Sync
Streamlining Property Management with Effortless OTA Integration for Maximum Booking Efficiency.
Streamlining Property Management with Effortless OTA Integration for Maximum Booking Efficiency.
Streamlining Property Management with Effortless OTA Integration for Maximum Booking Efficiency.
Team
Prerna Patel ( Product Manager)
Shantanu Bhardwaj (Product Manager)
Bidipto Bose (Full Stack Developer)
Tools
Figma, Jira, Notion, Github
UX Tasks
Research, User Interviews, Personas, User Journey, User flow, Low and High fidelity wireframes, Usability testing
Timeline
4 weeks, November 2021
Brief
SYNC, by SaffronStays, streamlines property management for hospitality homeowners. It's a proprietary channel manager syncing rates and inventory across various online travel agencies (OTAs) for improved distribution and sales. I led the designing of an adaptive web app, from concept and research to design and testing.
SYNC, by SaffronStays, streamlines property management for hospitality homeowners. It's a proprietary channel manager syncing rates and inventory across various online travel agencies (OTAs) for improved distribution and sales. I led the designing of an adaptive web app, from concept and research to design and testing.
Challenges
SYNC faced a big challenge designing a user-friendly web app for homeowners managing vacation rentals. The existing platform was just a single-page form site with very limited functionality. Nearly 90% of users accessed it via mobile, so the app needed to work well on all screen sizes. It had to be easy to navigate and use on mobile devices, allowing users to update inventory, manage rates, and connect to OTAs on the fly. Overcoming these challenges was vital to keeping users happy and getting more mobile-centric homeowners on board.
SYNC faced a big challenge designing a user-friendly web app for homeowners managing vacation rentals. The existing platform was just a single-page form site with very limited functionality. Nearly 90% of users accessed it via mobile, so the app needed to work well on all screen sizes. It had to be easy to navigate and use on mobile devices, allowing users to update inventory, manage rates, and connect to OTAs on the fly. Overcoming these challenges was vital to keeping users happy and getting more mobile-centric homeowners on board.
Solution
SYNC was created to address the challenges faced by homeowners in the hospitality industry. It offered a user-friendly web application allowing users to easily synchronise rates and inventory across multiple OTAs. With features for inventory management, rate adjustments, adding restrictions, and OTA connections, SYNC simplified property management tasks and enhanced distribution. This ultimately boosted sales opportunities for homeowners, driving business growth and improving overall efficiency in the hospitality sector.
SYNC was created to address the challenges faced by homeowners in the hospitality industry. It offered a user-friendly web application allowing users to easily synchronise rates and inventory across multiple OTAs. With features for inventory management, rate adjustments, adding restrictions, and OTA connections, SYNC simplified property management tasks and enhanced distribution. This ultimately boosted sales opportunities for homeowners, driving business growth and improving overall efficiency in the hospitality sector.
My Impact
I validated the initial product concept and iterated on it based on stakeholder feedback during weekly meetings, leveraging research data to create a comprehensive end-to-end product as a solo designer.
I validated the initial product concept and iterated on it based on stakeholder feedback during weekly meetings, leveraging research data to create a comprehensive end-to-end product as a solo designer.
Research
Goals
Below are the areas I’d like to explore during the user research.
I want to understand:
Understand the needs and pain points of homeowners managing vacation rental properties.
Explore homeowners' motivations for listing their properties on multiple OTAs.
Identify the challenges homeowners face in managing listings across various platforms.
Determine homeowners' goals and expectations for a channel management tool like SYNC.
Investigate the potential impact of SYNC on homeowners' efficiency and success in the vacation rental market.
Goals
Below are the areas I’d like to explore during the user research.
I want to understand:
Understand the needs and pain points of homeowners managing vacation rental properties.
Explore homeowners' motivations for listing their properties on multiple OTAs.
Identify the challenges homeowners face in managing listings across various platforms.
Determine homeowners' goals and expectations for a channel management tool like SYNC.
Investigate the potential impact of SYNC on homeowners' efficiency and success in the vacation rental market.
Methodologies
Conduct primary research through in-depth interviews with homeowners associated with SaffronStays and other vacation rental platforms.
Employ usability testing to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the SYNC platform prototype.
Implement card sorting exercises to involve homeowners in the organisation and structuring of features within the SYNC platform.
Iterate on the design of SYNC based on feedback gathered through user testing and validation sessions.
Methodologies
Conduct primary research through in-depth interviews with homeowners associated with SaffronStays and other vacation rental platforms.
Employ usability testing to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the SYNC platform prototype.
Implement card sorting exercises to involve homeowners in the organisation and structuring of features within the SYNC platform.
Iterate on the design of SYNC based on feedback gathered through user testing and validation sessions.
User Interviews
I began by conducting semi-structured interviews with homeowners managing vacation rental properties. These interviews aimed to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences regarding property management.
I began by conducting semi-structured interviews with homeowners managing vacation rental properties. These interviews aimed to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences regarding property management.
User Persona
Using insights from research, I created user persona representing the typical homeowner managing vacation rentals. This persona allowed me to better understand user needs and behaviours, guiding the design process with a focus on user empathy.
Using insights from research, I created user persona representing the typical homeowner managing vacation rentals. This persona allowed me to better understand user needs and behaviours, guiding the design process with a focus on user empathy.
How Might We
By asking "How Might We," I framed problems as opportunities for creative problem-solving and encouraged collaborative ideation with stakeholders. This approach helped me explore diverse perspectives, fostered a culture of innovation, and ultimately led to the development of user-centered solutions that address homeowners' needs and preferences effectively.
By asking "How Might We," I framed problems as opportunities for creative problem-solving and encouraged collaborative ideation with stakeholders. This approach helped me explore diverse perspectives, fostered a culture of innovation, and ultimately led to the development of user-centered solutions that address homeowners' needs and preferences effectively.
Ideation
User Journey
Based on synthesised research and user personas, I crafted a user journey for the SYNC platform. This scenario depicts how homeowners would interact with SYNC to manage their vacation rental properties seamlessly and achieve their goals efficiently.
Based on synthesised research and user personas, I crafted a user journey for the SYNC platform. This scenario depicts how homeowners would interact with SYNC to manage their vacation rental properties seamlessly and achieve their goals efficiently.
Initial Task Flow
User Flow : Launch the app to access calendar view and connect OTA.
This user flow assumes the user is using the app for the first time.
User Flow : Launch the app to access calendar view and connect OTA.
This user flow assumes the user is using the app for the first time.
Task Flow : Update rates of a listed properties.
Task Flow : Update rates of a listed properties.
Low Wireframe
After defining the main user task and flow, I attempted to create the first set of lo-fi wireframes to run some preliminary testing with the actual users. That allowed me to gather some initial feedback and save time later in the process before I started the high-fidelity prototype.
The first round of testing I decided to make a couple of iterations that included:
Making the Calendar mobile friendly and intuitive.
Enhancing the visual hierarchy to highlight important features and information effectively.
Clarifying instructions and labelling to reduce ambiguity and enhance user understanding.
Hi-Fi Prototype
Based on the feedback from initial usability test, I created hi-fi wireframes and a prototype.
Go here to see the full hi-fi prototype
Based on the feedback from initial usability test, I created hi-fi wireframes and a prototype.
Go here to see the full hi-fi prototype
Usability testing
I tested the first version of the prototype with 5 users to determine the necessary revisions to make the overall experience more intuitive and pleasant. Here are some outtakes.
I tested the first version of the prototype with 5 users to determine the necessary revisions to make the overall experience more intuitive and pleasant. Here are some outtakes.
Main pain points that were discovered during the tests and addressed in the iteration:
New home owners had some problems understanding the calendar to update single or bulk dates
Fix: add a onboarding guide for new user users.
Some users had issues understanding information , icons/colour.
Fix: Enhancing clarity, improving accessibility, and using standardised icons and colours for better understanding.
Main pain points that were discovered during the tests and addressed in the iteration:
New home owners had some problems understanding the calendar to update single or bulk dates
Fix: add a onboarding guide for new user users.
Some users had issues understanding information , icons/colour.
Fix: Enhancing clarity, improving accessibility, and using standardised icons and colours for better understanding.
Result
Key takeaways
Working on the SYNC case study within a Two-month time constraint has been a rewarding journey filled with learning and growth. Throughout the project, I gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by homeowners managing vacation rental properties and the complexities of the hospitality industry. By conducting user research, creating personas, and crafting user journeys, I developed a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors, which informed the design process. Iterative testing and refinement allowed me to address usability issues and improve the overall user experience of the SYNC platform. Collaborating with stakeholders and incorporating feedback at each stage reinforced the importance of user-centric design and iterative development. Overall, working on the SYNC project has been a fulfilling experience, highlighting the significance of empathy, collaboration, and continuous improvement in creating impactful digital solutions.
Working on the SYNC case study within a Two-month time constraint has been a rewarding journey filled with learning and growth. Throughout the project, I gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by homeowners managing vacation rental properties and the complexities of the hospitality industry. By conducting user research, creating personas, and crafting user journeys, I developed a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors, which informed the design process. Iterative testing and refinement allowed me to address usability issues and improve the overall user experience of the SYNC platform. Collaborating with stakeholders and incorporating feedback at each stage reinforced the importance of user-centric design and iterative development. Overall, working on the SYNC project has been a fulfilling experience, highlighting the significance of empathy, collaboration, and continuous improvement in creating impactful digital solutions.