Wander
Wander’s travel booking platform suffered from choice paralysis — users browsed but rarely booked. Through diary studies and clickstream analysis, I simplified search, added curated picks, and made pricing transparent. The result: faster bookings and higher revenue.
Category:
Travel tech
Role:
Product Designer
Time:
10 weeks
Business Goal
Increase booking conversion rate and reduce search abandonment by making the browsing‑to‑booking journey faster and more inspiring.
Problem
User data showed that 55% of new users churned before Day 4 of the free trial. Interviews revealed the home screen felt chaotic -too many options, unclear first action, and no immediate sense of progress. The app was powerful but intimidating.
Research
Diary study with 15 participants over 2 weeks - documented their real trip‑planning sessions.
Clickstream analysis of 10,000 sessions to identify the exact step where users bounced.
Competitor teardown of Airbnb and Booking.com, focusing on filter architecture and trust signals.
5 remote usability tests of the existing booking flow with think‑aloud protocol.
Solution
“Top Picks for You” — a curated, personality‑driven list on the search results page.
Simplified filter bar with only 4 essential options; advanced filters tucked behind a single tap.
Upfront price breakdown — all taxes, cleaning fees, and surcharges shown before the booking button.
Verified host badge on every listing thumbnail, increasing trust at a glance.
Wishlist with one‑tap save and side‑by‑side compare.
Business Growth:
Generated an additional $60K/month in bookings within the first quarter by eliminating choice paralysis and replacing it with curated, trust‑building search and transparent pricing.