Renovating a travel titan's search & filter functions.
​A self-initiated case study.
They say life is about the journey, not the destination but sifting through irrelevant accommodation listings shouldn't be a part of the journey. Narrowing the field by offering users search & filter functions is key for a pleasant user experience. Usability testing revealed significant pain points and our team created a solution. 
  • ​Our team completed a first round of exploratory usability testing focused on how users experience the search and filter functions on airbnb.com to complete a specific task.
  • My main areas of responsibility were participant recruitment, moderation of usability testing sessions, workshop facilitation (affinity mapping).
  • Moderated, remote usability testing sessions were completed with 3 participants in the target age range who were familiar with booking via airbnb. 
  • Users found it difficult to (a) find the breakfast filter, (b) control the price range slider, and (c) navigate between search results and a selected listing.
  • Our team focused on these issues to create (1) a modal to clarify how to navigate between search results and a selected listing as well as (2) a search & filter wizard that sorts filters into categories so users can easily find the ones relevant for them.

The Brief

Our team was tasked with completing a first round of exploratory usability testing to learn more about how users search and filter to find accommodations on the Airbnb desktop website.

​The purpose, task and scope were provided and that information formed a foundation to determine relevant metrics.  A target audience was identified and participants were recruited for remote, moderated usability testing sessions.

How We Work
​Our UX Team was composed of myself and Herman Dahl. We each took responsibility for different portions of the project and worked in close collaboration throughout the process including the proposed solution. 
Picture
Photo: freepik, n.d.

​The Process
Purpose
  • To learn about how users interact with the airbnb.com website (desktop version) when searching and filtering for accommodations.
Metrics
  • Task completion
  • Time to complete task
  • User satisfaction
Scope
  • Focus on a single task:
    • Find a cabin in California
    • Two night stay
    • Two guests
    • Wi-Fi
    • Breakfast included
    • Free cancellation
    • Budget of approximately 400 USD or 4000 NOK.
Participant Recruitment
  • We focused on users between the ages of 25 and 45 since about 59% of Airbnb guests fall within this age range (Source: iPropertyManagment, 2025. Marketing91, 2024), 
Key moments during testing
  • Filter modal stalled multiple times.
  • Results in Mexico shown when user searched for California.
  • Frustration with budget slider and back button.
  • Map was clicked accidentally, this narrowed results.
  • Flexible dates defaulted to 5 nights.
  • Struggled with breakfast filter; mentioned their ADD.
  • Difficulty using flexible dates filter.
  • Breakfast filter not found.

The Results
THEME: Unaware
INSIGHTS:
  • Users were unaware of what filters were available & what happens when a user clicks in certain areas.​​
RECOMMENDATIONS:
  • A modal that pops up when the map is clicked on to ask the user if they are trying to edit the search area.
  • Strengthen filter logic and offer real-time previews of active filters to better meet user expectations.
THEME: Disappointment
INSIGHTS:
  • All users including the user who successfully completed the task found the filters lacking in functionality and variety.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
  • Add option to filter for type of accommodation (bungalow, yurt, cabin, etc).
  • By using a multi-step form for filters (wizard interface), the user will be guided through the filter selection.
THEME: Roadblocks
INSIGHTS:
  • Significant pain points were observed regarding both the navigation and irrelavant search results.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
  • Add a “back to search results” button on listing pages.
  • Add a modal saying that clicking on a listing opens a new window and explaining they can go switch back to this tab to view all results again or edit search criteria.
THEME: Satisfaction
INSIGHTS:
  • A clean and visually appealing UI improves perceived ease.
  • 2 of 3 participants rated their satisfaction with the task as 4 out of 5. The filter for whole vs. part of the home was a positive aspect for users as well as the UI.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
  • Recommendation to keep sharp, minimal designs in future iterations to increase overall satisfaction for familiar users.

The Solution

Navigation between search results and listings:
  • A modal matching airbnb's current UI appears when the user lands on the search results page. A dark grey skrim obscures the search results and ensures the user focuses on this important information.
  • The text explains the navigation between a listing and the search results while a brief video on a loop illustrates this.
  • The user can close the modal using the X in the top right.
Search & Filter Wizard
  • The user begins the search process as usual entering dates, location and guest information.
  • Once the user presses search they are navigated to the search results pages with a filter modal over the screen.
  • The wizard interface (multi-step form) on the left side of the modal displays user progress and indicates whether a filter has been chosen for each step.​
  • Once the user completes or exits the wizard, search results are updated. 

The way forward
  • The next step would be to collaborate with product managers and developers to prepare an estimate of the work involved to take this concept from prototype to finished product.
  • These estimates of required resources along with our findings would then be presented to all relevant stakeholders for approval.
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