Integrated Payment Splitting on Airbnb 💸

Airbnb currently lacks a smooth group booking experience, requiring individuals to book and pay upfront, leading to post-payment reimbursement hassle and user frustration. Drawing on insights from usability reviews, surveys, competitor analysis and user persona considerations, I conceptualized and designed a user-friendly in-app payment splitting feature aimed at streamlining the group booking experience, reducing user frustration, and ultimately, improving customer satisfaction and retention.

Integrated Payment Splitting on Airbnb 💸

Airbnb currently lacks a smooth group booking experience, requiring individuals to book and pay upfront, leading to post-payment reimbursement hassle and user frustration. Drawing on insights from usability reviews, surveys, competitor analysis and user persona considerations, I conceptualized and designed a user-friendly in-app payment splitting feature aimed at streamlining the group booking experience, reducing user frustration, and ultimately, improving customer satisfaction and retention.

Integrated Payment Splitting on Airbnb 💸

Airbnb currently lacks a smooth group booking experience, requiring individuals to book and pay upfront, leading to post-payment reimbursement hassle and user frustration. Drawing on insights from usability reviews, surveys, competitor analysis and user persona considerations, I conceptualized and designed a user-friendly in-app payment splitting feature aimed at streamlining the group booking experience, reducing user frustration, and ultimately, improving customer satisfaction and retention.

Understanding the Problem

Understanding the Problem

Usability Review

To better understand Airbnb and their app’s existing user journey, I conducted a usability review to identify pain points, strengths, and areas of improvement using the SWCDUO method and Nielsen's heuristics. While the app excels in individual bookings (flexibility, intuitive interface), group bookings suffer from:

  • Information overload: Large amounts of content on booking screens can overwhelm users.

  • Missed opportunity for discounts: The payment process lacks integration with promotions and vouchers.

  • Inefficient group payments: One person handling the entire booking leads to:

    • Lack of transparency: Increased potential for arguments and delays due to unclear financial arrangements within the group.

    • Financial burden: The initial payer faces risk and potential delays in recouping costs, hindering access to time-sensitive promotions.

Usability Review

To better understand Airbnb and their app’s existing user journey, I conducted a usability review to identify pain points, strengths, and areas of improvement using the SWCDUO method and Nielsen's heuristics. While the app excels in individual bookings (flexibility, intuitive interface), group bookings suffer from:

  • Information overload: Large amounts of content on booking screens can overwhelm users.

  • Missed opportunity for discounts: The payment process lacks integration with promotions and vouchers.

  • Inefficient group payments: One person handling the entire booking leads to:

    • Lack of transparency: Increased potential for arguments and delays due to unclear financial arrangements within the group.

    • Financial burden: The initial payer faces risk and potential delays in recouping costs, hindering access to time-sensitive promotions.

User Segment and Persona

My research targeted travellers who book Airbnb stays for larger groups like families, friends, or co-workers. They prioritise comfortable multi-guest accommodations with amenities like shared living spaces and multiple bedrooms, often for longer stays, and seek discounts for larger parties.

Based on this defined user segment, I created a detailed user persona named Vicki. Vicki embodies the characteristics and needs of typical Airbnb group travellers, enabling me to design and refine survey questions that resonate with their experiences and challenges.

User Segment and Persona

My research targeted travellers who book Airbnb stays for larger groups like families, friends, or co-workers. They prioritise comfortable multi-guest accommodations with amenities like shared living spaces and multiple bedrooms, often for longer stays, and seek discounts for larger parties.

Based on this defined user segment, I created a detailed user persona named Vicki. Vicki embodies the characteristics and needs of typical Airbnb group travellers, enabling me to design and refine survey questions that resonate with their experiences and challenges.

User Research

Having studied Airbnb's app and user flow, I formed three research hypotheses for improving group bookings:

  1. Implementing an in-app payment splitting feature will reduce the time taken for group bookings on Airbnb.

  2. A feature to split payments within the Airbnb app would increase user access to discounts, offers, and prime accommodation locations due to a more efficient booking process.

  3. Implementing a secure and intuitive payment splitting feature directly in the Airbnb app will improve user trust and satisfaction, reducing disputes and inequalities within travel groups.

To test these hypotheses, I recruited and surveyed 70 participants who fit the target segment described earlier. 

The survey focused on areas identified through initial research, such as inefficiency due to one-person payment and missed opportunities for discounts.

Key findings:

  • Common travel groups: holidays, family visits, work trips

  • Accommodation needs: 87% need multiple bedrooms; 55%, shared spaces; 27%, amenities

  • Travel frequency: 34.3% travel once a year, 30% travel 3-4 times annually

  • Travel companions: friends (82.9%), family (75.7%), partners (40%), co-workers (27.1%)

  • Payment behaviour: 71.4% report one person paying initially, with others reimbursing later

User Research

Having studied Airbnb's app and user flow, I formed three research hypotheses for improving group bookings:

  1. Implementing an in-app payment splitting feature will reduce the time taken for group bookings on Airbnb.

  2. A feature to split payments within the Airbnb app would increase user access to discounts, offers, and prime accommodation locations due to a more efficient booking process.

  3. Implementing a secure and intuitive payment splitting feature directly in the Airbnb app will improve user trust and satisfaction, reducing disputes and inequalities within travel groups.

To test these hypotheses, I recruited and surveyed 70 participants who fit the target segment described earlier. 

The survey focused on areas identified through initial research, such as inefficiency due to one-person payment and missed opportunities for discounts.

Key findings:

  • Common travel groups: holidays, family visits, work trips

  • Accommodation needs: 87% need multiple bedrooms; 55%, shared spaces; 27%, amenities

  • Travel frequency: 34.3% travel once a year, 30% travel 3-4 times annually

  • Travel companions: friends (82.9%), family (75.7%), partners (40%), co-workers (27.1%)

  • Payment behaviour: 71.4% report one person paying initially, with others reimbursing later

Affinity Mapping

We analysed the survey responses using Dovetail. Each answer was meticulously tagged based on a defined system, enabling us to identify trends and validate our initial hypotheses.

Affinity Mapping

We analysed the survey responses using Dovetail. Each answer was meticulously tagged based on a defined system, enabling us to identify trends and validate our initial hypotheses.

Through affinity mapping, we categorised our insights into three core themes: desired features, pain points, and booking/payment processes. Our analysis revealed that the booking process on Airbnb takes longer than it needs to as group travellers don’t have an in-app payment method to split the accommodation fee, which hinders timely access to discounts and prime locations, impacting user experience as exemplified by Vicki.

Through affinity mapping, we categorised our insights into three core themes: desired features, pain points, and booking/payment processes. Our analysis revealed that the booking process on Airbnb takes longer than it needs to as group travellers don’t have an in-app payment method to split the accommodation fee, which hinders timely access to discounts and prime locations, impacting user experience as exemplified by Vicki.

Business and User Frustrations

As demonstrated by the user research and synthesis above, I was able to form the following frustration statements that highlight user friction within the Airbnb app:

Business and User Frustrations

As demonstrated by the user research and synthesis above, I was able to form the following frustration statements that highlight user friction within the Airbnb app:

When users book trips in groups, they spend more time outside Airbnb to split the payment for their accommodation amongst their peers. This leads to confusion, frustration, and an inefficient booking and payment process overall.

When users book trips in groups, they spend more time outside Airbnb to split the payment for their accommodation amongst their peers. This leads to confusion, frustration, and an inefficient booking and payment process overall.

The lack of transparency when booking a group trip on Airbnb causes arguments within travel groups. Users have reported that they risk missing out on discounts provided by premium listings due to the extra time spent circumventing splitting payments outside of Airbnb. Ultimately, users are being sent outside the app, increasing churn and lower customer satisfaction.

The lack of transparency when booking a group trip on Airbnb causes arguments within travel groups. Users have reported that they risk missing out on discounts provided by premium listings due to the extra time spent circumventing splitting payments outside of Airbnb. Ultimately, users are being sent outside the app, increasing churn and lower customer satisfaction.

Competitor Benchmarking

Having identified the primary pain points users experience while paying, I looked at how one direct competitor (Booking.com) and two indirect competitors (Splitwise & Uber) solved similar problems.

I primarily considered how in-app payment splitting might placate users like Vicky during their user journey.

Competitor Benchmarking

Having identified the primary pain points users experience while paying, I looked at how one direct competitor (Booking.com) and two indirect competitors (Splitwise & Uber) solved similar problems.

I primarily considered how in-app payment splitting might placate users like Vicky during their user journey.

BOOKING.COM:

Seamless group booking experience with optional split payments. Clear guidance minimizing confusion. Time-bound urgency encourages prompt payments. Inconspicuous guest addition and information overload on some screens. Disruptive split payment pop-up.

BOOKING.COM:

Seamless group booking experience with optional split payments. Clear guidance minimizing confusion. Time-bound urgency encourages prompt payments. Inconspicuous guest addition and information overload on some screens. Disruptive split payment pop-up.

SPLITWISE:

Straightforward navigation and upfront information. User-friendly "settle up" phrasing, but imprecise terminology. Visually digestible information and color-coded actions. Busy layouts and vague icons. Transparent overview of trip payments, but room for design optimization.

SPLITWISE:

Straightforward navigation and upfront information. User-friendly "settle up" phrasing, but imprecise terminology. Visually digestible information and color-coded actions. Busy layouts and vague icons. Transparent overview of trip payments, but room for design optimization.

UBER:

Clear CTA buttons, but lacks cost transparency. Contact integration assists user retrieval. Needs improvement in navigation and individual identification. Confusing terminology. "Bento box" layout is visually appealing, but cluttered with irrelevant content.

UBER:

Clear CTA buttons, but lacks cost transparency. Contact integration assists user retrieval. Needs improvement in navigation and individual identification. Confusing terminology. "Bento box" layout is visually appealing, but cluttered with irrelevant content.

Defining It

Defining It

Problem Statement

With a clearer idea of the problem space, I was able to use insights gleaned from primary research, as well as the competitor analysis conducted on Booking.com, Splitwise & Uber to arrive at a problem statement:

Problem Statement

With a clearer idea of the problem space, I was able to use insights gleaned from primary research, as well as the competitor analysis conducted on Booking.com, Splitwise & Uber to arrive at a problem statement:

[User group] needs [need or goal] because [reasons/motivations].

However, [current experience or pain point] leads to [negative outcome].

[User group] needs [need or goal] because [reasons/motivations].

However, [current experience or pain point] leads to [negative outcome].

Friends travelling together in groups need a seamless, in-app function to split payments to avoid disputes, short-changing, delays in booking, and unnecessary manual toil.

Unfortunately, a lack of ease, trust and security over splitting payments has led to confusion and frustration within travel groups, resulting in arguments and inequality over the total sum paid by individuals.

Friends travelling together in groups need a seamless, in-app function to split payments to avoid disputes, short-changing, delays in booking, and unnecessary manual toil.

Unfortunately, a lack of ease, trust and security over splitting payments has led to confusion and frustration within travel groups, resulting in arguments and inequality over the total sum paid by individuals.

The problem statement was the first step in centring my design approach and ideation - but reframing it through the lens of our user persona, Vicki, allowed me to be more consistently mindful of her pain points that I was hoping to alleviate.

The problem statement was the first step in centring my design approach and ideation - but reframing it through the lens of our user persona, Vicki, allowed me to be more consistently mindful of her pain points that I was hoping to alleviate.

'How Might We'

Currently, Vicki, like 71.4% of survey participants, usually fronts the entire cost of accommodation after booking through Airbnb upfront.

She relies on individual reimbursements from her friends and family that can take up to a week, creating challenges for Vicki and her friends:

  • Vicki spends unnecessary time chasing down payments, detracting from the trip-planning experience.

  • Waiting for reimbursements can cause delays in booking desirable accommodations, leading to missed opportunities.

  • The lack of transparency and upfront payment can breed resentment and arguments within the group.

How might we implement a secure and intuitive in-app payment splitting feature for Airbnb that empowers users like Vicki to easily and fairly share costs upfront, reducing delays, fostering trust, and ultimately creating a smoother and more enjoyable group travel experience?

This feature should be designed to:

  • Allow Vicki to easily initiate and manage group payment splitting within the Airbnb app.

  • Provide clear breakdowns of individual costs and ensure everyone is aware of their share.

  • Offer secure and convenient payment options that encourage timely contributions from all group members.

  • Foster a sense of shared responsibility and eliminate disputes over money within the group.

'How Might We'

Currently, Vicki, like 71.4% of survey participants, usually fronts the entire cost of accommodation after booking through Airbnb upfront.

She relies on individual reimbursements from her friends and family that can take up to a week, creating challenges for Vicki and her friends:

  • Vicki spends unnecessary time chasing down payments, detracting from the trip-planning experience.

  • Waiting for reimbursements can cause delays in booking desirable accommodations, leading to missed opportunities.

  • The lack of transparency and upfront payment can breed resentment and arguments within the group.

How might we implement a secure and intuitive in-app payment splitting feature for Airbnb that empowers users like Vicki to easily and fairly share costs upfront, reducing delays, fostering trust, and ultimately creating a smoother and more enjoyable group travel experience?

This feature should be designed to:

  • Allow Vicki to easily initiate and manage group payment splitting within the Airbnb app.

  • Provide clear breakdowns of individual costs and ensure everyone is aware of their share.

  • Offer secure and convenient payment options that encourage timely contributions from all group members.

  • Foster a sense of shared responsibility and eliminate disputes over money within the group.

Ideation

Ideation

Mindmapping

To explore these initial ideas further, I started with a mind map. My goal was to thoroughly map out potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app while staying focused on our specific problem space. As mentioned earlier, our problem statement emphasised group travel, payment splitting options, efficiency, and trust/transparency. By colour-coding and labelling these key themes, we were able to organise our ideas effectively, making them easier to track, follow, and favourite later.

Mindmapping

To explore these initial ideas further, I started with a mind map. My goal was to thoroughly map out potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app while staying focused on our specific problem space. As mentioned earlier, our problem statement emphasised group travel, payment splitting options, efficiency, and trust/transparency. By colour-coding and labelling these key themes, we were able to organise our ideas effectively, making them easier to track, follow, and favourite later.

Prioritisation

We selected our favourite ideas and placed them on an impact/effort chart to prioritise potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app. This tool helped us assess each idea's potential user benefit (impact) compared to the resources required for implementation (effort).

Prioritisation

We selected our favourite ideas and placed them on an impact/effort chart to prioritise potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app. This tool helped us assess each idea's potential user benefit (impact) compared to the resources required for implementation (effort).

Crazy 8s

Following the prioritisation from the impact/effort chart, we selected several high-potential ideas for further visual exploration using Crazy 8s in 2-minute limits. We conducted two rounds, wireframing four screens per session for a total of eight screens. These quick wireframes helped us visualise the user flow and identify potential usability issues at an early stage, allowing us to refine our chosen solutions before investing time in more detailed prototypes.

Crazy 8s

Following the prioritisation from the impact/effort chart, we selected several high-potential ideas for further visual exploration using Crazy 8s in 2-minute limits. We conducted two rounds, wireframing four screens per session for a total of eight screens. These quick wireframes helped us visualise the user flow and identify potential usability issues at an early stage, allowing us to refine our chosen solutions before investing time in more detailed prototypes.

User Flows

With our major ideas highlighted and prioritised, our focus shifted to understanding how they would integrate into Airbnb's user journey. We mapped out Airbnb's current user flow, separating it into the "Booking Process" and the "Payment Process" for improved clarity and analysis.

User Flows

With our major ideas highlighted and prioritised, our focus shifted to understanding how they would integrate into Airbnb's user journey. We mapped out Airbnb's current user flow, separating it into the "Booking Process" and the "Payment Process" for improved clarity and analysis.

This approach allowed us to visualize how our proposed solutions, i.e. incorporating a group booking process with built-in payment splitting preferences, would directly address Vicki's challenges within the existing workflow. It also helped us assess their potential impact and identify any potential areas for further refinement. By incorporating our ideas, we were able to further break down the user flow into distinct stages specifically tailored to address Vicki's needs, including creating a group, viewing group booking details, searching for/booking accommodation, and managing the payment process.

This approach allowed us to visualize how our proposed solutions, i.e. incorporating a group booking process with built-in payment splitting preferences, would directly address Vicki's challenges within the existing workflow. It also helped us assess their potential impact and identify any potential areas for further refinement. By incorporating our ideas, we were able to further break down the user flow into distinct stages specifically tailored to address Vicki's needs, including creating a group, viewing group booking details, searching for/booking accommodation, and managing the payment process.

Prototyping

Prototyping

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

Following the revised user flow, the next step involved creating mid-fidelity wireframes to visualize how our proposed solutions would function in practice. This involved quickly sketching out each screen and using sticky notes to exchange feedback and clarify the functionalities of any features that might not have been immediately apparent within the wireframe.

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

Following the revised user flow, the next step involved creating mid-fidelity wireframes to visualize how our proposed solutions would function in practice. This involved quickly sketching out each screen and using sticky notes to exchange feedback and clarify the functionalities of any features that might not have been immediately apparent within the wireframe.

Revised User Flows

Through wireframing, the user journey unfolded like a puzzle, each piece revealing itself and connecting to the next. We could fit the jigsaw together and more clearly see how each screen corresponded to its counterparts in the flow. This iterative exploration allowed us to visualize the new user flow with greater clarity, where each key step was distinct - from the initial creation of a group to viewing the group details, browsing and booking accommodation, and finally, managing the group payment.

Revised User Flows

Through wireframing, the user journey unfolded like a puzzle, each piece revealing itself and connecting to the next. We could fit the jigsaw together and more clearly see how each screen corresponded to its counterparts in the flow. This iterative exploration allowed us to visualize the new user flow with greater clarity, where each key step was distinct - from the initial creation of a group to viewing the group details, browsing and booking accommodation, and finally, managing the group payment.

Styles and Components

With this project, I was largely able to draw inspiration from Airbnb's existing design system to identify my colour and text styles. Though not entirely identical overall, we definitely used Airbnb's iconic pink for most CTAs - alternating between pink and our black where appropriate. Building a foundation of colour and text styles was immensely helpful when it came to building our components which is really where the fun started, toying with components like unique alert cards, timers and pie-charts to warn users that they have a limited time to pay for and complete their booking.

Styles and Components

With this project, I was largely able to draw inspiration from Airbnb's existing design system to identify my colour and text styles. Though not entirely identical overall, we definitely used Airbnb's iconic pink for most CTAs - alternating between pink and our black where appropriate. Building a foundation of colour and text styles was immensely helpful when it came to building our components which is really where the fun started, toying with components like unique alert cards, timers and pie-charts to warn users that they have a limited time to pay for and complete their booking.

High Fidelity Prototype

The next and final step was to start putting the high-fidelity prototype together. Our design was largely based on the mid-fidelity wireframes we created previously. However, adding our colour and text styles allowed us to better map out where certain components would go, occasionally leading us to deviate from the original wireframes in some places. This was also a fun exercise in experimenting with interactions and micro-interactions on Figma - both with a view to match Airbnb's original flow, but also just to be a little playful in how different screens flow into one another.

High Fidelity Prototype

The next and final step was to start putting the high-fidelity prototype together. Our design was largely based on the mid-fidelity wireframes we created previously. However, adding our colour and text styles allowed us to better map out where certain components would go, occasionally leading us to deviate from the original wireframes in some places. This was also a fun exercise in experimenting with interactions and micro-interactions on Figma - both with a view to match Airbnb's original flow, but also just to be a little playful in how different screens flow into one another.

Testing

Testing

Usability testing

Finally, we could test our prototype! The usability test focused on three key components of Vicky's user journey: creating a group booking, completing the payment process and understanding individual payment contributions.

After each task, users were encouraged to provide open and honest feedback. Users commented on:

  • How intuitive and user-friendly the new features felt: This helped us assess if the in-app payment feature felt natural within the existing user flow.

  • The experience navigating the processes, highlighting where they felt lost or confused: This feedback helped ensure the user journey remained clear and efficient.

  • How the new features impacted their overall booking and payment experience: Did it feel quicker, more convenient, or add value compared to the existing process?

Usability testing

Finally, we could test our prototype! The usability test focused on three key components of Vicky's user journey: creating a group booking, completing the payment process and understanding individual payment contributions.

After each task, users were encouraged to provide open and honest feedback. Users commented on:

  • How intuitive and user-friendly the new features felt: This helped us assess if the in-app payment feature felt natural within the existing user flow.

  • The experience navigating the processes, highlighting where they felt lost or confused: This feedback helped ensure the user journey remained clear and efficient.

  • How the new features impacted their overall booking and payment experience: Did it feel quicker, more convenient, or add value compared to the existing process?

Test Outcomes

Testing with 25 participants revealed that an in-app split payment feature can:

  • Reduce churn: As the feature enables users to manage both booking and payment in the app, they won’t need to chase down payments outside of it, reducing frustration and abandonment.

  • Satisfy customers: Users found in-app payment much faster and more convenient compared to the previous method. This improved experience likely contributes to higher customer satisfaction.

Here are two heatmaps that demonstrate little wins and room for improvement with the new flow:

Test Outcomes

Testing with 25 participants revealed that an in-app split payment feature can:

  • Reduce churn: As the feature enables users to manage both booking and payment in the app, they won’t need to chase down payments outside of it, reducing frustration and abandonment.

  • Satisfy customers: Users found in-app payment much faster and more convenient compared to the previous method. This improved experience likely contributes to higher customer satisfaction.

Here are two heatmaps that demonstrate little wins and room for improvement with the new flow:

Key learnings

Through the usability test, participants commented that the provided payment analytics breakdown—while useful—was hard to find. Further exploration of alternative methods for displaying individual payment contributions is needed for improved transparency.

Other participants praised how intuitive and seamless the split payment feature was; they felt it improved the overall booking and payment experience.

However, some struggled to find or navigate the initial group booking creation step. Repositioning the group booking function to be more prominent and accessible would amend this issue. That said, the user profile screen received a 100% success rate on Maze, suggesting that the usability test results clash with the feedback.

Key learnings

Through the usability test, participants commented that the provided payment analytics breakdown—while useful—was hard to find. Further exploration of alternative methods for displaying individual payment contributions is needed for improved transparency.

Other participants praised how intuitive and seamless the split payment feature was; they felt it improved the overall booking and payment experience.

However, some struggled to find or navigate the initial group booking creation step. Repositioning the group booking function to be more prominent and accessible would amend this issue. That said, the user profile screen received a 100% success rate on Maze, suggesting that the usability test results clash with the feedback.

Verdict

Verdict

This project was fun to work on; I especially enjoyed fine-tuning all the little prototyping interactions on Figma. The usability test revealed holes and user frustrations that I would have loved to attend to if I had the time. I might have relocated the entire user journey to the Explore landing page, as opposed to a separate frame, so that users could more easily access it.

I did not find Maze suitable for the usability test. While it did gather user feedback, the entire test—context, instructions, action, and feedback—was limited as I only had so many blocks to use. Space permitting, I would have rephrased tasks to properly convey to participants that only the happy path was prototyped and that not every button worked.

It is much easier on Figma to see which buttons can be clicked by interacting anywhere on the screen. Without this feature, participants went in “blind”. This could be why some screens had a higher mis-click rate. Had more context been conveyed, participants may not have been confused when they couldn’t restart the flow.

Another fix would have been to choose participants unfamiliar with Figma prototypes to eliminate bias towards the usability testing method itself.

This project was fun to work on; I especially enjoyed fine-tuning all the little prototyping interactions on Figma. The usability test revealed holes and user frustrations that I would have loved to attend to if I had the time. I might have relocated the entire user journey to the Explore landing page, as opposed to a separate frame, so that users could more easily access it.

I did not find Maze suitable for the usability test. While it did gather user feedback, the entire test—context, instructions, action, and feedback—was limited as I only had so many blocks to use. Space permitting, I would have rephrased tasks to properly convey to participants that only the happy path was prototyped and that not every button worked.

It is much easier on Figma to see which buttons can be clicked by interacting anywhere on the screen. Without this feature, participants went in “blind”. This could be why some screens had a higher mis-click rate. Had more context been conveyed, participants may not have been confused when they couldn’t restart the flow.

Another fix would have been to choose participants unfamiliar with Figma prototypes to eliminate bias towards the usability testing method itself.

Understanding the Problem

Usability Review

To better understand Airbnb and their app’s existing user journey, I conducted a usability review to identify pain points, strengths, and areas of improvement using the SWCDUO method and Nielsen's heuristics. While the app excels in individual bookings (flexibility, intuitive interface), group bookings suffer from:

  • Information overload: Large amounts of content on booking screens can overwhelm users.

  • Missed opportunity for discounts: The payment process lacks integration with promotions and vouchers.

  • Inefficient group payments: One person handling the entire booking leads to:

    • Lack of transparency: Increased potential for arguments and delays due to unclear financial arrangements within the group.

    • Financial burden: The initial payer faces risk and potential delays in recouping costs, hindering access to time-sensitive promotions.

User Segment and Persona

My research targeted travellers who book Airbnb stays for larger groups like families, friends, or co-workers. They prioritise comfortable multi-guest accommodations with amenities like shared living spaces and multiple bedrooms, often for longer stays, and seek discounts for larger parties.

Based on this defined user segment, I created a detailed user persona named Vicki. Vicki embodies the characteristics and needs of typical Airbnb group travellers, enabling me to design and refine survey questions that resonate with their experiences and challenges.

User Research

Having studied Airbnb's app and user flow, I formed three research hypotheses for improving group bookings:

  1. Implementing an in-app payment splitting feature will reduce the time taken for group bookings on Airbnb.

  2. A feature to split payments within the Airbnb app would increase user access to discounts, offers, and prime accommodation locations due to a more efficient booking process.

  3. Implementing a secure and intuitive payment splitting feature directly in the Airbnb app will improve user trust and satisfaction, reducing disputes and inequalities within travel groups.

To test these hypotheses, I recruited and surveyed 70 participants who fit the target segment described earlier. 

The survey focused on areas identified through initial research, such as inefficiency due to one-person payment and missed opportunities for discounts.

Key findings:

  • Common travel groups: holidays, family visits, work trips

  • Accommodation needs: 87% need multiple bedrooms; 55%, shared spaces; 27%, amenities

  • Travel frequency: 34.3% travel once a year, 30% travel 3-4 times annually

  • Travel companions: friends (82.9%), family (75.7%), partners (40%), co-workers (27.1%)

  • Payment behaviour: 71.4% report one person paying initially, with others reimbursing later

Affinity Mapping

We analysed the survey responses using Dovetail. Each answer was meticulously tagged based on a defined system, enabling us to identify trends and validate our initial hypotheses.

Through affinity mapping, we categorised our insights into three core themes: desired features, pain points, and booking/payment processes. Our analysis revealed that the booking process on Airbnb takes longer than it needs to as group travellers don’t have an in-app payment method to split the accommodation fee, which hinders timely access to discounts and prime locations, impacting user experience as exemplified by Vicki.

Business and User Frustrations

As demonstrated by the user research and synthesis above, I was able to form the following frustration statements that highlight user friction within the Airbnb app:

When users book trips in groups, they spend more time outside Airbnb to split the payment for their accommodation amongst their peers. This leads to confusion, frustration, and an inefficient booking and payment process overall.

The lack of transparency when booking a group trip on Airbnb causes arguments within travel groups. Users have reported that they risk missing out on discounts provided by premium listings due to the extra time spent circumventing splitting payments outside of Airbnb. Ultimately, users are being sent outside the app, increasing churn and lower customer satisfaction.

Competitor Benchmarking

Having identified the primary pain points users experience while paying, I looked at how one direct competitor (Booking.com) and two indirect competitors (Splitwise & Uber) solved similar problems.

I primarily considered how in-app payment splitting might placate users like Vicky during their user journey.

BOOKING.COM:

Seamless group booking experience with optional split payments. Clear guidance minimizing confusion. Time-bound urgency encourages prompt payments. Inconspicuous guest addition and information overload on some screens. Disruptive split payment pop-up.

SPLITWISE:

Straightforward navigation and upfront information. User-friendly "settle up" phrasing, but imprecise terminology. Visually digestible information and color-coded actions. Busy layouts and vague icons. Transparent overview of trip payments, but room for design optimization.

UBER:

Clear CTA buttons, but lacks cost transparency. Contact integration assists user retrieval. Needs improvement in navigation and individual identification. Confusing terminology. "Bento box" layout is visually appealing, but cluttered with irrelevant content.

Defining It

Problem Statement

With a clearer idea of the problem space, I was able to use insights gleaned from primary research, as well as the competitor analysis conducted on Booking.com, Splitwise & Uber to arrive at a problem statement:

[User group] needs [need or goal] because [reasons/motivations].

However, [current experience or pain point] leads to [negative outcome].

Friends travelling together in groups need a seamless, in-app function to split payments to avoid disputes, short-changing, delays in booking, and unnecessary manual toil.

Unfortunately, a lack of ease, trust and security over splitting payments has led to confusion and frustration within travel groups, resulting in arguments and inequality over the total sum paid by individuals.

The problem statement was the first step in centring my design approach and ideation - but reframing it through the lens of our user persona, Vicki, allowed me to be more consistently mindful of her pain points that I was hoping to alleviate.

'How Might We'

Currently, Vicki, like 71.4% of survey participants, usually fronts the entire cost of accommodation after booking through Airbnb upfront.

She relies on individual reimbursements from her friends and family that can take up to a week, creating challenges for Vicki and her friends:

  • Vicki spends unnecessary time chasing down payments, detracting from the trip-planning experience.

  • Waiting for reimbursements can cause delays in booking desirable accommodations, leading to missed opportunities.

  • The lack of transparency and upfront payment can breed resentment and arguments within the group.

How might we implement a secure and intuitive in-app payment splitting feature for Airbnb that empowers users like Vicki to easily and fairly share costs upfront, reducing delays, fostering trust, and ultimately creating a smoother and more enjoyable group travel experience?

This feature should be designed to:

  • Allow Vicki to easily initiate and manage group payment splitting within the Airbnb app.

  • Provide clear breakdowns of individual costs and ensure everyone is aware of their share.

  • Offer secure and convenient payment options that encourage timely contributions from all group members.

  • Foster a sense of shared responsibility and eliminate disputes over money within the group.

Ideation

Mindmapping

To explore these initial ideas further, I started with a mind map. My goal was to thoroughly map out potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app while staying focused on our specific problem space. As mentioned earlier, our problem statement emphasised group travel, payment splitting options, efficiency, and trust/transparency. By colour-coding and labelling these key themes, we were able to organise our ideas effectively, making them easier to track, follow, and favourite later.

Prioritisation

We selected our favourite ideas and placed them on an impact/effort chart to prioritise potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app. This tool helped us assess each idea's potential user benefit (impact) compared to the resources required for implementation (effort).

Crazy 8s

Following the prioritisation from the impact/effort chart, we selected several high-potential ideas for further visual exploration using Crazy 8s in 2-minute limits. We conducted two rounds, wireframing four screens per session for a total of eight screens. These quick wireframes helped us visualise the user flow and identify potential usability issues at an early stage, allowing us to refine our chosen solutions before investing time in more detailed prototypes.

User Flows

With our major ideas highlighted and prioritised, our focus shifted to understanding how they would integrate into Airbnb's user journey. We mapped out Airbnb's current user flow, separating it into the "Booking Process" and the "Payment Process" for improved clarity and analysis.

This approach allowed us to visualize how our proposed solutions, i.e. incorporating a group booking process with built-in payment splitting preferences, would directly address Vicki's challenges within the existing workflow. It also helped us assess their potential impact and identify any potential areas for further refinement. By incorporating our ideas, we were able to further break down the user flow into distinct stages specifically tailored to address Vicki's needs, including creating a group, viewing group booking details, searching for/booking accommodation, and managing the payment process.

Prototyping

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

Following the revised user flow, the next step involved creating mid-fidelity wireframes to visualize how our proposed solutions would function in practice. This involved quickly sketching out each screen and using sticky notes to exchange feedback and clarify the functionalities of any features that might not have been immediately apparent within the wireframe.

Revised User Flows

Through wireframing, the user journey unfolded like a puzzle, each piece revealing itself and connecting to the next. We could fit the jigsaw together and more clearly see how each screen corresponded to its counterparts in the flow. This iterative exploration allowed us to visualize the new user flow with greater clarity, where each key step was distinct - from the initial creation of a group to viewing the group details, browsing and booking accommodation, and finally, managing the group payment.

Styles and Components

With this project, I was largely able to draw inspiration from Airbnb's existing design system to identify my colour and text styles. Though not entirely identical overall, we definitely used Airbnb's iconic pink for most CTAs - alternating between pink and our black where appropriate. Building a foundation of colour and text styles was immensely helpful when it came to building our components which is really where the fun started, toying with components like unique alert cards, timers and pie-charts to warn users that they have a limited time to pay for and complete their booking.

High Fidelity Prototype

The next and final step was to start putting the high-fidelity prototype together. Our design was largely based on the mid-fidelity wireframes we created previously. However, adding our colour and text styles allowed us to better map out where certain components would go, occasionally leading us to deviate from the original wireframes in some places. This was also a fun exercise in experimenting with interactions and micro-interactions on Figma - both with a view to match Airbnb's original flow, but also just to be a little playful in how different screens flow into one another.

Testing

Usability testing

Finally, we could test our prototype! The usability test focused on three key components of Vicky's user journey: creating a group booking, completing the payment process and understanding individual payment contributions.

After each task, users were encouraged to provide open and honest feedback. Users commented on:

  • How intuitive and user-friendly the new features felt: This helped us assess if the in-app payment feature felt natural within the existing user flow.

  • The experience navigating the processes, highlighting where they felt lost or confused: This feedback helped ensure the user journey remained clear and efficient.

  • How the new features impacted their overall booking and payment experience: Did it feel quicker, more convenient, or add value compared to the existing process?

Test Outcomes

Testing with 25 participants revealed that an in-app split payment feature can:

  • Reduce churn: As the feature enables users to manage both booking and payment in the app, they won’t need to chase down payments outside of it, reducing frustration and abandonment.

  • Satisfy customers: Users found in-app payment much faster and more convenient compared to the previous method. This improved experience likely contributes to higher customer satisfaction.

Here are two heatmaps that demonstrate little wins and room for improvement with the new flow:

Key learnings

Through the usability test, participants commented that the provided payment analytics breakdown—while useful—was hard to find. Further exploration of alternative methods for displaying individual payment contributions is needed for improved transparency.

Other participants praised how intuitive and seamless the split payment feature was; they felt it improved the overall booking and payment experience.

However, some struggled to find or navigate the initial group booking creation step. Repositioning the group booking function to be more prominent and accessible would amend this issue. That said, the user profile screen received a 100% success rate on Maze, suggesting that the usability test results clash with the feedback.

Verdict

This project was fun to work on; I especially enjoyed fine-tuning all the little prototyping interactions on Figma. The usability test revealed holes and user frustrations that I would have loved to attend to if I had the time. I might have relocated the entire user journey to the Explore landing page, as opposed to a separate frame, so that users could more easily access it.

I did not find Maze suitable for the usability test. While it did gather user feedback, the entire test—context, instructions, action, and feedback—was limited as I only had so many blocks to use. Space permitting, I would have rephrased tasks to properly convey to participants that only the happy path was prototyped and that not every button worked.

It is much easier on Figma to see which buttons can be clicked by interacting anywhere on the screen. Without this feature, participants went in “blind”. This could be why some screens had a higher mis-click rate. Had more context been conveyed, participants may not have been confused when they couldn’t restart the flow.

Another fix would have been to choose participants unfamiliar with Figma prototypes to eliminate bias towards the usability testing method itself.

Understanding the Problem

Usability Review

To better understand Airbnb and their app’s existing user journey, I conducted a usability review to identify pain points, strengths, and areas of improvement using the SWCDUO method and Nielsen's heuristics. While the app excels in individual bookings (flexibility, intuitive interface), group bookings suffer from:

  • Information overload: Large amounts of content on booking screens can overwhelm users.

  • Missed opportunity for discounts: The payment process lacks integration with promotions and vouchers.

  • Inefficient group payments: One person handling the entire booking leads to:

    • Lack of transparency: Increased potential for arguments and delays due to unclear financial arrangements within the group.

    • Financial burden: The initial payer faces risk and potential delays in recouping costs, hindering access to time-sensitive promotions.

User Segment and Persona

My research targeted travellers who book Airbnb stays for larger groups like families, friends, or co-workers. They prioritise comfortable multi-guest accommodations with amenities like shared living spaces and multiple bedrooms, often for longer stays, and seek discounts for larger parties.

Based on this defined user segment, I created a detailed user persona named Vicki. Vicki embodies the characteristics and needs of typical Airbnb group travellers, enabling me to design and refine survey questions that resonate with their experiences and challenges.

User Research

Having studied Airbnb's app and user flow, I formed three research hypotheses for improving group bookings:

  1. Implementing an in-app payment splitting feature will reduce the time taken for group bookings on Airbnb.

  2. A feature to split payments within the Airbnb app would increase user access to discounts, offers, and prime accommodation locations due to a more efficient booking process.

  3. Implementing a secure and intuitive payment splitting feature directly in the Airbnb app will improve user trust and satisfaction, reducing disputes and inequalities within travel groups.

To test these hypotheses, I recruited and surveyed 70 participants who fit the target segment described earlier. 

The survey focused on areas identified through initial research, such as inefficiency due to one-person payment and missed opportunities for discounts.

Key findings:

  • Common travel groups: holidays, family visits, work trips

  • Accommodation needs: 87% need multiple bedrooms; 55%, shared spaces; 27%, amenities

  • Travel frequency: 34.3% travel once a year, 30% travel 3-4 times annually

  • Travel companions: friends (82.9%), family (75.7%), partners (40%), co-workers (27.1%)

  • Payment behaviour: 71.4% report one person paying initially, with others reimbursing later

Affinity Mapping

We analysed the survey responses using Dovetail. Each answer was meticulously tagged based on a defined system, enabling us to identify trends and validate our initial hypotheses.

Through affinity mapping, we categorised our insights into three core themes: desired features, pain points, and booking/payment processes. Our analysis revealed that the booking process on Airbnb takes longer than it needs to as group travellers don’t have an in-app payment method to split the accommodation fee, which hinders timely access to discounts and prime locations, impacting user experience as exemplified by Vicki.

Business and User Frustrations

As demonstrated by the user research and synthesis above, I was able to form the following frustration statements that highlight user friction within the Airbnb app:

When users book trips in groups, they spend more time outside Airbnb to split the payment for their accommodation amongst their peers. This leads to confusion, frustration, and an inefficient booking and payment process overall.

The lack of transparency when booking a group trip on Airbnb causes arguments within travel groups. Users have reported that they risk missing out on discounts provided by premium listings due to the extra time spent circumventing splitting payments outside of Airbnb. Ultimately, users are being sent outside the app, increasing churn and lower customer satisfaction.

Competitor Benchmarking

Having identified the primary pain points users experience while paying, I looked at how one direct competitor (Booking.com) and two indirect competitors (Splitwise & Uber) solved similar problems.

I primarily considered how in-app payment splitting might placate users like Vicky during their user journey.

BOOKING.COM:

Seamless group booking experience with optional split payments. Clear guidance minimizing confusion. Time-bound urgency encourages prompt payments. Inconspicuous guest addition and information overload on some screens. Disruptive split payment pop-up.

SPLITWISE:

Straightforward navigation and upfront information. User-friendly "settle up" phrasing, but imprecise terminology. Visually digestible information and color-coded actions. Busy layouts and vague icons. Transparent overview of trip payments, but room for design optimization.

UBER:

Clear CTA buttons, but lacks cost transparency. Contact integration assists user retrieval. Needs improvement in navigation and individual identification. Confusing terminology. "Bento box" layout is visually appealing, but cluttered with irrelevant content.

Defining It

Problem Statement

With a clearer idea of the problem space, I was able to use insights gleaned from primary research, as well as the competitor analysis conducted on Booking.com, Splitwise & Uber to arrive at a problem statement:

[User group] needs [need or goal] because [reasons/motivations].

However, [current experience or pain point] leads to [negative outcome].

Friends travelling together in groups need a seamless, in-app function to split payments to avoid disputes, short-changing, delays in booking, and unnecessary manual toil.

Unfortunately, a lack of ease, trust and security over splitting payments has led to confusion and frustration within travel groups, resulting in arguments and inequality over the total sum paid by individuals.

The problem statement was the first step in centring my design approach and ideation - but reframing it through the lens of our user persona, Vicki, allowed me to be more consistently mindful of her pain points that I was hoping to alleviate.

'How Might We'

Currently, Vicki, like 71.4% of survey participants, usually fronts the entire cost of accommodation after booking through Airbnb upfront.

She relies on individual reimbursements from her friends and family that can take up to a week, creating challenges for Vicki and her friends:

  • Vicki spends unnecessary time chasing down payments, detracting from the trip-planning experience.

  • Waiting for reimbursements can cause delays in booking desirable accommodations, leading to missed opportunities.

  • The lack of transparency and upfront payment can breed resentment and arguments within the group.

How might we implement a secure and intuitive in-app payment splitting feature for Airbnb that empowers users like Vicki to easily and fairly share costs upfront, reducing delays, fostering trust, and ultimately creating a smoother and more enjoyable group travel experience?

This feature should be designed to:

  • Allow Vicki to easily initiate and manage group payment splitting within the Airbnb app.

  • Provide clear breakdowns of individual costs and ensure everyone is aware of their share.

  • Offer secure and convenient payment options that encourage timely contributions from all group members.

  • Foster a sense of shared responsibility and eliminate disputes over money within the group.

Ideation

Mindmapping

To explore these initial ideas further, I started with a mind map. My goal was to thoroughly map out potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app while staying focused on our specific problem space. As mentioned earlier, our problem statement emphasised group travel, payment splitting options, efficiency, and trust/transparency. By colour-coding and labelling these key themes, we were able to organise our ideas effectively, making them easier to track, follow, and favourite later.

Prioritisation

We selected our favourite ideas and placed them on an impact/effort chart to prioritise potential additions or improvements to the Airbnb app. This tool helped us assess each idea's potential user benefit (impact) compared to the resources required for implementation (effort).

Crazy 8s

Following the prioritisation from the impact/effort chart, we selected several high-potential ideas for further visual exploration using Crazy 8s in 2-minute limits. We conducted two rounds, wireframing four screens per session for a total of eight screens. These quick wireframes helped us visualise the user flow and identify potential usability issues at an early stage, allowing us to refine our chosen solutions before investing time in more detailed prototypes.

User Flows

With our major ideas highlighted and prioritised, our focus shifted to understanding how they would integrate into Airbnb's user journey. We mapped out Airbnb's current user flow, separating it into the "Booking Process" and the "Payment Process" for improved clarity and analysis.

This approach allowed us to visualize how our proposed solutions, i.e. incorporating a group booking process with built-in payment splitting preferences, would directly address Vicki's challenges within the existing workflow. It also helped us assess their potential impact and identify any potential areas for further refinement. By incorporating our ideas, we were able to further break down the user flow into distinct stages specifically tailored to address Vicki's needs, including creating a group, viewing group booking details, searching for/booking accommodation, and managing the payment process.

Prototyping

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

Following the revised user flow, the next step involved creating mid-fidelity wireframes to visualize how our proposed solutions would function in practice. This involved quickly sketching out each screen and using sticky notes to exchange feedback and clarify the functionalities of any features that might not have been immediately apparent within the wireframe.

Revised User Flows

Through wireframing, the user journey unfolded like a puzzle, each piece revealing itself and connecting to the next. We could fit the jigsaw together and more clearly see how each screen corresponded to its counterparts in the flow. This iterative exploration allowed us to visualize the new user flow with greater clarity, where each key step was distinct - from the initial creation of a group to viewing the group details, browsing and booking accommodation, and finally, managing the group payment.

Styles and Components

With this project, I was largely able to draw inspiration from Airbnb's existing design system to identify my colour and text styles. Though not entirely identical overall, we definitely used Airbnb's iconic pink for most CTAs - alternating between pink and our black where appropriate. Building a foundation of colour and text styles was immensely helpful when it came to building our components which is really where the fun started, toying with components like unique alert cards, timers and pie-charts to warn users that they have a limited time to pay for and complete their booking.

High Fidelity Prototype

The next and final step was to start putting the high-fidelity prototype together. Our design was largely based on the mid-fidelity wireframes we created previously. However, adding our colour and text styles allowed us to better map out where certain components would go, occasionally leading us to deviate from the original wireframes in some places. This was also a fun exercise in experimenting with interactions and micro-interactions on Figma - both with a view to match Airbnb's original flow, but also just to be a little playful in how different screens flow into one another.

Testing

Usability testing

Finally, we could test our prototype! The usability test focused on three key components of Vicky's user journey: creating a group booking, completing the payment process and understanding individual payment contributions.

After each task, users were encouraged to provide open and honest feedback. Users commented on:

  • How intuitive and user-friendly the new features felt: This helped us assess if the in-app payment feature felt natural within the existing user flow.

  • The experience navigating the processes, highlighting where they felt lost or confused: This feedback helped ensure the user journey remained clear and efficient.

  • How the new features impacted their overall booking and payment experience: Did it feel quicker, more convenient, or add value compared to the existing process?

Test Outcomes

Testing with 25 participants revealed that an in-app split payment feature can:

  • Reduce churn: As the feature enables users to manage both booking and payment in the app, they won’t need to chase down payments outside of it, reducing frustration and abandonment.

  • Satisfy customers: Users found in-app payment much faster and more convenient compared to the previous method. This improved experience likely contributes to higher customer satisfaction.

Here are two heatmaps that demonstrate little wins and room for improvement with the new flow:

Key learnings

Through the usability test, participants commented that the provided payment analytics breakdown—while useful—was hard to find. Further exploration of alternative methods for displaying individual payment contributions is needed for improved transparency.

Other participants praised how intuitive and seamless the split payment feature was; they felt it improved the overall booking and payment experience.

However, some struggled to find or navigate the initial group booking creation step. Repositioning the group booking function to be more prominent and accessible would amend this issue. That said, the user profile screen received a 100% success rate on Maze, suggesting that the usability test results clash with the feedback.

Verdict

This project was fun to work on; I especially enjoyed fine-tuning all the little prototyping interactions on Figma. The usability test revealed holes and user frustrations that I would have loved to attend to if I had the time. I might have relocated the entire user journey to the Explore landing page, as opposed to a separate frame, so that users could more easily access it.

I did not find Maze suitable for the usability test. While it did gather user feedback, the entire test—context, instructions, action, and feedback—was limited as I only had so many blocks to use. Space permitting, I would have rephrased tasks to properly convey to participants that only the happy path was prototyped and that not every button worked.

It is much easier on Figma to see which buttons can be clicked by interacting anywhere on the screen. Without this feature, participants went in “blind”. This could be why some screens had a higher mis-click rate. Had more context been conveyed, participants may not have been confused when they couldn’t restart the flow.

Another fix would have been to choose participants unfamiliar with Figma prototypes to eliminate bias towards the usability testing method itself.

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