Making student bookings stress-free, a smoother flow that boosted engagement 44%
Industry:
Student Accommodation
Duration:
8 weeks
My role:
UX Designer
Method:
Unmoderated user testing
🔎 Overview
Context
Nido’s platform was stuck in the past. Originally built for the UK market, it struggled with European expansion. The site was clunky, updates were a headache for marketing, devs were slowed down by messy APIs, and students were getting frustrated trying to search, compare, and book rooms. Basically, it was high-maintenance, low-conversion, and not helping growth.
Business goal
Make booking simple, fast, and user-friendly while keeping it easy to manage, supporting European expansion, and boosting student engagement.
Results
✅ 62% increase in impressions
✅ 44% increase in clicks
🤷♀️ The user & problem
User group
European students + parents, focusing on Spain
The problem
Students and parents struggled to search, compare and book rooms quickly. Confusing UI and unclear information risked lost bookings and added stress during a critical, high-pressure time.
⚒️ My approach
I ran unmoderated user testing on booking journey wireframes in Ireland and Spain using Useberry to see if we were on the right track early.
Key insights:
Make it crystal clear that clicking “Reserve” doesn’t immediately charge users
Clarify whether bathrooms/kitchens are shared or private (critical for Spanish users)
Parents often co-decide, so trust signals like security and reliability were essential
🧠 Behavioural principle used
Spark effect
We’re more likely to act when something feels easy or low-effort. By simplifying tasks and reducing friction (like changing “Book now” to “Reserve”) we made it feel less intimidating and encouraged more users to take action.
👉 Why it applies here
Students are stressed, time-poor and making big decisions. Making the first step feel simple boosted engagement and confidence.
🚨 The messy bits i.e. what went wrong & how I fixed it
Problem 1: Students clicked the new “Account” section thinking it was where they could pay for rooms.
Fix: Renamed it “Login” to reduce confusion.
Problem 2: The floormap turned into a monster. Unique SVGs for each building, live StarRez integration, pop-ups, upsells, I could go on. Meaning it took 3x the expected development time.
Fix: Prioritised key features, absorbed expanded scope, and iterated carefully to stay on budget.
Problem 3: Complexity led to creeping dev time, risking deadlines and budget.
Fix: Tight prioritisation and feature planning ensured we hit delivery goals.
✅ The outcome
62% increase in impressions
44% increase in clicks
The booking flow is now smooth and simple. Students can search, compare and reserve rooms quickly, while parents feel reassured. Modern design systems and clear information boosted engagement:
↪️ What I would do differently next time
Tighten control over component scope and estimate complexity earlier to prevent scope creep.
