Design pricing function for OwlNest admin system
Project Includes | UX Research . UI Design
Project Scale | 2 departments, 8 members
My Role | UI/UX Designer
Project Background
OwlNest is a B2B property management system for hospitality, clients all over Asian and the United States.
However, the pricing function was been planned in the early stage of the system is relatively simple and cannot achieve effective and flexible price setting. In recent year it's hard to satisfy our new users from hotel.
Challenges and Solutions
- It's hard to talk with end users
In this project, our users feedbacks were always been bought by sales, UI/UX designer rarely have opportunity to interview end users. To resolve this problem, I interviewed our colleagues in OwlStay ( OwlTing house brand of hostels ), to understand the real pain points of end users. - Having different opinion with product consultant
In the early stage of discussion, our product consultant proposed to renovate the existing process at once, but consider of user experience I insisted not affecting the current users, for emphasize my opinion I made a simple Prototype to convince product consultant.
Let's see feedbacks first 👀
New price setting function is super useful for a long-term setting !
- User from Taipei
Holiday price setting is convenient and flexible ! Love it so much !
- User from Hualien
Compared to other systems, holiday setting is our unique selling point !
- Sales manager
1
Goals
The pain points we'd solve
- Development a suitable price setting function for all users.
- Optimize current interface according to users feedback, make sure new function and exist function coexist in the system.
- Flexible and effective price setting for holiday.
2
Empathize
Understand users using patterns
I interview with OwlS stay front desk team, and referred feedbacks of the other users. I learned that user usually set weekday and weekend price first, and than set holiday price, some hotels referred neighboring countries holiday.
3
Define
Existing pain point
The negative common we received the most is room price only can be set one by one, complicated and repetitive operations are easily cause wrong result.
4
Ideate
Brainstorming for optimize task
I. Analyze current steps
Current room prices only can be set one by one, in the situation of multiple room types and multiple projects it will increase multiple times, which is a great burden for user.
II. Find the steps for optimization
- Simplify repeat steps - Through user interviews I know that most users setting price start from room type, then adjust the price according to different projects. So if we can simplify repeated steps, it would be easier for user to operate.
- Easily select national holidays - In current interface it provides information for national holidays, but user cannot see it when setting room price. So we optimized date drop-down and planned the new setting function for national holidays.
III. Steps after optimized
Multi-select prices can be set by periods of date in the most effective way. The example shows the new way saves 4.5 times operation.
5
Design
Transform text flow into interfaces
I. Wireframe
After discussing the optimization flow with our team, I transform text flows into wireframe, and discuss with engineers to modification.
II. Reuse the UI library
Admin system should pays more attention to user's process of completing tasks than the visual style. To avoid increase user's learning cost I used existing elements to design and keep the consistency.
III. Prototype
Prototype can achieve high fidelity, also I through it to observed users operation and interaction with interfaces.
According to this is an charged admin system, please forgive me can't provide an interact Prototype. 🙇♀️
IV. Usability Testing
We invited users to operate the new version. Through observation, recording and collecting feedbacks.Total included hold 6 usability tests, and 2 iterations.
6
Result
Page Display
The new pricing function allows users to make multiple combinations of room types and sale plans. It was planned in tab which can easily switch with existing calendar and not change the original layout. We launch this new function in the calmest way without disturbing user.
Setting multiple price plans - It simplify repeated steps, it would be easier for user to operate.
Quickly setting holidays price - User can directly select national holidays, through interface to solve the burden of user's memory.
Optimize dropdown calendar - The national holidays are also displayed on the drop-down calendar, so user can always pay attention of pricing.
7
Iterate
According to users feedback to optimize
New function brings lots of comments from users, they're satisfied with multiple select pricing which also can save lots of manpower. Those positive feedbacks are promote the second stage optimization.
8
Takeaway
Design admin system should be more careful
When planning new functions for admin system, in my opinion the most important thing is follow existing users experiences. Normally users don't like changes, so when planning new function, we should try not to affect the operation of existing users as the highest principle.
More Works
