Gallery: Good News: Airbnb's App Is Now Significantly Less Infuriating
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Today, Airbnb rolls out a redesign of its app, in an effort to improve the booking process for guests.
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“We’re trying to rethink the experience of Airbnb, as if it started in the mobile era,” says Airbnb design head Alex Schleifer.
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That means simplifying the overall experience for users. Paris, for instance, has 60,000 listings. It should be a pleasure, not a headache, to look through them on a mobile device.
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The new approach includes asking booking questions, one by one, one screen at a time. It’s like Airbnb holding your hand through the booking process.
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By serving up listings more targeted to the user, Airbnb hopes to help its travelers feel like locals. That's why each listing now includes a line describing its neighborhood.
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It’s also why, after you book a rental, the app directs you to a neighborhood guide created by your host.
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Katie Dill, who leads experience design, calls the mobile redesign “the biggest change we’ve done to the product since we launched.” Dill says the redesign is aimed at making mobile more than a companion to the desktop version. Now, “mobile is the best way to book Airbnb,” she says.
