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The use of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes in the design and production of Elements_Efi has resulted in a product that is both durable and sustainable, reducing the environmental impact of its use.

A Webflow library infused with the brutalist way.

The use of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes in the design and production of Elements_Efi has resulted in a product that is both durable and sustainable, reducing the environmental impact of its use.

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The use of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes in the design and production of Elements_Efi has resulted in a product that is both durable and sustainable, reducing the environmental impact of its use.

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The use of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes in the design and production of Elements_Efi has resulted in a product that is both durable and sustainable, reducing the environmental impact of its use.

Leading AgodaVIP and Cashback Rewards designs to drive growth & retention

User Research
Product Strategy
Team Strategy
Design System
User Testing
UI/UX
Leadership

At Agoda, a global online travel agency, I joined the Growth & Retention team as a Product Designer. Below are key projects for AgodaVIP, a loyalty program focused on driving user engagement through exclusive discounts and benefits. I contributed to the entire product development cycle, from concept to launch.

TIMELINE

Sep 2021 - Sep 2022

TEAM

PM
Engineers / QAs
Marketing
Me as designer

TOOLS

Figma
JIRA
Notion
UserTesting

OVERVIEW

How can we make more users loyal to our platform? 

THE BUSINESS PROBLEM

With more travel booking platforms emerging, Agoda's loyalty team faced the challenge of building long-term user loyalty, increasing log-in and sign-up rates, and driving VIP bookings.

MY IMPACT & DELIVERABLES

I led design efforts for the Loyalty team and Cashback rewards across web and mobile platforms, collaborating closely with designers, engineers, marketing, and PMs. These were some of my key projects:

Rebranded & launched VIP bronze tier

Drove new user sign-ups and increased VIP bookings through a complete rebrand of the VIP tier.

Redesigned Cashback Rewards wallet & flow

Enhanced UX and messaging across platforms, improving user understanding & satisfaction of rewards systems.

Revamped VIP program landing page

Boosted user engagement by making VIP benefits clearer and more accessible to users.

Developed master document & guidelines for VIP flow

Established consistency in branding & communication, streamlining collaboration across teams.

THE CHALLENGE

How can we enhance the AgodaVIP experience to improve user awareness, strengthen commitment, and increase loyalty, while driving higher engagement and retention rates?

DEFINING THE DIRECTION

Step 1: Uncovering the deeper problem & identifying areas for improvements.

Every project typically starts with a broad business objective, but I believe real impact comes from digging deeper. My approach begins with a commitment to truly understanding our users and uncovering underlying issues. To do this, I collaborated with a UX researcher, analyzing loyalty program surveys, app feedback, user interviews, and VIP awareness data, while also conducting a thorough design audit.

VIP Awareness Survey

VIP Flow Design Audit

Step 2: Connecting user pain points with business goals

Once we had a clearer understanding on the core issues, I set specific goals for our team that aligned with both business objectives and the loyalty team’s milestones, while also considering marketing priorities. My focus was on translating these business and marketing objectives into user-centered design solutions that would resonate with our users and drive meaningful results.

Business / Marketing Objectives

  • Increase long-term user loyalty
  • Increase Login/Signups
  • Increase Retention Rate
  • Increase VIP bookings

Key Problems Identified

  1. New users often didn’t perceive the value of signing up/logging in, limiting engagement and reducing VIP program adoption.
  2. Low awareness and understanding of VIP program & benefits
  3. Inconsistent design elements and communication within the VIP flow led to user frustration and a fragmented experience

Design Objectives

  1. Increase the perceived value of being an AgodaVIP member
  2. Improve understanding of VIP tiers and benefits through clearer communication on landing pages and across the platform.
  3. Ensure consistent and intuitive design throughout the VIP flow to reduce friction and boost user engagement.

Step 3: Leading workshops to generate ideas, narrow scope, and prioritize for impact

After aligning on each team's goals, I led workshops with stakeholders to brainstorm potential solutions to our challenges. We assessed feasibility with engineers, balancing creative possibilities with technical constraints. I worked closely with the PM to refine the product scope, clearly define requirements, and ensure alignment with business objectives. Together, we prioritized projects using an effort vs. impact framework, creating a focused and actionable product roadmap.

For projects that weren’t immediately prioritized, I included them in our design backlog and ensured they were revisited as development efforts progressed.

Below are some of the projects we moved forward with.

PROJECT #1

We wanted to rebrand the lowest VIP tier  to enhance awareness & engagement among newer users.

With increasing competition in the travel booking industry, it was essential to make AgodaVIP more appealing, especially to new users.

I took the initiative to lead the rebranding effort for AgodaVIP’s lowest tier. My goal was to create a design that not only attracted new users but also elevated the perceived value of the entire VIP program.

Finalized AgodaVIP Bronze Tier

AgodaVIP Bronze.

THE GOAL
Rebrand the lowest VIP tier while fitting seamlessly into the existing loyalty structure.

Originally, there were no VIP branding for logged-in users with less than 2 bookings. We decided to change that.
PROJECT IMPACT
This project taught me valuable lessons in strategic branding, cross-team collaboration, and developing design system documentation. The rebrand successfully passed A/B testing and led to increased log-in, sign-up rates, and VIP bookings.
MARKET RESEARCH

1. Which colors conveyed exclusivity in VIP branding?

We started off looking at successful VIP programs from competitors to understand what resonated with users in similar markets and identify the common themes, tier names, and colors that convey exclusivity in VIP branding.

From there, I developed design requirements:

  • Premium and playful - The branding should feel high-quality, welcoming, and playful, aligning with our brand.
  • Harmonize with existing VIP tiers - The new tier must fit smoothly within the Silver, Gold, and Platinum hierarchy without overshadowing them.
  • Product compatibility - The tier should complement our product and be easily recognizable to users.
USER RESEARCH

2. Analyzing color psychology & branding surveys

We analyzed color psychology and past VIP branding surveys to identify premium color palettes, then conducted an internal survey to gather feedback and narrow down options.

DESIGN ITERATIONS

3. Finding the right shades with accessibility tests

Using the feedback, I iterated on the designs, integrating the new branding with existing components. I then conducted accessibility testing to ensure inclusivity and refined the color shades before finalizing the palette.

STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT & HAND-OFF

4. Finalizing with design systems team & creating hand-off documentation for engineers

I collaborated with a design systems designer to establish the right color palette and created documentation to ensure consistent use across all components.

After aligning with stakeholders, I adapted existing components to the new VIP branding across all platforms and provided a handoff guide for engineers.

PROJECT #2

A key part of my role was advocating for users, and during the tier redesign, I saw an opportunity to improve communication & consistency across the VIP experience.

While working on the previous project, I noticed multiple design inconsistencies and confusing badge styles within the VIP flow, which led to user frustration and a fragmented experience.

DIGGING DEEPER

The root of the problem: lack of cross-team understanding

It became evident that the core issue was a lack of alignment across teams, particularly in the usage of VIP components. Multiple versions of components and styles led to confusion among designers and engineers.

THE SOLUTION

Finalizing VIP components and building a new component library

The lack of understanding of VIP design standards led to internal conflicts, so I took the initiative to finalize key components and create a master document that clarified the proper use of VIP elements.

New Master Component Library for Loyalty Team

Building a master component library.

PROJECT GOAL

To streamline the VIP experience by resolving design inconsistencies and creating a master document that ensures clear, consistent use of VIP components.

PROJECT IMPACT

Improving communication and collaboration within my teams has always been a priority for me. That's why I invested significant time in creating this document.

Not only did it improve design consistencies, but it also enhanced understanding of all VIP components, increased efficiency, and fostered better collaboration among designers across different teams.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

1. Identifying design inconsistencies & user testing to gauge badge understandings

I conducted a thorough audit of the VIP experience, identifying design issues and inconsistencies. I also led user testing sessions to gauge badge understanding, uncovering key areas for improvement.

STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT & DESIGN

2. Driving stakeholder alignment to redesign & update VIP components

I aligned with stakeholders to drive the redesign of outdated VIP components, ensuring they matched the new branding and addressed user pain points. My ability to link user feedback to business goals secured buy-in and facilitated collaboration.

GUIDELINE & DOCUMENTATION

3. Mapping edge cases with QA & worked cross-team designers to develop guidelines

I partnered with QA to map all edge cases in the VIP flow, then held one-on-one meetings with designers from other teams to clarify confusions and revise guidelines, ensuring consistent performance across platforms.

PROJECT #3

Proposed a redesign of the AgodaVIP landing page & touchpoints to improve user understanding.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
Aligned with marketing objectives and front-end metrics to secure stakeholder buy-in.

To secure stakeholder buy-in, I analyzed front-end metrics, revealing low page visits, low scroll rates, and a high drop-off rate from the sign-up page—indicating that guest users didn’t see the value in logging in. I also identified key touchpoints that could drive sign-ups and log-ins. Using this data, I presented a compelling proposal for the redesign, which ultimately secured the necessary support.
WHAT I DID
Existing page lacked sufficient information and featured outdated designs.

New users interested in the VIP program typically visited the landing page, but I noticed that it lacked sufficient information and featured outdated designs. I identified this as an opportunity to redesign the page to boost user engagement and conversion rates.

Redesigned AgodaVIP Landing Page

A landing page redesign.

PROJECT GOAL
To increase awareness and understanding of our VIP program and benefits for logged-out users, while making the content more appealing to encourage engagement.
DEFINING REQUIREMENTS

1. Identifying the must-haves & nice-to-haves of a good landing page

We looked at what our competitors were doing right, audited our existing page, and pinpointed where we could improve.

PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING & STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT

2. Presenting our proposal - using web analytics to back design decisions

I analyzed front-end analytics to understand the touchpoints leading to the VIP page and identified key areas for improvement. This data-driven approach informed and supported my design decisions, ensuring they were grounded in real user behavior.

DESIGN ITERATIONS

3. Designed options, and going with designs that required lowest development efforts

I worked closely with engineers to explore design solutions that were both effective and feasible.

VALIDATION

4. Developed MVP versions for A/B testing & made adjustments to designs

The initial designs required significant developer effort, so I collaborated with the PM to simplify and prioritize the most impactful changes. When early A/B tests didn’t produce the desired results, I iterated on the designs, refining them through multiple rounds to achieve a more effective solution.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Beyond the project launches, what truly stands out is how much I’ve grown in my first full-time role. I’ve learned to adapt to changing priorities and team dynamics, collaborate effectively across teams, and confidently present ideas while advocating for users. Leading designs for a relatively new team, I helped define the design vision and strategy for the loyalty team by aligning with team leads and PMs. I also created onboarding documentation to streamline processes and enhance team alignment. These experiences have shaped my approach to design and teamwork, lessons I’ll carry with me throughout my career.

After a year, I moved abroad to pursue further studies. Despite the short time, I gained invaluable experience. This role fueled my passion for understanding user behaviors. I found a sense of purpose in advocating for users within a data-driven, business-focused environment by backing my designs with evidence and analytics.

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