[Product Design] Improve the Airbnb Booking Flow

Description

About Airbnb

• Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences at any price point, in more than 220 countries and regions around the world. Through an easy-to-use platform, users can book accommodations, experiences, and more.

Problem Statement

• Airbnb’s current booking flow was initially designed to support simple accommodation bookings. As the platform evolves with features like flexible stays, experience bundles, and group bookings, the booking experience may no longer be fully optimized for today’s user needs.
• Without improvements, user confusion and mid-process abandonment could limit overall conversion growth and user satisfaction.

Goal

• Make the booking process intuitive, smooth, and engaging across different user types.
• Reduce drop-off rates during the booking process.
• Increase successful booking completions.
• Ensure a seamless experience across mobile and desktop platforms.

Design Challenge Mission (What you need to do)

• Analyze the provided booking flow screens.
• Identify pain points, friction areas, or opportunities for enhancement.
• Redesign the flow or create new steps if necessary to improve user experience.
• Focus on aligning the UX with users’ mental models and behavioral expectations.

Getting Started

• Download and explore the Airbnb app.
• Go through the current booking flow: search for a property, select dates, specify guests, proceed to checkout.
• Pay attention to points where the process feels confusing, redundant, or unclear.

Deliverables (Feel free to customize)

• 1. Flow: Provide a diagram or wireframes illustrating your improved booking flow.
• 2. High-Resolution Screens (up to 2): Select up to two of the most important or complex screens and create high-fidelity designs.
• 3. Documentation:
• ㅤ3-1. Submit a written description of your design process, decisions, and assumptions.
• ㅤ3-2. You can either use the Description field when submitting your solution via the Designus plugin in Figma, or add the text inside a dedicated solution frame in your Figma file.
• ㅤ3-3. Your documentation should address:
• ㅤㅤ- What questions you would need answered if you were truly working on this project.
• ㅤㅤ- What constraints, requirements, and assumptions you made.
• ㅤㅤ- Key user goals and tasks you designed for.
• ㅤㅤ- How you would validate or test your designs.
• ㅤㅤ- How you would measure success after launch.
• ㅤㅤ- Any limitations or open questions your design leaves.

Recommendation

• Provide brief explanations for your major design decisions.
• Prioritize high-impact improvements if you are short on time.
• Ensure your design maintains a balance between usability, accessibility, and business goals.
• Documentation should either be clearly included in the Description field during submission, or added inside your Figma solution frame if preferred.

Submission Guide (How to use Designus plugin to submit a solution)

• 1. On the Designus website, click a design challenge you want to solve.
• 2. Click "Open in Figma" under the "Submit" tab.
• 3. On the Figma website, click "Open in…" on the Designus plugin page, and choose a Figma file to work in.
• 4. Once your Figma file opens, run the Designus plugin.
• 5. Copy the challenge URL from the Designus website, paste it into the plugin, and click "Import". Alternatively, you can select the challenge using the calendar.
• 6. After importing, work on your solution inside the "Solution" frame. You may resize the frame and include short descriptions or highlights as needed.
• 7. When your solution is ready, run the Designus plugin again.
• 8. Go to the "Export solution" tab.
• 9. Select the "Solution" frame you worked on — it will be attached automatically.
• 10. Add a description if you'd like.
• 11. Click "Export".

Disclaimer

• This design challenge is a fictional exercise intended for practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially related to AirBnB. All brand names and references are used solely for illustrative purposes.