Overview
Expedia Group, a global leader in the travel industry, embarked on a mission to unify their Partner Hub experience by merging over seven distinct websites into a single, cohesive platform. This new platform aimed to provide Expedia’s partners with comprehensive information about their programs, products, and business opportunities. As an individual contributor, I played a critical role in ensuring the success of this project by leading research efforts, collaborating with stakeholders, and guiding the design process.
Check Expedia Partner Hub live website.
The Ask
Expedia Group sought to streamline their partner relationships, which had become fragmented due to the existence of multiple websites catering to different aspects of their business. With over 20 companies and 200+ websites under their umbrella, they needed a unified platform to simplify navigation and provide a seamless experience for their partners. The primary goal was to audit the existing experience, consolidate the websites into a single sitemap, and deliver a final design encompassing both UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) elements for their Partner Hub.
My Role and Contribution
Research Leadership
Expedia Group's data-driven approach necessitated comprehensive research to inform design decisions. I was deeply involved in the research process, crafting interview scripts, conducting user sessions, and analyzing the data. We began by auditing the existing websites to understand the challenges faced by users and stakeholders. This audit provided a baseline for our research and informed the questions we asked during user interviews.
Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement
Given the complexity of the project, involving multiple departments and business units, it was crucial to maintain alignment with stakeholders. I took the initiative to map out stakeholder profiles, identifying their needs and concerns. This mapping guided our communication strategy, ensuring that presentations and updates were tailored to address the specific interests of each group. My efforts in fostering strong relationships with stakeholders were instrumental in securing their buy-in for key design decisions.
User Interviews and Tree Testing
To gain insights into how internal teams and partners interacted with the existing platform, I conducted user interviews with over 20 stakeholders. These sessions were held on Miro and provided valuable information about the roles, expectations, and goals of each participant. Following the interviews, I led the creation of personas for Expedia Group's partners, which were used to structure our second round of testing: tree testing.
In the tree testing phase, I was responsible for crafting two sitemap structures, setting up the test in Optimal Workshop, ensuring quality assurance, and analyzing the results. The objective was to assess the findability and discoverability of the sitemaps, as these factors directly impact user experience and the platform’s effectiveness.
Sitemap Development
The culmination of our research and stakeholder feedback was the development of a unified sitemap. This sitemap was a critical deliverable, guiding the wireframing and design phases of the project. I proposed a dedicated Partner Hub, drawing from benchmarking data from other players in the hospitality industry. Initially met with skepticism, I successfully presented data and arguments to convince the Expedia Group team of the benefits of this approach.
Wireframing and Design
During the wireframe phase, I focused on creating a clear, intuitive layout for the Partner Hub. My approach was to remove unnecessary clutter and organize content into logical sections, enhancing the user experience. By adopting a modular design, we ensured that different types of partners could easily access the information they needed. The wireframes defined the basic structure, layout, and functionality of key pages, which were then iterated upon before moving into the visual design phase.
The Result
The UX team, with my active participation, collaborated closely with the Creative team to ensure that the final designs were both visually appealing and highly usable. We presented multiple concepts to stakeholders and collectively selected the one that best represented the atmosphere Expedia Group wanted to create for their partners. My involvement extended to component documentation and ensuring compliance with AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) standards
Project Retrospective
This project, spanning approximately 4-5 months, was a significant learning experience. As an individual contributor, I was involved from the initial kickoff to the final approval of the Creative team’s designs. The project required a data-driven approach, extensive stakeholder management, and attention to detail. My primary goal was to deliver the best possible experience for Expedia Group’s partners, and I believe I achieved that through rigorous research, thoughtful design, and strategic communication.
