Transforming the Butlin's Activity Booking Experience

Project Overview
Butlin's, a leading UK holiday resort company, was set to open new activity centres featuring an expanded range of engaging activities for their guests. The number of daily activity time slots would increase dramatically, from approximately 50 per day to anything between 100 and 1,000. The existing UI for activity booking was deemed inadequate and would have resulted in a poor user experience, making it virtually impossible for guests to efficiently find and book activities. The objective was to explore opportunities to design an improved user interface that would ensure resort guests could easily navigate, filter, and book activities suitable for their group.
My Role
As Product Designer, I was responsible for:
  • Understanding and defining the project brief.
  • Analysing the Butlin's API to identify technical opportunities.
  • Conducting research, including user testing and competitor analysis.
  • Creating wireframes, prototypes, and presenting designs to stakeholders.
  • Overseeing the development phase by collaborating with product managers, customer stakeholders, and engineering teams.
Goals & Metrics
Deliver a usable and understandable booking system that could handle the increased complexity of thousands of activity time slots
Enhance user satisfaction by addressing key pain points and creating an intuitive experience
Ensure the solution was delivered quickly to support the activity centres' launch
Research & Analysis
Pain Point Analysis
We analysed the current system and mocked up how it would behave with the expanded activity offerings. User testing validated our hypothesis that the existing interface was unusable for the increased volume of activities. Users reported:
  • Difficulty understanding which day they were viewing.
  • Inability to filter activities effectively, leading to frustration and confusion.
I also spent some time familiarising myself with the existing activity timetables that Butlin’s handed out to guests. It was recognised that guests relied on these as the source of truth, while operators were keen to direct them to the app. Leveraging some of the timetables' design language to enhance familiarity became an additional focus.
Competitor Analysis
We conducted a brief competitor analysis to identify how other companies handled similar challenges. This helped us identify common patterns that could make the new design more intuitive for users.
Ideation & Design Process
Collaboration with Product & Engineering
I worked closely with the product and engineering teams to understand what was feasible based on the Butlin's API capabilities. This ensured our designs aligned with technical constraints while maximising opportunities.
Task Flows, User Journeys & Wireframes
We developed task flows to better understand the user journey and brainstorm potential solutions as well as various card sorted exercises to help determine what we could deliver to the customer within the timeframe and available resources. I created several wireframe concepts, ranging from small iterative improvements to more comprehensive redesigns, and presented these to the customer.
Sketching & Early Concepts
I always start with pen and paper to quickly explore ideas before moving into digital tools. Sketching allows for rapid iteration, helping to visualise multiple approaches without getting caught up in fine details too early. This method fosters creativity and speed, ensuring that the best concepts emerge organically before refining them into wireframes and prototypes.
Key Features
Scalable Filter Menu
One idea that stood out was a scalable filter menu. The data for filtering already existed in the API but had been underutilised in the current system. By designing a flexible filter menu, we enabled users to:
  • Filter activities by criteria such as date, activity type, and suitability for their group.
  • Easily add or remove filters based on their preferences.
To ensure continuous improvement, we incorporated Firebase events into the filters. This allowed us to analyse how guests used the feature, enabling the team to identify patterns and optimise the experience further over time.
Side-Scrolling, Sticky 'Day/Date' Component
Another critical feature was a side-scrolling, sticky 'day/date' component. One of the key usability issues in the old UI was that users struggled to keep track of which day's activities they were viewing. To solve this, we introduced:
  • A sticky date header that remained visible while scrolling through activities.
  • A horizontally scrollable date selector, allowing users to easily switch between days without losing their place place.
Testing & Validation
After a couple of rounds with the customer I created prototypes and specific scenarios to test the new design. A group of 40 users (20 previous Butlin's guests and 20 individuals unfamiliar with the brand) participated in usability testing. They were asked to complete various booking scenarios, such as finding activities suitable for a family with young children or booking for a group of friends.
Key Results
  • Users completed all tasks with a success rate of 90-100%
  • Users reported the design was intuitive and easy to navigate.
  • Key pain points from the original system were resolved.
  • Positive feedback scores validated the new approach.
Final Designs & Implementation
The final design was a simple yet powerful booking system that:
  • Allowed users to efficiently browse and book thousands of activity time slots
  • Featured an intuitive, scalable filter menu that empowered users to tailor their search to their group’s needs
  • Improved date navigation to eliminate confusion about what day users were viewing.
Impact
This solution ensured that Butlin's was ready to handle the influx of new activities without sacrificing user satisfaction. Guests provided overwhelmingly positive feedback, and the customer was thrilled with the elegant, quickly delivered solution.
Key Learnings
This project reinforced the importance of:
  • User Testing: Validating design choices with real users early in the process ensures a successful outcome.
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Building a close relationship with the customer helped align expectations and deliver a valued solution.
  • Scalable Design Thinking: Anticipating future needs (e.g., adding more filters) made the solution adaptable and future-proof.
Conclusion
By delivering an intuitive and scalable activity booking system, we helped Butlin's provide an exceptional experience for their guests while addressing a critical business challenge. This project showcased the power of collaboration, user-centred design, and thoughtful innovation.
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