve learned in class. With your questions set, add them to a google form and distribute this amongst the target user segment of your first case study. Aim to have between 10-20 survey responses.
Survey results
For the first task, we’d like you to write a qualitative research survey following what you’ve learned in class. With your questions set, add them to a google form and distribute this amongst the target user segment of your first case study. Aim to have between 10-20 survey responses.
Data Analysis using Dovetail
It can be overwhelming for new users, with a lot of features and options that may be difficult to navigate. Confusing terminology and jargon. Finally, Binance's customer support can be slow to respond, which can be frustrating for users who need help with issues.
Affinity map
Exploring the user feedback collected from the qualitative survey, our focus shifted to the construction of an affinity map—a visual representation of interconnected themes and insights. Through meticulous analysis, distinct patterns have emerged, revealing essential user preferences and pain points related to Airbnb group payments.
“Have a place where group can discuss and rate options”
“One person should not have to pay everyone’s cost upfront”
“Lack of place in airbnb platform to share payment with group”
“No possibility of sharing payment”
Competitive Analysis
While exploring group payment options across Vrbo, Booking and Barceló Group we ended up with one crucial conclusion:
None of the competitors analysed explicitly highlight group payment options as a distinctive feature. While some platforms provide features beneficial for group travel, such as Vrbo's group board for shared planning, none seem to offer a dedicated group payment solution.
Airbnb, while emphasizing group travel, lacks specific group features, calling for simplification in payment options.Weaknesses
It can be overwhelming for new users, with a lot of features and options that may be difficult to navigate
Confusing terminology and jargon
Finally, Binance's customer support can be slow to respond, which can be frustrating for users who need help with issues.
Conclusion: while exploring group payment options across Vrbo, Booking and Barceló Group we ended up with one crucial conclusion:
None of the competitors analysed explicitly highlight group payment options as a distinctive feature. While some platforms provide features beneficial for group travel, such as Vrbo's group board for shared planning, none seem to offer a dedicated group payment solution.
Airbnb, while emphasizing group travel, lacks specific group features, calling for simplification in payment options.
“ Opportunity for Airbnb to introduce a specialized group payment feature, addressing a unique need within the travel and accommodation booking industry.”
Mind map
This method enhanced our ideation process, resulting in a multitude of high-quality ideas.
For the Cost Breakdown Structure:
Add the cost per person to the property page's pricing breakdown.
Group Payment Option:
Introduce real-time cost-splitting.
Explore third-party tools like Splitwise or develop an in-house product for expense splitting.
Implement a graphical interface to visually display each group member's expenses.
Include a payment reminder feature.
Crazy 8’s
How can we simplify the process of managing and monitoring group members' payments for a smoother and more organized experience?
User flow
User flow enhanced with the introduction of our Splitting Method Options.
Wireframe
Splitting Method Options: Depending on the group, provide options for different splitting methods (equal split, per-night split, custom amounts)
High-Fidelity
Components
Our components are modular, enhancing flexibility and consistency in the design, fostering a streamlined and cohesive experience for the User.
we transitioned from conceptual ideas to a polished and visually refined representation of the final product. This stage involved meticulous attention to detail, incorporating the chosen color schemes, typography, and visual elements to accurately reflect the intended user interface.
Split price feature:
We introduced split pricing features for groups, including real-time sharing and stay split options
Group creation:
One of the main functionality requested by our users is the creation of the group in order to choose the Split Method
Dashboard feature:
we added a dashboard for users to track group payments, see contributors, and send payment reminders easily in the app.
Interactive Prototype
Not everything went as planned:
Dovetail was challenging because we didn’t have many responses to work with and also because we add a time limit to use the free version.
High-fidelity / Prototype, we spent too much time on this section of the case study because we developed to complete features and also we were to focused on the details... This created a negative impact as we didn’t have time to conduct the usability tests.
we didn’t have time to conduct usability testing.
Reflection Time: