Trip Proposal is a feature that enhances cost control and traveler safety by providing spend visibility and control for travelers, employee managers, and travel managers, ensuring a seamless experience. Users can submit a proposal with desired dates and bookings, and the system calculates an estimated cost based on the median price and user policy level. The proposal requires approval from the user’s manager to proceed, considering both cost and business necessity.

The Trip Proposal MVP was researched in 2019 and developed in early 2020. Initially utilized during the pandemic to assist customers in managing authorized travel bookings, it has since been adopted by customers aiming to reduce travel expenses. However, post-release, the product has not undergone user testing or received improvements, resulting in a buggy and inefficient state.

As a result, the product witnessed a decrease in NET booking and a rise in the drop-off rate of customers.

Our challenges encompassed improving the user experience quality of the Trip Proposal tool, resolving any existing bugs, and aligning its functionality more closely with the needs of our customers.

Our focus lies on addressing these three themes:

1. Boosting booking numbers.
2. Enhancing flexibility and efficiency.
3. Building trust among users.

When I joined this product, I assumed the role of lead designer and worked with the product owner as their strategic partner. Additionally, I collaborated closely with the engineers, acting as their “partner in crime.”

In collaboration with our UX researcher, we conducted extensive data analysis and research to gain a deep understanding of our user groups’ insights, particularly their current needs and pain points when using Trip Proposal.

We have discovered that the decline in our product’s performance metrics is primarily attributed to issues affecting our user group of travelers. Some of these issues include:

1. Travelers encountered difficulties when transitioning between searching and planning for their trip and incorporating those details into their trip proposal.
2. The cost estimation provided for their trip proposal was not accurate. Moreover, they were not informed whether the cost estimation aligned with or exceeded the company’s policy.
3. The overall experience of creating a trip proposal, submitting it, awaiting approval, and eventually being able to book the trip is excessively time-consuming, riddled with bugs, and unnecessarily complex.