Design Challenge:
Design just the first step of a flow within the Airbnb mobile experience (web browser or app) that would allow users to also rent cars. Determine what specific screen would make the most sense within the current flow to integrate the first step of this feature allowing users to rent a car and then create an updated mockup of that screen to enable users to do that. The mockup may be low or high fidelity. Please also walk through why that particular step in the existing flow is the best place to add this new feature.
Understanding the challenge
Some key questions I had before taking on the challenge.
Competitor Insights
Major competitors had hotels and cars as distinct sections.
They feature them prominently on the top section of the home screen.
Only found one competitor that had the option to add a car at the end of the booking process. All others had this feature as a separate process.
Primary features for renting a car - Dates, location, and time of pickup/dropoff.
Secondary features for renting a car - Type of car, price, seating, etc.
Existing Userflows
Sketches
Ideas of where to place the rental car features.
Redesigned flow
Wireframes
Option 1: Users can go straight to the rental car feature; they may only need a car.
Option 2: Users with a completed booking can begin to search for cars in that location by going to Trips.
Design Rationale
Extending Existing process
Other competitors choose not to bundle the option to rent a car and a hotel. These two features need a separate dedicated process to ensure a smooth, easy process for users.
A separate feature
This feature can be comprehensive and become a complex add-on; companies have dedicated entire car rental apps. Therefore it should be front and center with the existing Stays section on the home screen.
Use what we already know
By having the option to include a rental car in the Trips section, we can use the info already provided to shorten the process of renting a car.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
Have a process
We learned that it is crucial to have a well-structured process in place for designing new features or functionality.
Simple or not?
A somewhat simple feature can turn into a more extensive process than previously expected. Therefore, discussing with stakeholders early on is essential to ensure it is worth allocating resources when a task has expanded into a bigger one.
What could be improved?
Conduct user testing, interviews, and feedback to be better informed beforehand and to iterate and improve designs.
