Refining the design

Second Usability Study findings

What Changed:

Users wanted to see more of the amenities that mattered to them.
I added a second section that includes additional amenities that are important to the users (e.g. hot tubs, parking, and laundry machines) and separated the content into “Basics” and “Chosen Amenities” for easier browsing.
Users were skeptical about the travel distance estimate.
Users appreciated the idea of this feature, but many weren’t sure how the system would calculate distance from the stay to all of their planned activities. To reduce confusion, I removed this feature.
Users hesitated to click the “X” to remove a stay.
They were unsure if it would permanently delete the listing from their wishlist so I replaced the “X” with a “Compare” toggle button to reduce hesitation.
Users liked being able to compare details side by side.
To make comparisons even easier, I chose to show all relevant amenities across stays and used strikethroughs for any that a stay didn’t include. This helped users quickly see what was missing without having to guess or double-check.

What Stayed:

The summary section helped reduce cognitive load.
It gave users a quick, clear sense of what each stay offered and saved them the effort of figuring it out on their own.
Users appreciated the use of icons for key details.
The visual cues made it faster and easier to scan listings and compare features at a glance.

The final Solution

While searching for stays, users can “heart” listings to add them to a wishlist. Within the user’s wishlist page, this new “Compare” feature allows them to flexibly select which stays to compare and view them side by side. This reduces user stress, cognitive load, and time spent on the task.

Compare Feature Guide

Learnings

Designing within a system keeps experiences consistent.

I learned how to work within an existing design system using Airbnb’s styles, components, and patterns to ensure the new content and layouts felt cohesive with the rest of the site.

Sticker sheets streamline design and simplify updates.

I learned how to create and use a sticker sheet to keep components organized and consistent. By linking elements to main components, I could quickly apply changes across screens, saving time and reducing inconsistencies.

Understanding site architecture is key to feature placement.

Knowing how the site is structured helped me decide where the Compare feature should live. I created a sitemap to better understand the user flow and find a placement that aligned with the overall information architecture.

Early iteration improves usability and saves resources.

I learned the value of testing and refining early in the design process. Running a second usability study after the prototype helped uncover issues before the design became too costly or complex to change.

About Contact Resume