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Airbnb Compare Places MVP

@ Hack Reactor
COMPLETED:   2019
TECH STACK:   React, Express.js, MongoDB, Google Maps API
MY ROLE:   I designed, developed, and prototyped the MVP in less than 2 weeks.
GITHUB:   Link to project on Github
Context

This was a project done during my sabbatical at Hack Reactor, the leading software engineering program and community for full-stack web development. The final MVP was selected as a showcase project on demo day. Note: This project is not affiliated with the actually work of Airbnb.

The Problem

Deciding on where to stay during a trip is hard, especially when you’re planning a group trip that requires consensus from multiple people. As a frequent Airbnb user, a recurring pain point I’ve experienced is the problem of not knowing how to choose between multiple room listings during booking. After interviewing 15 of my friends and family, I discovered that many people in my network had experienced the same problem as well. Specific pain points surfaced include:

  1. Getting Lost in Tabs. Browsing places to stay requires guests to open up multiple tabs, one for each listing. During the process of narrowing down options, the repetition of switching between tabs to compare places can be confusing.
  2. Underutilized Lists. Few guests I spoke with were aware of the Airbnb list feature for saving favorite places. Additionally, the current list feature is perceived as a scrolling collection of save-for-later items instead of as a tool for decision making.
  3. Improvising Extra Steps. When planning group trips, guests described going through a makeshift process of copying listing details into a spreadsheet or starting text threads to reach a consensus on which place to stay.
The Goals

Addressing these pain points can improve user experiences and also advance the business goals of Airbnb in two ways:

  1. Improve booking rates by reducing shopping cart abandonment caused by mental fatigue during the checkout/decision-making process.
  2. Improve user engagement by keeping trip planning conversations on the Airbnb platform.
The MVP

The Compare Places feature is a tool that can help Airbnb guests make timely decisions on where to stay through the use of side-by-side comparisons, group chats, voting, and benchmarking prices. By integrating the Comparison feature into the booking process, guests can efficiently make trade-offs between places and coordinate planning with fellow travelers in a single place. (Check out the demo video above the one project snapshots below.)

Project Snapshots:
On each listing page, guests would be prompted to make timely decisions by clicking on the 'Add to Compare' button directly below the reservation module.
The 'Compare places' modal is where guests can evaluate tradeoffs between saved listings using side-by-side comparisons.
Guests can set a target price for their budget and see calculated price differences rendered on each saved listing.
The locations of saved listings can be evaluated by pulling up an in-modal Google Map with locational markers.
Group messaging would allow guests to coordinate trip planning without leaving the Airbnb platform.
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