MU web app
My responsibilities
Usability audit UX/UI design Visual QA Art direction
Team
UX lead Visual designer Full stack developer Project manager
Industries
Travel Hospitality B2C
Client
MU
Date
June 2017
Project overview
On the website MU.today hosts could create experiences that they are passionate and knowledgeable about, e.g. surfing, bonsai, coffee, etc. Guests could browse experiences on the website and book directly with the host. We inherited an intitial iteration of the brand, beta website interface and various user flows in Sketch. Our primary goal was to unify the UI and UX to create a user-friendly online platform for both hosts and guests.
Problem statement
The beta website interface lacked clarity and visual unity. We were approached to refine the design and improve the customer journey. The founder of MU wanted to create an online experiential learning platform – a a relatively new idea at the time. He wanted to capitalise on its potential by providing a fantastic customer journey. He worked with another designer for the beta version, but was referred to us by the project developer with whom we’ve worked on other projects.
Experience creation flow redesign
An important part of a MU host’s sign-up process was the creation of their first experience. After a simple account setup with email verification, hosts are guided through an experience creation flow that requires their input. We redesigned the user flow with a clean UI and simple language to reassure the host that they are in control every step of the way. My goal was to make the UX intuitive and pleasant for the hosts, managing their expectations by giving indications of where they are in the process at all times.
Responsive design
An important consideration was responsiveness for both desktop and mobile viewports. The developer ensured smooth breakpoints and checked with me when unsure of padding or order of elements for the mobile view. We simplified the look and feel of the Inbox, making it easy for hosts and guests to communicate inside the platform. Further UX design work we completed included the booking experience for guests, a voucher purchasing flow and email templates for all the various messages to hosts/guests.
Project outcomes
The website MU.today was launched successfully and listed many interesting local experiences, but the limited availability of hosts proved to be a challenge. A few months after launch the client started focusing on adventurous tourists and partnered with hotels to offer white-label experiences. This grew into a new API-based, experience aggregator business called Hejju, for which we also developed the initial brand.
Client feedback
"Dian connected the dots, added value to the customer journey and clarified the MU user experience.”
MU Founder