/ Selected Projects
/ Selected Projects
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Actify
Actify
Building Trust in Shortlet Bookings: The Actify Story
Building Trust in Shortlet Bookings: The Actify Story
Building Trust in Shortlet Bookings: The Actify Story
DELIVERABLES
Web App
Web App
INDUSTRY
Real Estate
Real Estate
TARGET MARKET
Shortlets
Shortlets
YEAR
2024/2025
2024/2025
/ PROJECT OVERVIEW
/ PROJECT OVERVIEW
Actify is a seamless, secure, and efficient platform that connects travelers and temporary residents with quality shortlet and serviced apartments, while offering businesses and apartment managers a direct channel to attract new clients. The platform provides an alternative to hotels by offering privacy, home-like amenities, and cost-effectiveness for short-term stays.
Actify is a seamless, secure, and efficient platform that connects travelers and temporary residents with quality shortlet and serviced apartments, while offering businesses and apartment managers a direct channel to attract new clients. The platform provides an alternative to hotels by offering privacy, home-like amenities, and cost-effectiveness for short-term stays.
Actify is a seamless, secure, and efficient platform that connects travelers and temporary residents with quality shortlet and serviced apartments, while offering businesses and apartment managers a direct channel to attract new clients. The platform provides an alternative to hotels by offering privacy, home-like amenities, and cost-effectiveness for short-term stays.
/Problem Statement
/Problem Statement
Travelers and temporary residents struggle to find trustworthy shortlet apartments due to limited listings in desired locations, a lack of verified reviews, and unclear property details. Current methods rely heavily on fragmented channels like social media, friend recommendations, and real estate websites, creating friction in the booking process. Meanwhile, apartment owners lack a centralized platform to showcase their properties, manage bookings efficiently, and reach potential guests directly.
Travelers and temporary residents struggle to find trustworthy shortlet apartments due to limited listings in desired locations, a lack of verified reviews, and unclear property details. Current methods rely heavily on fragmented channels like social media, friend recommendations, and real estate websites, creating friction in the booking process. Meanwhile, apartment owners lack a centralized platform to showcase their properties, manage bookings efficiently, and reach potential guests directly.
Travelers and temporary residents struggle to find trustworthy shortlet apartments due to limited listings in desired locations, a lack of verified reviews, and unclear property details. Current methods rely heavily on fragmented channels like social media, friend recommendations, and real estate websites, creating friction in the booking process. Meanwhile, apartment owners lack a centralized platform to showcase their properties, manage bookings efficiently, and reach potential guests directly.
/Role
/Role
I worked as the sole Product Designer in collaboration with Software Developers over a three-month timeline.
I worked as the sole Product Designer in collaboration with Software Developers over a three-month timeline.
I worked as the sole Product Designer in collaboration with Software Developers over a three-month timeline.
/Research & Discovery
/Research & Discovery
I conducted a survey with 37 respondents to understand the challenges travelers face when booking shortlet apartments and what property owners need to manage their rentals effectively. The study revealed major gaps in trust, discovery, and management tools, confirming the need for a reliable, centralized platform.
The data showed that 68% of users struggled with limited listings in their preferred locations, 43% cited untrustworthy reviews, and 32% complained about misleading property details. Most booked shortlets only a few times a year, mainly discovering them through social media (46%) or friends (43%), leading to inefficiency and inconsistent booking experiences.
Users preferred shortlets over hotels for home-like amenities (84%), privacy (68%), affordability for groups (57%), and unique designs (43%). They valued detailed amenity descriptions (89%), accurate pricing (84%), verified reviews (62%), and high-quality photos (54%)—showing how vital clear, verified information is when making booking decisions.
For a dedicated platform, users wanted filters for budget, amenities, and location (84%), map-based search (68%), verified listings with reviews (62%), and instant booking with payment options (59%). These insights defined the platform’s core features and user experience priorities.
Competitor analysis revealed clear opportunities. Airbnb fosters community and review systems but struggles with inconsistent quality and hidden fees. Booking.com is reliable for hotels but offers poor shortlet discovery. Local real estate sites focus on regional listings but lack payment integration, verified reviews, and proper visuals. This showed the gap for a transparent, apartment-focused solution with seamless booking and management tools.
Three main insights emerged: trust is the biggest barrier to booking; discovery must be fast and unified; and both travelers and property owners need simple tools that reduce friction.
Two key personas guided the design process. Sarah, 32, a business consultant, travels often for work and values privacy, WiFi, and comfort but dislikes misleading listings and hidden fees. David, 45, owns three apartments and wants consistent bookings but struggles with scattered messages and no proper management tools. These personas kept the focus on solving real problems for both renters and hosts.
I conducted a survey with 37 respondents to understand the challenges travelers face when booking shortlet apartments and what property owners need to manage their rentals effectively. The study revealed major gaps in trust, discovery, and management tools, confirming the need for a reliable, centralized platform.
The data showed that 68% of users struggled with limited listings in their preferred locations, 43% cited untrustworthy reviews, and 32% complained about misleading property details. Most booked shortlets only a few times a year, mainly discovering them through social media (46%) or friends (43%), leading to inefficiency and inconsistent booking experiences.
Users preferred shortlets over hotels for home-like amenities (84%), privacy (68%), affordability for groups (57%), and unique designs (43%). They valued detailed amenity descriptions (89%), accurate pricing (84%), verified reviews (62%), and high-quality photos (54%)—showing how vital clear, verified information is when making booking decisions.
For a dedicated platform, users wanted filters for budget, amenities, and location (84%), map-based search (68%), verified listings with reviews (62%), and instant booking with payment options (59%). These insights defined the platform’s core features and user experience priorities.
Competitor analysis revealed clear opportunities. Airbnb fosters community and review systems but struggles with inconsistent quality and hidden fees. Booking.com is reliable for hotels but offers poor shortlet discovery. Local real estate sites focus on regional listings but lack payment integration, verified reviews, and proper visuals. This showed the gap for a transparent, apartment-focused solution with seamless booking and management tools.
Three main insights emerged: trust is the biggest barrier to booking; discovery must be fast and unified; and both travelers and property owners need simple tools that reduce friction.
Two key personas guided the design process. Sarah, 32, a business consultant, travels often for work and values privacy, WiFi, and comfort but dislikes misleading listings and hidden fees. David, 45, owns three apartments and wants consistent bookings but struggles with scattered messages and no proper management tools. These personas kept the focus on solving real problems for both renters and hosts.
I conducted a survey with 37 respondents to understand the challenges travelers face when booking shortlet apartments and what property owners need to manage their rentals effectively. The study revealed major gaps in trust, discovery, and management tools, confirming the need for a reliable, centralized platform.
The data showed that 68% of users struggled with limited listings in their preferred locations, 43% cited untrustworthy reviews, and 32% complained about misleading property details. Most booked shortlets only a few times a year, mainly discovering them through social media (46%) or friends (43%), leading to inefficiency and inconsistent booking experiences.
Users preferred shortlets over hotels for home-like amenities (84%), privacy (68%), affordability for groups (57%), and unique designs (43%). They valued detailed amenity descriptions (89%), accurate pricing (84%), verified reviews (62%), and high-quality photos (54%)—showing how vital clear, verified information is when making booking decisions.
For a dedicated platform, users wanted filters for budget, amenities, and location (84%), map-based search (68%), verified listings with reviews (62%), and instant booking with payment options (59%). These insights defined the platform’s core features and user experience priorities.
Competitor analysis revealed clear opportunities. Airbnb fosters community and review systems but struggles with inconsistent quality and hidden fees. Booking.com is reliable for hotels but offers poor shortlet discovery. Local real estate sites focus on regional listings but lack payment integration, verified reviews, and proper visuals. This showed the gap for a transparent, apartment-focused solution with seamless booking and management tools.
Three main insights emerged: trust is the biggest barrier to booking; discovery must be fast and unified; and both travelers and property owners need simple tools that reduce friction.
Two key personas guided the design process. Sarah, 32, a business consultant, travels often for work and values privacy, WiFi, and comfort but dislikes misleading listings and hidden fees. David, 45, owns three apartments and wants consistent bookings but struggles with scattered messages and no proper management tools. These personas kept the focus on solving real problems for both renters and hosts.
/Design Process
/Design Process
Based on the research insights, I designed a dual-sided marketplace platform with distinct experiences for customers seeking shortlets and apartment owners managing their properties. This approach allowed me to optimize each interface for its specific use case while maintaining consistency in shared touchpoints like booking confirmations and messaging.
The customer experience prioritizes trust-building and booking efficiency. I implemented comprehensive filters for location, price, dates, and amenities to address the discovery friction users experienced across fragmented channels. High-quality imagery, detailed amenity descriptions, and verified reviews are mandatory for all listings to combat the unclear property details problem. The booking flow minimizes steps from search to confirmation while maintaining transparency in pricing breakdown, and automated reminders and communication keep customers informed throughout their stay.
The apartment owner experience focuses on simplifying property management and maximizing earnings. The dashboard provides a centralized view of all listings, bookings, and financial performance to replace the scattered management across social media and messaging apps. The listing creation process guides owners through uploading quality photos, setting competitive pricing, and describing amenities comprehensively. Interactive calendars for availability management, instant booking options for efficiency, and built-in messaging for guest communication streamline operations. Performance analytics help owners understand occupancy rates, revenue trends, and areas for improvement.
Key design decisions included implementing mandatory verification for both listings and reviews to build platform trust, creating dynamic pricing displays that calculate total costs, including all fees to ensure transparency, designing seamless extension flows that allow customers to extend stays without disruption, and building automated notification systems for reminders, confirmations, and communications to reduce manual coordination. These decisions directly addressed the trust, transparency, and efficiency gaps identified in the research.
Based on the research insights, I designed a dual-sided marketplace platform with distinct experiences for customers seeking shortlets and apartment owners managing their properties. This approach allowed me to optimize each interface for its specific use case while maintaining consistency in shared touchpoints like booking confirmations and messaging.
The customer experience prioritizes trust-building and booking efficiency. I implemented comprehensive filters for location, price, dates, and amenities to address the discovery friction users experienced across fragmented channels. High-quality imagery, detailed amenity descriptions, and verified reviews are mandatory for all listings to combat the unclear property details problem. The booking flow minimizes steps from search to confirmation while maintaining transparency in pricing breakdown, and automated reminders and communication keep customers informed throughout their stay.
The apartment owner experience focuses on simplifying property management and maximizing earnings. The dashboard provides a centralized view of all listings, bookings, and financial performance to replace the scattered management across social media and messaging apps. The listing creation process guides owners through uploading quality photos, setting competitive pricing, and describing amenities comprehensively. Interactive calendars for availability management, instant booking options for efficiency, and built-in messaging for guest communication streamline operations. Performance analytics help owners understand occupancy rates, revenue trends, and areas for improvement.
Key design decisions included implementing mandatory verification for both listings and reviews to build platform trust, creating dynamic pricing displays that calculate total costs, including all fees to ensure transparency, designing seamless extension flows that allow customers to extend stays without disruption, and building automated notification systems for reminders, confirmations, and communications to reduce manual coordination. These decisions directly addressed the trust, transparency, and efficiency gaps identified in the research.
Based on the research insights, I designed a dual-sided marketplace platform with distinct experiences for customers seeking shortlets and apartment owners managing their properties. This approach allowed me to optimize each interface for its specific use case while maintaining consistency in shared touchpoints like booking confirmations and messaging.
The customer experience prioritizes trust-building and booking efficiency. I implemented comprehensive filters for location, price, dates, and amenities to address the discovery friction users experienced across fragmented channels. High-quality imagery, detailed amenity descriptions, and verified reviews are mandatory for all listings to combat the unclear property details problem. The booking flow minimizes steps from search to confirmation while maintaining transparency in pricing breakdown, and automated reminders and communication keep customers informed throughout their stay.
The apartment owner experience focuses on simplifying property management and maximizing earnings. The dashboard provides a centralized view of all listings, bookings, and financial performance to replace the scattered management across social media and messaging apps. The listing creation process guides owners through uploading quality photos, setting competitive pricing, and describing amenities comprehensively. Interactive calendars for availability management, instant booking options for efficiency, and built-in messaging for guest communication streamline operations. Performance analytics help owners understand occupancy rates, revenue trends, and areas for improvement.
Key design decisions included implementing mandatory verification for both listings and reviews to build platform trust, creating dynamic pricing displays that calculate total costs, including all fees to ensure transparency, designing seamless extension flows that allow customers to extend stays without disruption, and building automated notification systems for reminders, confirmations, and communications to reduce manual coordination. These decisions directly addressed the trust, transparency, and efficiency gaps identified in the research.
/Key Features & Solutions
/Key Features & Solutions
Landing Page
Landing Page
The homepage features a prominent hero section with a location-based search bar and quick filters for dates and guest count, alongside curated sections displaying featured listings, popular locations across Africa with visual cards, trending apartments, and location-based suggestions, solving the discovery friction by consolidating all browsing options in one intuitive interface while inspiring users with high-quality imagery and clear categorization that addresses the limited listings and unclear details problems identified in research.
The homepage features a prominent hero section with a location-based search bar and quick filters for dates and guest count, alongside curated sections displaying featured listings, popular locations across Africa with visual cards, trending apartments, and location-based suggestions, solving the discovery friction by consolidating all browsing options in one intuitive interface while inspiring users with high-quality imagery and clear categorization that addresses the limited listings and unclear details problems identified in research.
The homepage features a prominent hero section with a location-based search bar and quick filters for dates and guest count, alongside curated sections displaying featured listings, popular locations across Africa with visual cards, trending apartments, and location-based suggestions, solving the discovery friction by consolidating all browsing options in one intuitive interface while inspiring users with high-quality imagery and clear categorization that addresses the limited listings and unclear details problems identified in research.
Property Details Page
Property Details Page
This comprehensive view displays high-quality image galleries, apartment specifications, detailed descriptions, clearly listed amenities with icons, an interactive availability calendar, verified user reviews with star ratings, location map, transparent per-night pricing, and a prominent check availability button, directly addressing the 89% of users who needed detailed amenity descriptions, 84% who wanted accurate pricing, and 62% who required verified reviews before making booking decisions.
This comprehensive view displays high-quality image galleries, apartment specifications, detailed descriptions, clearly listed amenities with icons, an interactive availability calendar, verified user reviews with star ratings, location map, transparent per-night pricing, and a prominent check availability button, directly addressing the 89% of users who needed detailed amenity descriptions, 84% who wanted accurate pricing, and 62% who required verified reviews before making booking decisions.
This comprehensive view displays high-quality image galleries, apartment specifications, detailed descriptions, clearly listed amenities with icons, an interactive availability calendar, verified user reviews with star ratings, location map, transparent per-night pricing, and a prominent check availability button, directly addressing the 89% of users who needed detailed amenity descriptions, 84% who wanted accurate pricing, and 62% who required verified reviews before making booking decisions.
Virtual Tour Modal
Virtual Tour Modal
An immersive video tour interface allows users to virtually explore the apartment through a fullscreen video player with play controls and thumbnail navigation to different rooms, solving the trust barrier by letting users experience the property remotely and reducing the uncertainty from unclear or misleading property details that 32% of respondents struggled with.
An immersive video tour interface allows users to virtually explore the apartment through a fullscreen video player with play controls and thumbnail navigation to different rooms, solving the trust barrier by letting users experience the property remotely and reducing the uncertainty from unclear or misleading property details that 32% of respondents struggled with.
An immersive video tour interface allows users to virtually explore the apartment through a fullscreen video player with play controls and thumbnail navigation to different rooms, solving the trust barrier by letting users experience the property remotely and reducing the uncertainty from unclear or misleading property details that 32% of respondents struggled with.
Rating & Review Modal
Rating & Review Modal
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
Messaging Interface
Messaging Interface
A dedicated communication system features a conversation list with property thumbnails, real-time messaging with timestamps, quick access to property details, booking status updates integrated into chat, and system-generated notifications for inquiries and confirmations, solving the communication friction between guests and hosts while eliminating the scattered WhatsApp and Instagram messaging that users currently endure.
A dedicated communication system features a conversation list with property thumbnails, real-time messaging with timestamps, quick access to property details, booking status updates integrated into chat, and system-generated notifications for inquiries and confirmations, solving the communication friction between guests and hosts while eliminating the scattered WhatsApp and Instagram messaging that users currently endure.
A dedicated communication system features a conversation list with property thumbnails, real-time messaging with timestamps, quick access to property details, booking status updates integrated into chat, and system-generated notifications for inquiries and confirmations, solving the communication friction between guests and hosts while eliminating the scattered WhatsApp and Instagram messaging that users currently endure.
Apartment Owner Experience
Apartment Owner Experience
Shortlet Basic Information
Shortlet Basic Information
A guided multi-step form collects essential property details including shortlet type, ownership information, and comprehensive description text area with clear progress indicators showing completed and pending steps, solving the scattered listing management problem by providing a structured onboarding flow that ensures owners provide all necessary information to build trust and attract bookings without technical complexity.
A guided multi-step form collects essential property details including shortlet type, ownership information, and comprehensive description text area with clear progress indicators showing completed and pending steps, solving the scattered listing management problem by providing a structured onboarding flow that ensures owners provide all necessary information to build trust and attract bookings without technical complexity.
A guided multi-step form collects essential property details including shortlet type, ownership information, and comprehensive description text area with clear progress indicators showing completed and pending steps, solving the scattered listing management problem by providing a structured onboarding flow that ensures owners provide all necessary information to build trust and attract bookings without technical complexity.
Add Photos Page
Add Photos Page
A drag-and-drop upload interface requires minimum 5 high-quality photos with clear file format and size guidelines, image quality recommendations, and visual progress tracking, directly addressing the 54% of users who needed high-quality photos to evaluate listings by making it easy for owners to showcase their properties professionally and reducing unclear property details that prevented bookings.
A drag-and-drop upload interface requires minimum 5 high-quality photos with clear file format and size guidelines, image quality recommendations, and visual progress tracking, directly addressing the 54% of users who needed high-quality photos to evaluate listings by making it easy for owners to showcase their properties professionally and reducing unclear property details that prevented bookings.
A drag-and-drop upload interface requires minimum 5 high-quality photos with clear file format and size guidelines, image quality recommendations, and visual progress tracking, directly addressing the 54% of users who needed high-quality photos to evaluate listings by making it easy for owners to showcase their properties professionally and reducing unclear property details that prevented bookings.
Location Page
Location Page
An interactive map interface with address search field allows owners to precisely pin their property location with privacy assurance that the full address is only shared after booking confirmation, solving the trust and security concerns while enabling the 68% of users who wanted map functionality to locate apartments near their desired areas.
An interactive map interface with address search field allows owners to precisely pin their property location with privacy assurance that the full address is only shared after booking confirmation, solving the trust and security concerns while enabling the 68% of users who wanted map functionality to locate apartments near their desired areas.
An interactive map interface with address search field allows owners to precisely pin their property location with privacy assurance that the full address is only shared after booking confirmation, solving the trust and security concerns while enabling the 68% of users who wanted map functionality to locate apartments near their desired areas.
Dashboard Overview
Dashboard Overview
The command center displays key metrics including total bookings, revenue, pending orders, and active customers with percentage changes, alongside customer growth trends, revenue breakdowns by property type, apartment carousel with quick edit access, and property channel distribution, replacing the scattered social media management by consolidating all performance data in one view so owners can track earnings and optimize their listings effectively.
The command center displays key metrics including total bookings, revenue, pending orders, and active customers with percentage changes, alongside customer growth trends, revenue breakdowns by property type, apartment carousel with quick edit access, and property channel distribution, replacing the scattered social media management by consolidating all performance data in one view so owners can track earnings and optimize their listings effectively.
The command center displays key metrics including total bookings, revenue, pending orders, and active customers with percentage changes, alongside customer growth trends, revenue breakdowns by property type, apartment carousel with quick edit access, and property channel distribution, replacing the scattered social media management by consolidating all performance data in one view so owners can track earnings and optimize their listings effectively.
Bookings Page
Bookings Page
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
After booking, a friendly review prompt appears with an emoji-based satisfaction indicator, star rating system from 1-5 stars, open text field for detailed feedback, and a clear send rating button, addressing the verified reviews need by making feedback submission simple and encouraging while building the trust ecosystem that 62% of users required when evaluating listings.
Earnings Page
Earnings Page
A detailed financial dashboard displays balance, outcomes, incomes, and pending payouts with growth indicators, a monthly income vs outcomes chart, recent transaction history with success and failure states, property-level earnings breakdown with booking counts and revenue per apartment, and a prominent request payout button, addressing owners' need for financial transparency and replacing the manual tracking across multiple platforms with automated earnings management.
A detailed financial dashboard displays balance, outcomes, incomes, and pending payouts with growth indicators, a monthly income vs outcomes chart, recent transaction history with success and failure states, property-level earnings breakdown with booking counts and revenue per apartment, and a prominent request payout button, addressing owners' need for financial transparency and replacing the manual tracking across multiple platforms with automated earnings management.
A detailed financial dashboard displays balance, outcomes, incomes, and pending payouts with growth indicators, a monthly income vs outcomes chart, recent transaction history with success and failure states, property-level earnings breakdown with booking counts and revenue per apartment, and a prominent request payout button, addressing owners' need for financial transparency and replacing the manual tracking across multiple platforms with automated earnings management.
/Reflection
/Reflection
Designing Actify taught me that successful marketplaces thrive when both customers and property owners are equally empowered. Balancing trust-building for users with efficiency for owners shaped every design decision to ensure neither experience was compromised.
The research showed that trust goes beyond features—it’s built through verification, transparency, and clear communication. This led us to make verified reviews, quality images, and detailed property information mandatory across the platform.
As the sole designer, I had to think end-to-end—from guiding owners through professional listing creation to designing booking flows that helped customers feel confident—while working closely with developers to deliver within a three-month timeline.
The biggest challenge was simplifying complex workflows like multi-step listings and booking management into clear, intuitive interfaces. It taught me that great design removes friction by anticipating user needs and showing only what matters at the right moment.
If I revisited the project, I’d enhance analytics for owners with actionable insights, introduce smarter pricing tools based on demand and location, and add community features for new hosts to learn from experienced ones.
This experience reinforced that empathy drives real problem-solving, that constraints inspire smarter decisions, and that designing for trust means obsessing over every detail—from photo standards to transparent pricing—because users make meaningful decisions based on the clarity and honesty of what they see.
Designing Actify taught me that successful marketplaces thrive when both customers and property owners are equally empowered. Balancing trust-building for users with efficiency for owners shaped every design decision to ensure neither experience was compromised.
The research showed that trust goes beyond features—it’s built through verification, transparency, and clear communication. This led us to make verified reviews, quality images, and detailed property information mandatory across the platform.
As the sole designer, I had to think end-to-end—from guiding owners through professional listing creation to designing booking flows that helped customers feel confident—while working closely with developers to deliver within a three-month timeline.
The biggest challenge was simplifying complex workflows like multi-step listings and booking management into clear, intuitive interfaces. It taught me that great design removes friction by anticipating user needs and showing only what matters at the right moment.
If I revisited the project, I’d enhance analytics for owners with actionable insights, introduce smarter pricing tools based on demand and location, and add community features for new hosts to learn from experienced ones.
This experience reinforced that empathy drives real problem-solving, that constraints inspire smarter decisions, and that designing for trust means obsessing over every detail—from photo standards to transparent pricing—because users make meaningful decisions based on the clarity and honesty of what they see.
Designing Actify taught me that successful marketplaces thrive when both customers and property owners are equally empowered. Balancing trust-building for users with efficiency for owners shaped every design decision to ensure neither experience was compromised.
The research showed that trust goes beyond features—it’s built through verification, transparency, and clear communication. This led us to make verified reviews, quality images, and detailed property information mandatory across the platform.
As the sole designer, I had to think end-to-end—from guiding owners through professional listing creation to designing booking flows that helped customers feel confident—while working closely with developers to deliver within a three-month timeline.
The biggest challenge was simplifying complex workflows like multi-step listings and booking management into clear, intuitive interfaces. It taught me that great design removes friction by anticipating user needs and showing only what matters at the right moment.
If I revisited the project, I’d enhance analytics for owners with actionable insights, introduce smarter pricing tools based on demand and location, and add community features for new hosts to learn from experienced ones.
This experience reinforced that empathy drives real problem-solving, that constraints inspire smarter decisions, and that designing for trust means obsessing over every detail—from photo standards to transparent pricing—because users make meaningful decisions based on the clarity and honesty of what they see.