SecondSkin

Expedia helps millions of travelers book flights every year, but the comparison experience falls short. Without a clear, intuitive way to evaluate options, users often feel overwhelmed, lose track of their selections, and ultimately miss out on the best deals.

Therefore, by introducing a streamlined flight-saving and comparison feature, it aimed to help users track options with ease.

To start, in order understand the pain points and uncover opportunities for improvement, I mapped out a research plan that included user interviews and competitive analysis. I wanted to know:

Before going into brainstorming solutions, I created a user persona to understand our target user based on insights from the initial user research. Meet Molly, a college student who is interested in quickly finding budget friendly flights that matches with her travel plans.

In addition to a user persona, I mapped out what Molly potentially says, thinks, feels, and does during the flight search process. The key here to is identify the low points and pain points along the way.

From looking at different flight booking platforms, I learned that there's an increasing emphasis on seamless flight comparison, price tracking, and user-friendly interfaces without overwhelming upsells or redirection.

Therefore, top platforms like Google Flights, that can balance affordable, competitive pricing with organized, transparent flight details are well-positioned to attract and retain users.

With the insights in hand, I began brainstorming solutions to improve the flight comparison process on Expedia. The key challenge was to create a feature that allowed users to evaulate flights options seamlessly without disrupting their workflow.



I explored multiple options, including:
- Flight Comparison Tool: A built-in tool to compare flights side-by-side.
- Price Alerts: Notifications when prices changed.
- Rating System: Helps users spot top rated flights quickly.

Then I reimagined the user flow with the new feature and how it would help minimalize the frustration of going back to the beginning of the search process.

With the new “Pin It” feature:
- Users can save and pin flights directly during the search process.
- After navigating through different stages of the site, users can access their pinned flights list and compare options easily without losing track of previous selections.

Before moving on to digital wireframes, I quickly sketched out some low-fidelity paper wireframes that showcased how the “Pin It” feature would integrate into the flight search experience. This way I can get quickly get ideas out receive some initial feedback before building the design on Figma.

After going through a quick round of user feedback, these are the UI changes made to the initial lo-fi wireframes.

1. Testing Early: Rapid prototyping and user feedback helped me refine the interface especially around visibility, usability, and how comparison data was displayed.

‍2. Iterating with Constraints in Mind: Working within Expedia’s existing design system taught me how to ideate creatively while respecting branding, UI consistency, and technical feasibility.

‍3. Scoping for MVP: I practiced scoping features for a minimum viable product, prioritizing functions that solve the core user problem while leaving room for future enhancements.

Many youth banking apps struggle to strike the right balance between independence and guidance. They often end up being either too limiting or too simplistic, creating friction for both parents and teens in managing money together.

Therefore, by introducing a streamlined flight-saving and comparison feature, it aimed to help users track options with ease.

I started off with 5 pairs of parent-teen groups to understand their struggles. Then, based on the insights, I mapped out the key friction points across both user groups.

Then to clarify who our targeted users are I created two primary personas who represent the core conflict.

Our central design moment focused on how Liam learns from an impulsive purchase.

The user flow explored how a real-time AI pop-up could turn that transaction into a short, meaningful teaching moment to help Liam reflect, while notifying Sarah to discuss it later.

To support dual roles, I created a role-based IA, ensuring parents and teens had distinct yet interconnected dashboards.

‍Parent side: oversight, limits, and AI insights.
‍Teen side: spending, AI guided learning, and growth tracking.

1. Testing Early: Rapid prototyping and user feedback helped me refine the interface especially around visibility, usability, and how comparison data was displayed.

‍2. Iterating with Constraints in Mind: Working within Expedia’s existing design system taught me how to ideate creatively while respecting branding, UI consistency, and technical feasibility.

‍3. Scoping for MVP: I practiced scoping features for a minimum viable product, prioritizing functions that solve the core user problem while leaving room for future enhancements.

Although TikTok Shop has seen success with deals and affordable pricing, only 29% of weekly users have made a purchase. Meanwhile, 26% are interested but have not made a purchase, revealing a crucial gap between interest and action.

This hesitation presents both a trust barrier and a missed opportunity for TikTok to convert engaged users into active buyers.

So to understand what drives user behavior, we conducted interviews with both existing TikTok users and newcomers to TikTok Shop. Our goal was to uncover pain points that prevent or disincentivize users from making purchases.

Here are some key takeaways:

Quote Highlight:

Then, based on interview data and behavioral trends, we identified two key personas:

Building on our user personas, we explored what keeps customers coming back to other successful e-commerce platforms. Beyond the typical use of coupons and discounts, we found that many brands rely on rewards programs and loyalty systems to drive customer retention and incentivize repeat purchases.

We studied reward systems in apps like Sephora, Mcdonalds, and Starbucks. Common retention strategies included:

Users are unlikely to make the switch unless TikTok Shop delivers personalized value and a sense of trust. Without recognizable benefits or confidence in the platform, there’s little motivation for users to take action.

How might we build trust on Tiktok shops, driving increased customer retention rates and attracting new customers?

To bring our concept to life, we mapped out a user flow that demonstrates how a reward system could be seamlessly integrated into the TikTok Shop experience. The flow highlights how the system would be:

- Introduced to users
- Reinforced through repeat actions
- Used to build loyalty over time

To quickly explore and communicate our ideas, we created a set of low-fidelity wireframes in Figma. Key elements include:
‍
- Onboarding moments where the reward system is introduced to users
- Incentive touchpoints that encourage repeat purchases (e.g. points tracker, progress bars)
- Loyalty dashboard allowing users to track and redeem their rewards

This interactive version allowed users to experience key features such as earning points, tracking progress, and redeeming rewards.

To evaluate its effectiveness, we conducted a formal round of usability testing with participants from our target user groups assessing:
‍
- Clarity of how the rewards system is introduced
- Ease of navigation through the rewards interface
- User motivation to engage with the system repeatedly

Here are some key pivots/changes we made according to the user test:

Our approach showed positive results, as shown by the following user feedback:

Therefore, we ultimately achieved our goals by:
‍
1. Hooking users in and discovering Tiktok Shop
2. Encouraging users to make their first purchases

To bridge the trust gap and encourage first time purchases, we proposed a rewards system designed to build confidence, incentivize engagement, and retain users over time.

1. Don't follow assumptions: It is okay to pviot. I learned to question my initial assumptions and let user feedback guide the direction. Instead of focusing on earning points, insights showed users cared more about the reward redemption experience, which led us to pivot our design for greater impact.

‍2. Design with clarity: I learned that even small visual or wording changes can influence how users feel about completing tasks. For example, by simplifying reward tiers and adding clearer progress cues, we made users feel more motivated and in control of their goals. This is something I will keep in mind in my future designs.