The Challenge

As Design Manager for Search at Booking.com, I set out to transform how users discover and plan their trips. I saw an opportunity to unify our fragmented search experience into a cohesive system that would span across accommodations, flights, car rentals, and attractions.

My vision went beyond incremental improvements – I aimed to bridge the gap between the company’s near-term evolution and its long-term product vision by unlocking entirely new dimensions of search through trip types, themes, and events.

Recognizing the strategic importance of this initiative, I built support at the executive level, securing sponsorship from the Senior Director of UX to bring this vision to life.

The scope and ambition of the project attracted key stakeholders including Directors and Senior Directors of Product and Design, as well as the VP of Product – reflecting both its cross-functional nature and organizational impact.

Project Scope

This comprehensive project encompassed all search-related experiences, both implicit and explicit, across verticals.

The goal was to unlock new search dimensions — such as trip types, themes, and events — while creating a seamless experience for users regardless of the vertical. Our stakeholders included Directors and Senior Directors of Product and Design, as well as VP of Product.

Initial Research

Our research revealed several critical pain points:

• Repetitive Data Entry
  Users had to enter the same preferences repeatedly across flights, accommodations, and attractions. This wasn’t just annoying – i