Janelle Lee Email
Preview screens from the Inns by the Sea mobile booking experience

Mobile Booking App

Inns by the Sea

Resolving booking issues: improving the mobile booking user experience.

Role: Product Design, UX/UI Design • Duration: 8 weeks • Tools: Miro, Figma

The Problem

The booking flow is slow and hard to navigate.

How can we improve the user flow and navigation experiences of booking direct?

"61% are willing to spend more for personalized experiences while 39% are not willing to spend more." -HotelManagement.net

This sparked the question -how can we make it more personalized to book online?

RESULT

Complete Overhaul, Blending Hospitality and Customization

LIGHT MODE

Final Product Screens Light Mode

DARK MODE

Final Product Screens Dark Mode

RESEARCH PROCESS

Building the Experience

Market Research

Competitive Analysis Graphic

User Personas

What are people saying?

Lena & Marco

"What is the difference between the Deluxe King and the Premium King?"

Design: Framing the Experience

  • The app is… A thoughtfully designed booking tool that makes planning a stay easy and engaging
  • A showcase for unique experiences like the Romance Package and local partnerships
  • A personalized portal that remembers guest preferences and past bookings
  • A direct communication bridge between guest and property—no third-party confusion
  • The app is not… Just another generic hotel booking app
  • A property management tool for staff
  • A static listing of rooms with no visual storytelling or added value
  • A transactional interface lacking human warmth and intuitive navigation

UI Design

Miro Wireframe Screens

Translated wire-frames into high-fidelity Figma mockups, introducing a cleaner visual hierarchy and coastal-inspired color palette.

FINAL LOOK

  • LANDING PAGE & ROOM VIEW
  • FEATURES: See the overview of properties, then select a property, room type, and view amenities within a few taps. Easy to view, explore and visit each property from the convenience of a mobile booking app.
61% of guests are willing to spend more on a personalized experience, as I mentioned before. Booking and viewing each room from the app makes it easy to customize your stay!

This appeals to the customers who prefer mobile booking through Expedia and Booking.com

Please note - both Dark Mode and Light Mode are available. Dark Mode is featured for higher contrast and greater accessibility.

2 mobile screens showing the landing page and room view of the IBTS mobile app
Final Design
  • Flash Screen with Logo and Restaurant Partners
  • FEATURES: Logo Flash Screen and Restaurant Partners List accessible through the app.
Restaurant partnerships for local dining options! Booking and viewing each room from the app makes it easy to customize your stay!

This appeals to the customers who prefer making reservations ahead of their stay.

Final Design

USER TESTING

Key Improvements

  • Increased header size: Improved contrast and visual hierarchy.
  • Gift card graphic redesign: Enhanced readability and brand cohesion.
  • Updated bottom icons: Aligned with brand colors (light blue & dark blue).
  • Improved page contrast: Better visual clarity between different views.
  • Added Dark Mode: Dark mode for accessibility and greater contrast with text.

REFLECTIONS

Takeaways and Future Plans

This project allowed me to lead the visual direction and create a high-fidelity mobile app concept for Inns by the Sea. Though development was not in scope, I treated the project with the same attention to detail as a live product—preparing a polished presentation with Figma layouts, component mockups, annotated UX wire-frames, and brand designs reflecting the location and hospitality focus.

Having the knowledge and capability to design and research users and understand the clientele gives me a unique insight that can be inspiring and limiting. I have ideas to improve the personalization and flow, but for those that are not as tech savvy the designs need to be clear and simple.

I intend to continue building hospitable experiences online for those who are traveling and looking for convenience and personalization and a trustworthy provider.