Mobile App

Home exchange app that makes finding and managing stays simple and intuitive.

What was done:

User Research

Personas & Journeys

Wireframing

High-Fidelity Prototypes

Usability Testing

Role:

Product Designer (UX/UI)

Tools:

Figma, FigJam, Principle, Notion

Timeline:

8 weeks

Team:

1 Product Manager, 2 Engineers, 1 UX Researcher

Design Thinking Process guides this project through Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test & Iterate to create user-centered solutions.

Goal

The goal was to understand how users approach home exchanges, what concerns them, and where current platforms create friction. This helped identify trust, clarity, and ease of use as key factors.

Methods

Research included user interviews, journey mapping, and competitive analysis of existing home exchange platforms. This provided insight into both emotional and functional user needs.

Insights

Users wanted a simpler way to browse listings, manage exchanges, and communicate with hosts. Trust, transparency, and clear status tracking were critical to feeling confident throughout the process.

User personas

Problem Statement

Users struggle to find and manage home exchanges because existing platforms are often complex, unclear, and difficult to trust. Key pain points include confusing navigation, lack of transparency, and inefficient communication with hosts.

Goals

Simplify discovery and booking of home exchanges with a clear, intuitive interface.

Build trust and transparency throughout the user journey.

Make communication and exchange management seamless and efficient.

Ensure the app adapts to different user types and travel preferences.

Brainstorming

During brainstorming sessions, multiple ideas and feature concepts were explored to address user pain points and goals. This phase encouraged creative thinking, collaboration, and the rapid generation of potential solutions.

Sketches

Early sketches visualized key flows and interactions, helping to quickly test layout ideas and screen hierarchy. These low-fidelity representations allowed for rapid iteration before moving to wireframes and high-fidelity designs.

Wireframes

No items found.

Deliverables

High-fidelity screens were created to cover all key user flows, including search, booking, and managing stays. Interactive prototypes allowed for early testing of navigation and functionality, while a component library ensured consistency across the app.

“The interface is clean, intuitive, and designed to feel effortless for users. Micro-interactions and feedback mechanisms were added to enhance trust, engagement, and overall confidence in the platform.”

Kendall Drake, Product Designer (UX/UI)

Design That Moves People: Key Insights and Outcomes

Early empathy mapping and usability testing uncovered hidden motivations and subtle frustrations that users experience when managing home exchanges. By addressing these needs, the app was refined to be intuitive, trustworthy, and responsive to different user types.

The results were measurable: onboarding was 30% faster, and beta testers showed a 20% increase in daily engagement. This project reinforced that thoughtful, user-centered design is about creating momentum and confidence, not just adding features.

Method

Tested with 8 participants across key flows: search, booking, and managing stays.

Findings

Navigation and booking were clear, but users wanted better status updates and messaging.

Iteration

Added progress indicators, refined messaging, and small UI tweaks for clarity.