Airbnb Student
UI/UX, 2020 (Revisited in 2022)
Timeline: 8 weeks
Area of Interest: UI/UX Design & Research
Summary:
An extension of AirBnb catered to solo young adults travelers who may lack information, connections, or money. This is catered to the 18-24 age group.
Role:
This was a concept project created in my Digital Product Design Class. Originally created in 2020 with my peer Taylor Shenk, I decided to challenge myself and revisit this project in 2022 to update the interface.
Problem
Student and young solo travelers struggle to find and connect with one another.
AirBnb is a platform hosting over 43 million users as of 2020; although 36% of users are between the ages 25 and 34, the platform targets an audience 18 and over.
In the era of remote school and work, prioritization of flexibility, and cancelled study abroad programs, solo travel may be on the rise. The problem lies in ensuring that travel is still a safe, budget-friendly, and community oriented experience.
“How might we design a platform to support solo student travelers that may be short of resources, connections, or money?”
Building community is key.
Solution
Further exploration
We interviewed 20 fellow students to gain an understanding of what features they would be looking for in an app catered towards student travelers. 5 of the students previously completed a study abroad program, giving us additional, more tangible feedback to factor in.
It was also important to consider how COVID-19 impacted school-hosted study abroad programs, as many programs were cancelled, but students wanted the opportunity to have self-driven learning experiences going forward, particularly if their education programs were virtual.
Research
Process + Redirection
Design
After analyzing existing screens from the Airbnb app and utilizing our research, we started creating wireframes and followed up with high-fidelity screens. Although this was completed in 2020, I felt that the interface was a bit outdated and wasn’t as user-friendly as it could be. I decided to return to this project in 2022 and make a few updates.
Initial wireframes:
2020 Version: Viewing a saved stay within a collection
This version featured typography that didn’t match the size of the phone screen. The nav bar and icon placement also wasn’t very user-friendly.
2022 Version/Update: Viewing a saved stay within a collection
In this updated version, iconography and typography is easier to read and more accessible.
2020 Version: Connecting with community + finding companions
Again, the main issues here lied with the typography and icon placement.
2022 Version: Connecting with community + finding companions
This version features improved type placement, icons, and a more functional ‘Companion Finder’ feature, including a filtering by preferences system.
