Case Study
Redesigning a Secondary Travel Marketplace
Overview
My role in this project was to transform Transfer Travel from a functional but confusing marketplace into a product that people could understand, trust, and confidently use. The platform already had real inventory and a strong business idea, but the experience made it difficult for users to compare offers, evaluate risk, or even know what they were buying. My responsibility was to uncover those friction points and redesign the experience around how people actually make travel decisions.
Client
Transfer Travel Ltd (UK)
Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
Collaborated with mobile developer, PM, and 3D artist
Duration
6 months
Tools
Figma, Notion, ClickUp, Midjourney
Background
What Transfer Travel is
Transfer Travel is a UK-based travel marketplace that helps people recover value from trips they can no longer take. Instead of losing money on unused flights, hotel bookings, cruises, or holiday packages, users can resell them to other travelers at discounted prices. The platform turns cancellations into opportunities — for both sellers trying to minimize losses and buyers looking for great travel deals.
Original Transfer Travel Website
The Problem
Business trapped in a broken interface
The Transfer Travel marketplace needed a complete UX and UI modernization. Its outdated interface made it difficult for users to understand, compare, and trust available travel deals, which directly limited engagement and conversion.
Business goals
Increase purchase conversion
Improve trust in sellers and payments
Make deals easier to discover
Enable the platform to scale with more inventory
Project Approach
Week 1
Discovery
Week 2-3
Define
Week 4-7
Design
Week 8
Project Handoff!
Discovery Workshop
Discovery Summary
Competitive/Comparative Audits
User Archetypes
User Hero Flows
Tone Exercise
Experience Board Concepts
Information Architecture
UX Concepts
Content Strategy
Wireframing
Final Wireframing
High-Fidelity Design
Copywriting
Clickable Prototypes
Mobile Design
Whitelabel Designs
Success Metrics
1
Deal page engagement
Increase purchase conversion
2
Search and filter usage
Improve trust in sellers and payments
3
Checkout completion
Make deals easier to discover
4
Home page bounce
Enable the platform to scale with more inventory
Discovery
Competitive Audit
We examined travel resale platforms, online travel agencies, and peer-to-peer marketplaces to see how users find, assess, and buy discounted trips. The audit emphasized navigation, deal presentation, trust signals, search and filtering, and clarity of booking conditions.
Clear presentation of price, flexibility, and booking conditions
Strong trust signals around sellers and payments
Simple, fast paths from discovery to checkout
Discovery
Comparative Audit
To better understand how users discover, evaluate, and choose travel options, I analyzed leading travel platforms that shape user expectations — including Airbnb, Skyscanner, Kayak, and Lonely Planet. While these products are not direct competitors to Transfer Travel, they define modern standards for content structure, search, trust, and decision-making in travel experiences.
Clear comparison of options through structured content and filters
Trust-building through transparency and social proof
Progress is clear
Information Architecture + Hero Flows
I restructured the platform's information architecture to support deal discovery, comparison, and confident decision-making. Key user flows were then designed to guide users from exploration through evaluation and purchase.
Solution
Over the course of 8 weeks, I redesigned the Transfer Travel website to create a modern, scalable marketplace experience focused on clarity, trust, and conversion.
Homepage
The redesigned homepage introduces Transfer Travel as a trusted travel marketplace, encouraging users to explore deals and start browsing through visually engaging sections optimized for discovery and conversion.
Search Results
The search results page allows users to browse available travel deals without signing in, while gently encouraging them to continue their journey by exploring detailed offers and unlocking the full booking experience.
Offer Details
The offer details page clearly communicates everything a buyer needs to know before committing - including travel dates, inclusions, transfer rules, seller information, and protection terms. The layout prioritizes transparency and scannability, helping users quickly assess value and risk.
Order flows
The order flow was designed to minimize friction and uncertainty. It guides users step by step through traveler details, payment, and confirmation, while reinforcing trust with clear summaries, security indicators, and transparent pricing.
Transfer Travel Blogs
The blog section supports discovery and education by providing travel inspiration, guides, and practical advice. It helps users better understand resale travel, build confidence in the platform, and engage with Transfer Travel beyond individual deals.
Account Settings
Account settings give users full control over their profile, preferences, and listings. The interface is simple and structured, making it easy to manage personal details, bookings, and notifications without overwhelming the user.
Add New Listing
The add new listing flow helps sellers create offers quickly and accurately. Step-by-step guidance and smart inputs reduce errors while ensuring that all essential details are clearly communicated to potential buyers.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Design System
Throughout the design phase, I built a scalable design system for Transfer Travel, aligning with the existing brand while introducing clear structure and consistency. Accessibility and responsiveness were prioritized, and interactive Figma components were created to support rapid prototyping and future product development.
Mobile Experience
Reflection
Lessons Learned
Designing for Trust
Clear presentation of booking conditions, seller credibility, and payment protection proved essential for helping users feel confident purchasing resale travel.
Reducing Complexity
Structuring diverse travel deals into a unified, comparable format significantly improved usability and decision-making.
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