Host Guest Platform
Host Guest Platform
A C2C housing booking platform that fosters community, trust, and belonging. A real home away from home, with lasting connections.
A housing booking platform that fosters community, trust, and belonging. A real home away from home, with lasting connections.
Role
UI/UX Design Lead
Team
2 UI/UX Designers, 1 Product Manager, 2 Developers, 3 Graphic Designers
Timeline
1 month
(May - Aug 2025)
Tools/Skills
UX Research, UI Design, Figma, Miro
The Challenge
Moving to a new place can feel like you'll never belong.
Foreign students, travelers, and those locating to new areas struggle to find affordable housing that also provides trust and a sense of belonging. Traditional housing options such as dorms, hotels, or short-term rentals are often expensive, impersonal, and lack opportunities for meaningful connection.
The Solution
Accessible housing built on trust and inclusion between hosts and guests.
Accessible housing built on trust and inclusion between hosts and guests.
Host Guest is a company whose mission is to connect people looking for a place to stay and belong with welcoming host families/people, offering an affordable, enriching, and connection-based alternative to traditional housing.
Host Guest is a company whose mission is to connect people looking for a place to stay and belong with welcoming host families/people, offering an affordable, enriching, and connection-based alternative to traditional housing.
Pain points
Users need a platform that provide solutions to their pain points:
Users need a platform that provide solutions to their pain points:
The Challenge
The gap between affordability, trust, and belonging.
Finding affordable housing that also provides a sense of belonging is a major challenge for many people, especially students, travelers, and those relocating to new areas. Traditional housing options such as dorms, hotels, or short-term rentals are often expensive, impersonal, and lack opportunities for meaningful connection.
Reflection
Efficient + Accommodating Search Engine
When the guest first lands on the home page, they are presented with simple filters for initial search. The initial search results proceed to present a wide range of filters.
The Solution
Accessible housing built on trust and inclusion between hosts and guests.
Host Guest is a company whose mission is to connect people looking for a place to stay and belong with welcoming host families/people, offering an affordable, enriching, and connection-based alternative to traditional housing.
FINAL DESIGNS
Direct Connection to the Host + Security Status
When a property listing is selected, there is detailed information about the host, as well as a direct messaging option. The host profile provides verification, insurance, and SuperHost statuses.
Detailed Amenities and Reviews
The Host is required to add all amenities available in their home to their listing.
Detailed reviews with ratings in crucial categories give insight into other guests' experiences.
Efficient Booking Flow and Status
The guest can easily reserve a room, and the host will review the request before confirming the reservation. This way, the guest can ensure there is a match before making a payment.
Secure Finances and Payment
The profile includes a Finance section that clearly displays detailed payment activity, ensuring full transparency.
Understand the Developers' POV
Collaborating closely with the Product Manager and developers gave me valuable insight into the backend of building a platform. We regularly discussed financial, technical, and scope constraints in weekly meetings, and I iterated on my designs to align with those realities.
Efficient + Accommodating Search Engine
When the guest first lands on the home page, they are presented with simple filters for initial search. The initial search results proceed to present a wide range of filters.
The Solution
Accessible housing built on trust and inclusion between hosts and guests.
Host Guest is a company whose mission is to connect people looking for a place to stay and belong with welcoming host families/people, offering an affordable, enriching, and connection-based alternative to traditional housing.
FINAL DESIGNS
Direct Connection to the Host + Security Status
When a property listing is selected, there is detailed information about the host, as well as a direct messaging option. The host profile provides verification, insurance, and SuperHost statuses.
Detailed Amenities and Reviews
The Host is required to add all amenities available in their home to their listing.
Detailed reviews with ratings in crucial categories give insight into other guests' experiences.
Efficient Booking Flow and Status
The guest can easily reserve a room, and the host will review the request before confirming the reservation. This way, the guest can ensure there is a match before making a payment.
Secure Finances and Payment
The profile includes a Finance section that clearly displays detailed payment activity, ensuring full transparency.
I was in charge of the guest flow for this internship, and I worked very closely with the other UI/UX Design Intern, who worked on the host flow. Since many guest features had to align seamlessly with host features, this collaboration taught me the importance of designing with multiple user perspectives in mind.
Think about the Other Side of the Product
Team
2 UI/UX Designers, 1 Product Manager, 2 Developers, 3 Graphic Designers
Role
UI/UX Design Lead
Timeline
1 month (May - Aug 2025)
Tools/Skills
UX Research, UI Design, Figma, Miro
Think about the Other Side of the Product
I was in charge of the guest flow for this internship, and I worked very closely with the other UI/UX Design Intern, who worked on the host flow. Since many guest features had to align seamlessly with host features, this collaboration taught me the importance of designing with multiple user perspectives in mind.
Understand the Developers' POV
Collaborating closely with the Product Manager and developers gave me valuable insight into the backend of building a platform. We regularly discussed financial, technical, and scope constraints in weekly meetings, and I iterated on my designs to align with those realities.
Reflection
MARKET RESEARCH
Competitive Analysis: Housing booking platforms
User research
User Interviews + Affinity Diagram
I interviewed 10 people from my target audience - 5 international students and 5 frequent travelers with a set of questions about their personal experiences.
User research
A/B Testing
A/B Testing
I asked the 10 people in my focus group to tell me what worked and didn't work between two bookings page designs.
I asked the 10 people in my focus group to tell me what worked and didn't work between two bookings page designs.
Final Bookings Page Design
MARKET RESEARCH
Competitive Analysis: Housing booking platforms
User Interviews + Affinity Diagram
I interviewed 10 people from my target audience - 5 international students and 5 frequent travelers with a set of questions about their personal experiences.
What drove my design choices?
What drove my design choices?
Local Cultural Exchange
Traditional long term and short-term housing do not provide a community that enhances someone's experience.
Inclusion and Opportunity
There are few opportunities in other housing transactions that foster inclusion.
Convenience and Easy transition
Users seek flexibility in times of uncertainty, and a convenient move to a new home.
Affordable but trustworthy and safe
Traditional housing can be expensive, but they provide security. There are existing alternatives that are risky and unsafe.
Final Bookings Page Design
Think about the Other Side of the Product
I was in charge of the guest flow for this internship, and I worked very closely with the other UI/UX Design Intern, who worked on the host flow. Since many guest features had to align seamlessly with host features, this collaboration taught me the importance of designing with multiple user perspectives in mind.
Understand the Developers' POV
Collaborating closely with the Product Manager and developers gave me valuable insight into the backend of building a platform. We regularly discussed financial, technical, and scope constraints in weekly meetings, and I iterated on my designs to align with those realities.
Reflection
A
Highlights the number of guests you booked
Hard to find "see details"
Enough focus on the place and the host
Colored block to highlight most important info
Easy to miss this button
Tells you that YOU rated the host
B
Placement of button with another button makes it more visible
Status information
CTA buttons helps to see more details, but diverts attention from more important info
Don't know if this is a general rating or how YOU rated them
Timeline categorizes information
Small profile pic loses focus on the host
Final Bookings Page Design
Efficient + Accommodating Search Engine
When the guest first lands on the home page, they are presented with simple filters for initial search. The initial search results proceed to present a wide range of filters.
Direct Connection to the Host + Security Status
When a property listing is selected, there is detailed information about the host, as well as a direct messaging option. The host profile provides verification, insurance, and SuperHost statuses.
Detailed Amenities and Reviews
The Host is required to add all amenities available in their home to their listing.
Detailed reviews with ratings in crucial categories give insight into other guests' experiences.
Efficient Booking Flow and Status
The guest can easily reserve a room, and the host will review the request before confirming the reservation. This way, the guest can ensure there is a match before making a payment.
Local Cultural Exchange
Traditional long term and short-term housing do not provide a community that enhances someone's experience.
Affordable but trustworthy and safe
Traditional housing can be expensive, but they provide security. There are existing alternatives that are risky and unsafe.
Inclusion and Opportunity
There are few opportunities in other housing transactions that foster inclusion.
Convenience and Easy transition
Users seek flexibility in times of uncertainty, and a convenient move to a new home.
FINAL DESIGNS
MARKET RESEARCH
Competitive Analysis: Housing booking platforms
User research
User Interviews + Affinity Diagram
I interviewed 10 people from my target audience - 5 international students and 5 frequent travelers with a set of questions about their personal experiences.