Airbnb places a lot of emphasis on putting the experience in the hands of users, requiring them to take ownership of their overall experience. However, the peak-end rule, which is a cognitive bias that causes people to remember extreme highs and lows, as well as the end of an experience, can greatly impact this user-driven experience with Airbnb. Since Airbnb users have experiences not only associated with the digital platform, but also with the physical experience while on a trip, there is a lot of opportunity for negative peaks that can leave a lasting impact on the overall user experience.
In such a scenario, the question arises of how to address a specific negative aspect of the experience that is having a significant impact on the overall user experience. By fixing this issue, the overall experience can be improved significantly.
During my research, I also discovered an interesting issue with Airbnb's UI that was causing confusion during testing. However, I will delve more into this issue later on.
I started my research with a hypothesis about kitchen usage at Airbnb, but I didn't want to limit the scope of my investigation. My primary objective was to identify the most persistent problems users encountered when staying at an Airbnb, regardless of whether or not they aligned with my initial hypothesis. I used two main methodologies to achieve this: user interviews and competitive analysis.
During the user interviews, I spoke with seven individuals who regularly used Airbnb when traveling. I made a conscious effort to avoid any bias in my questioning and kept my inquiries broad to ensure that I didn't lead the interviewees to respond in a certain way. This helped me gather a range of insights about users' experiences beyond just their interactions with the kitchen.
Overall, my approach to research was centered on gathering insights that could lead to a solution aligned with both user needs and business goals. While my initial hypothesis provided a starting point, I was open to pivoting my focus based on what I learned from my research.
“sometimes they leave you like a check for like a checklist of like things to make sure you do before you leave. Like, I love that shit. Like, I want five stars.
- Emily
“The checkout process is a kind of just a more chaotic version of when you first get there. It's still a lot of like people like trying to figure out the ropes.”
- Julian
“you'd have to get it at the store and like whatever small quantity of oil and then just waste it which drives me crazy. ”
- Adrienne
Make sure the linens.. right like sometimes they want you put them in the washer..sometimes it's leave them on the bed , that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's gonna be different from each owner"
- Emily
During my research synthesis, it became clear that the major pain points for Airbnb users were related to the real-world experience of staying at an Airbnb rather than the digital platform itself. While a positive digital experience was important, users' decisions to choose a hotel over Airbnb could be influenced by the pain points they experienced during their stay. As a result, it was crucial to identify and solve real-world pain points to create a more positive overall user experience.
One of the most significant pain points identified was the negative peak experienced by users during the checkout process at the end of their stay. Users found the process stressful and confusing, which left a lasting negative impression on their experience. While adding a feature to provide basic food and cooking supplies at every stay was a good idea, addressing the pain points associated with the checkout process would have a more significant impact on the overall user experience and made sure I was solving the main problem that I uncovered during my research.
When examining the user journey map, it became apparent that negative experiences were a significant part of the real-world experience of staying at an Airbnb. Specifically, Reuben's experience highlighted several negative peaks that he faced throughout his stay, including the uncertainty of what to expect, managing rules and policies, educating his group, and the checkout process at the end of his stay. These negative experiences had a significant impact on the quality of Reuben's trip and his overall memory of the experience, potentially dissuading him from using Airbnb in the future.
The user journey map helped to visualize the breadth of the negative experience surrounding the checkout process and the emotions associated with it. To ensure a positive experience for Reuben and influence the peak-end rule outcome, it was crucial to focus on making the checkout process as easy and efficient as possible.
The user journey map helped to highlight the negative experiences that Reuben faced during his stay at an Airbnb, particularly around the checkout process. By looking at how to solve the problem of the checkout process, it might be possible to influence the peak-end rule outcome and ensure a positive experience for Reuben and his group.
To come up with ideas, I used “Creative Constraints” and “Playing with Opposites” to help expand my thinking about what the solution should be. What I landed on what a checkout task list that all members of the group could use to make the checkout a team effort. I had some other ideas that I also liked but based on time constraints and project scope, I decided to explore this direction as it seemed useful and a solution that solved the users' problem.
To address this issue, it was crucial to demonstrate in the task and user flows how group members could also take ownership of the tasks and collaborate with the organizer. This would not only ease the burden on the organizer but also create a more positive experience for the entire group. By designing a feature that allowed for delegation and collaboration, it was possible to empower group members to actively participate in the management of the stay, contributing to the overall success of the trip.
In the process of developing a new feature for a task management application, it was necessary to focus on the task flows and user flows that would be experienced by the main organizer and members of a group who were invited to a task list. Through my research, I discovered that many interviewees mentioned the challenge and burden of being the sole manager of information for a stay, which caused frustration and was a major pain point for them.
To begin designing the wireframes for the project, I focused on the key screens for the flows. This involved a considerable amount of research on UI layout, style guidelines, and understanding how interactions work within the existing Airbnb app to ensure a seamless feature design. One of the most challenging aspects of the design process was exploring different iterations of the checklist and considering how users would want to interact with it.
Throughout the iterative process, I made sure to incorporate flexibility within the design to allow users to skip and undo certain actions when managing the checklist. The primary goal was to create a feature that reduced the stress associated with the checkout process rather than adding to it. To achieve this, I focused on several key areas, including allowing group members to see who was helping, providing visual feedback through toasts and button states when tasks were claimed, and ensuring the discoverability of task information and instructions.
By creating these elements and interactions, I aimed to make the feature both useful and usable in a real-world setting while providing users with the necessary information and flexibility to complete their tasks efficiently. Overall, the wireframe design process involved a significant amount of research and iteration to create a feature that would provide users with a positive experience and reduce the stress associated with the checkout process.
As part of my UX process, I conducted 5 moderated usability tests to gather feedback on the task management feature I was working on. The feedback from the users revealed that there were a few key challenges that many of them struggled with. The primary challenge was related to managing groups and adding new members to the task list.
Interestingly, during my research, I noticed an issue with Airbnb's user interface (UI) design. They were using the same share icon for two different actions - sharing a listing when browsing, and managing a trip's group once it has been booked. This design inconsistency was a source of confusion for many users, and it was affecting their ability to use the task management feature effectively.
By changing the UI, I was able to make it more intuitive and user-friendly, allowing users to easily navigate the feature and manage their groups and tasks without confusion. This change also helped to create a more seamless user experience and reduced frustration levels for users, making the feature more enjoyable to use.
1. Share Icon I changed the existing multi-use share icon to an invite icon. Why use the same icon twice and confuse users?
2. Profile Icons I made the profile icons clickable. Everyone who I tested with tried to click on these to manage the group. Again, in staying with Airbnb’s design system and interactions it originally wasn’t clickable.
3. "Who's Helping" Screen I added the “Who’s helping” screen. I didn’t have this before because I thought just and invite modal would be enough but testers wanted to see who was in the group before adding someone new.
“The pictures <in task details> are super helpful. Hosts will always be like, 'Oh, be sure to turn off the thermostat." and I think 'What am I looking at? Is it a nest? Is it like an old style thermostat?" So that's helpful.
- Manini
“think it was a large group that can be quite useful. You know, if it's a whole house and a whole bunch of tasks, I think it would make it easy to keep track of what needs to be done and hasn't been done. It also could make it easier to have peace of mind.”
- Greg
“I think it's like overall such a great feature to add. I think this makes the checkout process so much easier to be a guest and get five stars.”
- Emily
Designing a solution that helped create a positive experience at the end of the whole Airbnb experience while staying within Airbnb’s design system was a great opportunity to practice a range of UX practices. Working within the constraints of an existing design system was a fun challenge that allowed me to learn a lot about how to create effective designs that fit within established brand guidelines.
This project taught me the importance of following the research and not becoming stuck on a specific hypothesis. By considering all pain points equally and not just those that supported my original assumptions, I was able to create a more effective and impactful solution that better addressed user needs.
Looking ahead, it would be great to test this feature in a real-world setting and observe how users interact with the add-on to make the end of their trips more enjoyable. This would provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of the design and allow for further refinement and optimization. Overall, this project provided an excellent opportunity to practice various UX practices and produce a solution that could make a meaningful difference for Airbnb users.
Please note: This case study is not affiliated with Airbnb.
