Group Planning on Airbnb
Case Study
Overview
A hypothetical feature on Airbnb to support group travel by consolidating group messaging and split payments, in-app.
The project fulfilled Designlab's Add a Feature assignment.
Role
UX/UI Designer
User Research
Timeline
12 weeks
Prototyping
Wireframing
Problem
Airbnb connects travelers with short-term rental accommodations offered by hosts around the world. Aside from sharing wishlists, its trip planning capabilities are largely individual and offer little support for group-planning collaboration.
The goal of this project is to explore how Airbnb can centralize planning logistics among group travelers (e.g. group messaging, deciding on location, splitting expenses).
Research
To establish a baseline understanding of the issue and market, l analyzed how users currently plan group trips, what tools they rely on, and what types of collaboration tools are most needed. Methodologies included:
Competitive Analysis (SWOT)
User Interviews
POV & HMWs
Competitive Analysis
None of the competitors currently offer deep, native group planning tools (like collaborative itinerary building, shared wishlists, polling for options, etc.).
By introducing a group trip planning feature, Airbnb can:
Capture market share from Vrbo’s family/group travelers.
Compete with Booking.com's frictionless booking by layering in social decision-making.
Diminish Tripadvisor’s role in the inspiration phase by housing planning, vetting, and booking all in one place.
Key Takeaways:
User Interviews
Overview
Key Insights
Six people were interviewed between the ages of 24-30.
The interviews focused on their experience planning group travel, and what websites or apps they used to coordinate logistics.
To split costs, users tracked their spending on apps like Splitwise and Venmo.
To manage trip planning, users collaborated via group iMessage.
Users also showed an interest in in-app recommendations for local restaurants and activities.
Research Synthesis
POV
I’d like to explore ways to support overwhelmed trip planners managing logistics, aligning group preferences, and tracking expenses.
HMW
Reduce app-switching to make it easier to track expenses, manage logistics, and collaborate on activities in one centralized place?
Reduce the stress of organizing by enabling collaborative tools like task-sharing or planning delegation?
POV
HMW
As a traveler who values where I stay and what activities I do during a trip, I find it inconvenient to have to locate local recs through outside sources like Reddit instead of having curated suggestions in-app (like TripAdvisor offers).
Pull users from our competitors by enticing them with a more robust collection of exclusive booking functionality?
Combine the emotional connection of Airbnb stays with the convenience of an all-in-one trip planner?
Design
The design stage started with mapping user flows, followed by creating low- and high-fidelity wireframes. Each iteration was informed by usability testing and feedback to address pain points and improve clarity.
User Flows
This user flow illustrates the Airbnb Group Travel Companion.
This all-in-one feature would offer group chat capabilities, and built-in cost-splitting, making it easy to plan and coordinate without leaving the app.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
High Fidelity Wireframes
Usability Testing & Revisions
Usability testing was completed with 5 participants. Users were asked to reserve a stay being discussed in the group message, and split the cost amongst the group members.
Results showed high task completion for navigation (100%) but lower success rates for booking (60%) and cost-splitting (60%), due to unclear flows and confusion.
Users struggled with system feedback after sending auto-generated replies, navigating back to the listing, and confirming how costs would be split—indicating a need for stronger CTAs, clearer affordances, and better labeling.
This feedback guided iterations which included integrating the cost-splitting process within the payment screen, renaming ambiguous buttons, and improving clarity around total pricing and booking confirmation steps.
Final Iterations
To ensure users could complete key tasks without distraction, I broke up the cost-splitting across multiple screens. This was to avoid cognitive overload and ensure a more focused and user-friendly experience. In addition, it aligned more with Airbnb’s generous use of white space which balances clarity with efficiency.
Final Thoughts
This project was a meaningful step in my growth as a UX designer. I gained confidence in the visual design process, especially through practicing UI iterations. I also learned some important lessons—particularly around scope management. I found myself veering away from my original user flow and trying to do too much, which impacted both my timeline and file organization.
A major takeaway from this experience is the importance of staying within scope and managing time effectively. Iteration is valuable, but setting clear boundaries is essential to avoid overcomplication. Going forward, I’ll approach projects with a stronger awareness of when to scale back in service of clarity and usability.