1 Product Manager, 3 Engineers, 2 Legal advisors, Marketing Manager, additional Fintech strategy leader and operations stakeholders
Lead UX Designer - I facilitated all major design decisions, led UX critique and research sessions, mentored writers, and drove the roadmap transition from MVP to MLP.
UX Strategy, Research synthesis, Experience design, Content design, Usability testing, iterative product rollouts and cross-functional alignment
Booking.com wanted to expand into fintech and create a new revenue stream beyond travel.
Launch a B2B cash advance solution to help property partners bridge off-season and emergency cash flow gaps - creating a new revenue stream for Booking.com while strengthening partner loyalty and trust.
Small and seasonal property partners across Europe and the UK faced cash flow gaps during off-season or emergencies that limited their ability to grow:
To support Booking.com’s accommodation partners, we wanted to give them the opportunity to work with our lending partner(s) to obtain funding that would help them to invest in growing their property or cover business-related expenses, like property upgrades and off-season expenses.
As the UX Lead, I led the 0 → 1 ux creation for the MVP launch of our first fintech offering product.
Dream Chasers
- Small operators seeking quick access to capital for growth opportunities or emergencies.
- They struggle with funding, face barriers in accessing capital and are frustrated by slow, non-transparent bank processes.
- They are constant home flippers, i.e., constantly renovating and upgrading multiple properties.
Off-Season Warriors
- Seasonal businesses, like resorts & vacation home owners needed flexible repayment schedules.
- Due to the business seasonality, they required control over when and how repayments are made.
- They had short-term credit needs and depend on flexible, short-term financing to bridge revenue gaps.
Our partners fall into distinct archetypes, each with unique needs and challenges that shape how they approach our product's adoption and growth.
The whole process consists of two phases:
Phase 1: Understood the market & user segments and collaborated with our fintech vendor to rapidly test the minimum viable product. Partner feedback and early adoption data guided quick iterations on onboarding flows, communication touchpoints, and product messaging.
Phase 2: Evolved from MVP in to building the Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) by enhancing the UX around transparency, repayment tracking, and partner support. Iteratively tested different flows and touchpoints (e.g., banners, dashboards, FAQs) to improve trust and partner adoption.
The first phase focused on rapidly testing the minimum viable product (MVP) with a small, controlled group of regional partners.
UX process:
Impact
With validation from the MVP, we shifted focus to enhancing partner trust, transparency, and usability - transforming the product into a Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) and then ultimately moving towards the North star experience.
Impact
We began by understanding the financial behavior and seasonal realities of Booking partners. Previous research had already highlighted cash-flow challenges in the hospitality industry, but we needed to evaluate the problem in Booking’s specific partner ecosystem.
Through partner interviews, secondary research, and market analysis, we uncovered key insights:
→ Many partners invest in renovations during the off-season to prepare for high season.
→ Some rely on personal savings or alternate income streams (e.g., IT manager by day, guesthouse owner by night).
→ When external funding is required, banks or private loans remain the default, “top-of-mind” solution.
→ Decision-making often involves multiple stakeholders (owners, managers, shareholders), slowing down financial commitments.
These findings helped us define the opportunity space: a partner-first funding solution, embedded in their existing Booking.com workflow, designed to be simpler and more trustworthy than external options.
Armed with insights, we moved into concept validation. The team explored multiple approaches to how financing could be presented within the extranet experience.
I facilitated rapid ideation workshops with cross-functional stakeholders (product managers, proposition designers, and legal advisors), sketching user flows that minimized friction while remaining transparent about terms.
We tested low-fidelity wireframes with a handful of partners to validate the value proposition and check for clarity around sensitive elements like repayment, advance amounts, and eligibility. Feedback confirmed that partners were open to the idea - but clarity and trust in the product’s legitimacy were non-negotiable.
Once we validated the direction, I owned the UX design across the end-to-end journey. This included:
→ Designing the landing page that communicated the offer and benefits clearly.
→ Mapping and refining the application flow, ensuring partners could understand terms without financial jargon.
→ Creating contract review flows that balanced legal requirements with readability.
Given the sensitivity of financial products, we ran multiple rounds of iteration with both internal reviewers and external partners. Each cycle focused on reducing friction, addressing ambiguity, and building trust.
Content was a critical component of this product. With no dedicated copywriter available initially, I authored the first drafts of partner-facing content - from eligibility messaging to repayment explanations.
I worked closely with legal teams to translate complex financial terms into partner-friendly language without losing compliance. This back-and-forth was one of the most intensive stages of the process, ensuring we struck the right balance between clarity, accuracy, and trust.
Before launch, we introduced the solution to a pilot group of regional partners. To maximize learning, I helped design feedback loops across channels:
- Partner interviews and surveys to gauge usability and trust.
- Behavioral signals (completion rates, repayment trends) as early indicators of adoption.
- In-product marketing banners and extranet placements to test visibility and conversion.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Partners reported using funds for renovations, maintenance, and bridging seasonal gaps. Repayment performance exceeded expectations - not a single delay, with some partners even repaying early and requesting renewals.
With validation from the MVP, we shifted focus to enhancing partner trust, transparency, and usability - transforming the product into a north star experience.
Small B&B in Devon: A small, owner-operated B&B in Devon, with part-time employees and an annual turnover of approximately £200,000, needed financing to refurbish their kitchen area. This upgrade allowed them to open a public-facing café, enhancing their service offerings and increasing their revenue potential.
Multi-Site Owner in Manchester: A multi-site owner managing 20 rooms across Manchester and nearby areas, with an annual turnover of around £500,000, required financing to cover payroll before the high season. Many bookings were paid on arrival, creating a cash flow gap that needed bridging to ensure smooth operations and staff retention.
Source: youlend.com/es/blog/booking-com-x-youlend-power-of-embedded-finance-in-the-travel-sector
