Outing – Seamless Property Booking Design ( Part #2 - Business)
Outing is a property rental platform in Kuwait that enables businesses and property owners to list their properties, such as chalets, farmhouses, lodges, and apartments, for short-term rental. The goal is to provide an intuitive and efficient experience for businesses to showcase their properties, manage bookings, and optimize pricing strategies.
This case study explores the challenges, research insights, and design solutions that shaped the business listing experience in the Outing app.
Key Challenges in UI/UX Design
1. Creating a Simple and Guided Property Listing Process
Problem: Property owners, especially those with multiple listings, need a streamlined way to add and manage properties without getting overwhelmed.
Goal: Develop a structured, step-by-step flow that ensures complete property details while making the process user-friendly.
2. Ensuring High-Quality Listings with Verified Information
Problem: Incomplete or unclear property descriptions can lead to customer dissatisfaction and cancellations.
Goal: Introduce mandatory fields, validation checks, and guided input prompts to help business owners list properties with accurate details and high-quality images.
3. Flexible Pricing and Availability Management
Problem: Businesses need control over pricing strategies, including seasonal rates, promotional discounts, and flexible deposits.
Goal: Design a pricing system that allows:
Daily, weekly, and seasonal pricing.
Discounts and coupons.
Deposit-based booking vs. full payment options.
4. Handling Inquiries, Reservations, and Payments
Problem: Managing guest communication, bookings, and financial transactions in one place can be complex.
Goal: Provide a centralized dashboard for booking management, customer inquiries, and financial tracking.
5. Building Trust and Verification
Problem: Users often hesitate to book due to property quality and reliability concerns.
Goal: Implement a Verification system where business owners can verify properties with Outing, ensuring accurate photos, descriptions, and reliable hosts.
Research & Design Process
Understanding Business Needs
We conducted user interviews and competitor analysis to identify common pain points, including complex listing processes, pricing limitations, and guest communication issues. Insights showed that step-by-step onboarding, flexible pricing, and a centralized dashboard were key to improving the experience.
Optimized Listing Flow
A multi-step guided process was introduced to ensure complete, high-quality listings. This included:
Basic Property Details – Name, location, and type.
Amenities & Features – Guest capacity, services.
Photos & Verification – Image quality checks.
Pricing & Availability – Custom daily/seasonal rates.
Booking & Payments – Deposit/full payment options.
Efficient Property & Booking Management
A centralized dashboard was designed for businesses to:
Manage reservations, track availability, and update pricing easily.
Communicate with guests via integrated chat.
Monitor earnings and transactions for better financial control.
Building Trust with Verification
Property verification badges for approved listings.
Mandatory high-quality images and clear descriptions.
Guest reviews and ratings to enhance credibility.
These improvements streamlined the listing process, enhanced booking flexibility, and built trust, leading to higher-quality property listings and better business engagement.
Final Results & Impact
After multiple iterations and usability testing, the final design achieved:
A step-by-step listing process that is simple and structured.
A dynamic pricing and availability system tailored for business needs.
Higher-quality property listings with improved verification.
A streamlined booking management system for hosts.
A centralized dashboard to handle reservations, payments, and guest interactions.
