THE TOPIC
In spearheading the design of new pages within the Booking.com connectivity hub platform, the primary objective was to empower our connectivity partners with accurate and timely metrics, aligning seamlessly with my role as a senior UX designer. This initiative aimed to address critical gaps in our ability to positively influence the Booking.com programme and connectivity track goals for 2024 and beyond. The overarching goal was to enhance partner performance in key areas such as API adoption, booked room nights (ABRN), open bookable listings, and gross additions. This project serves as a testament to my ability to plan and lead design activities for complex products.
- Strategic vision and leadership
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Product strategy and planning
THE PROBLEM
The project addressed a historical gap on two fronts: firstly, the absence of a clear, accessible set of actionable insights for our partners hindered our ability to steer their business effectively. This not only impeded our capacity to drive business growth through our partners but also led to missed opportunities for performance improvement. Secondly, our partners, especially those without account manager support, perceived the metric improvements we shared with them as solely benefiting Booking.com’s business growth. To overcome this challenge, I undertook the task of designing pages that not only presented data but also educated partners on the business impact of improving these metrics. This approach aimed to help partners enhance their own performance while contributing to our overall success. In my role as a senior designer, I not only addressed the core problem but also tackled the perception issue among partners without account manager support. This showcases my ability to manage stakeholder expectations up to the director level.
- Problem-solving and innovation
- Stakeholder management
- Educational design
MY APPROACH
My approach centred on delivering both depth and breadth of actionable insights. Collaborating with a UX writer and researcher, I conducted insightful brainstorming sessions with key stakeholders within the company, a pivotal step reflecting my role as a senior designer contributing to the overall track strategy. Together, we meticulously mapped out the content strategy, ensuring each metric was distinctly understood within the context of our business goals. This collaborative process involved crafting a narrative for the project, showcasing my adeptness in building consensus between teams and stakeholders. Subsequently, I conducted user testing sessions targeting a diverse range of partner segments, including those in our top and lower tiers, within hotel or home segments, and managing either a single system or multiple company systems. These sessions not only validated the design and narrative but also affirmed the creation of a user-friendly, self-service tool for our partners.
- User-centric design
- Strategic collaboration
- Agile methodology
THE IMPACT
The overall outcome was uniformly positive. Partners, spanning from top-tier to lower-tier, within hotel or home segments, valued the additional data points. This positive result effectively showcased the impact of my work, surpassing expectations. The design seamlessly catered to partners handling single or multiple systems, illustrating its scalability. Following the launch, notable improvements were observed, including increased accommodation availability, reduced churn, and closed properties, underscoring the effectiveness of the newly implemented steering metric pages. This success highlights my proficiency as a senior designer, adept at navigating organizational complexities and contributing to larger, more intricate product features.
- Positive outcome and exceeding expectations
- Scalable solutions
- Organisational proficiency
MY CONTRIBUTION
My involvement ensured the alignment of the project with business objectives and timelines. By incorporating a research process, I validated our hypotheses, ensuring the solution resonated with user needs. This strategic approach yielded positive responses directly from our target audience, highlighting my ability to transform insights into innovative features. The final solution not only addressed the initial problem but surpassed expectations, resulting in increased accommodation availability and reduced churn. My profound expertise in the connectivity track, coupled with my leadership skills and understanding of design systems, played a crucial role in delivering a high-impact solution and adhering to business objectives and timelines.
- Strategic alignment and leadership
- Research and insight implementation
- Effective communication and leadership