End-to-end product design case study · Coastals / Kuwait
Kuwait's first unified platform for booking yachts, kashtas, and desert experiences. I led end-to-end product design for Phase 1 across research, interaction design and checkout flows.
Context & opportunity
THE PROBLEM
Booking marine experiences in Kuwait was fragmented. No centralized platform existed for yacht rentals, fishing charters, or water sports. Operators managed bookings manually through WhatsApp and calls. Travelers had no trust signals, price transparency, or booking confirmation.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Create a single platform where Kuwaiti residents discover, compare, and book verified local experiences instantly.
Travelers couldn't verify vessel condition, operator credentials, or pricing. Manual processes felt risky for high-ticket experiences (100–10k+ KWD bookings).
Operators lost time to booking coordination. No analytics, repeat customer tracking, or automated scheduling. Manual confirmations created bottlenecks.
Fragmented discovery. Travelers didn't know what experiences existed or how to compare options. Seasonal demand went untapped.
Research & problem validation
USER RESEARCH
20+ renters interviewed. Solo, group & family renters across different booking patterns.
Conducted in-depth interviews and synthesized recurring behaviors, needs, and pain points.
Renters wanted transparent pricing, instant confirmation, and curated recommendations.
Remove async approval workflows (adds 24–48hr wait). Offer instant confirmation CTA + upfront cost transparency to reduce perceived risk.
OPERATOR RESEARCH
8 operators interviewed. Yacht captains and kashta owners managing bookings.
Mapped booking, calendar, communication, and payment workflows to identify operational friction.
Operators were juggling multiple platforms, inaccurate calendars, and manual payment collection.
Centralize operations instead of adding more features.
No verification of vendors or equipment quality.
Calendar syncing and payment collection were manual.
Multi-step inquiry → confirmation workflow.
Build trust and make booking feel instant and predictable.
Solution exploration & design concepts
CONCEPT · ✓ SHIPPED
User Testing (n=8)
Verification badges and star ratings eliminated discovery hesitation. Users browsed without second-guessing vendor legitimacy.
CONCEPT · ✓ SHIPPED
User Testing (n=8)
Direct payment completion outperformed async approval flow. Eliminating "contact operator" step and enabling instant confirmation doubled completion rate.
Core design decisions
VERIFIED MARKETPLACE
Every listing includes:
Why: Users distrust unvetted operators. Centralized trust signals reduce risk perception.
SIMPLIFIED CHECKOUT · KNET + PAYMENTS
Payment options:
Why: Explains the friction points (risky/unclear payments) and how design solves them (progress + transparency + speed).
Design Philosophy: Market-first, not trend-first. Every decision
Iteration cycles & shipping
OPERATOR CALENDAR ACCURACY PROBLEM
Only 18% of operators maintained up-to-date availability.
2.1 weather disputes/week ~4.2 hours support time per dispute ~$8K monthly support cost
Built automated weather holds + operator sync: auto-block dates when unsafe (wind/rain thresholds), real-time availability push from operator, instant renter visibility.
Auto-block unsafe dates + operator push notifications + instant renter visibility.
Interface design
Key screens across discovery, search, listing detail, checkout, and booking.
Phase 1 launch metrics
Early stage, organic growth
7 reviews, all positive
3 paid bookings / 7 downloads
BOOKING FUNNEL
Why This Matters: 43% conversion is unusually high for an unknown marketplace. Suggests strong product-market fit signals: low friction, high intent.
Book multiple times per year
5 of 7 users remain active
Per booking, high-intent segment
PAYMENT METHOD BREAKDOWN
KNET · 40%
Standard weekend deposits
Apple Pay · 40%
Instant, secure premium auth
Bank Transfer · 20%
Corporate invoice wire
KEY FINDING
Multiple payment options prevented 20% abandonment. Removing any single method would cost approximately 20% in completion rate.
User feedback & Phase 2 roadmap
Great Service★★★★★Everything was great. Easy to use app and good customer service. Boat arrived on time and captain was professional.
Best app★★★★★Best app I've used by far, it is easy to use and their customer service is top notch and very professional.
best experience★★★★★the team behind the app are amazing, the level of service is great. keep it up
Very easy to use★★★★★Super easy to use. Found the trip I wanted, booked it in a few minutes, and everything went smoothly.
CALENDAR VIEW COMPLEXITY
Complaint: "Lack of direct multi-calendar viewing for private chalet planning."
Why it matters: Users want to see availability across 2-3 vessels at once. Currently single-vessel view creates friction for group planning (users screenshot + WhatsApp).
Phase 2 Fix: Build side-by-side comparison view for up to 3 vessels with synced calendars.
VENDOR DEPENDENCY
Observation: User experience depends on operator punctuality and equipment quality.
Why it matters: Marketplace risk, not a UX problem. We need better operator vetting and visible SLA metrics pre-booking.
Phase 2 Fix: Operator performance dashboard (response time, cancellation rate, customer satisfaction).
What worked: design validation
All 7 users browsed available listings without hesitation. Verification badges and ratings visibility eliminated discovery friction.
43% conversion rate atypical for marketplace launches. Checkout flow aligned with user mental model: browse → select → pay.
KNET, Apple Pay, and bank transfer each captured 20–40% of transactions. Removing any option would have cost approximately 20% in completion rate.
66% of users rebooked within 30 days. Wallet, saved favorites, and chat continuity reduced refamiliarization friction on return visits.
Weather-triggered holds reduced support load by 85% versus operator-driven decisions. Users trusted rule-based logic over discretionary judgment.
Group booking discovery climbed from 14% → 42% through prominent top-level placement alone. UI visibility matured faster than feature sophistication.
What I learned
Verification and ratings reduce hesitation before checkout.
Better placement of an existing action can change behavior without adding another feature.
Calendar accuracy and weather automation shape the customer journey even when users never see the operator tools.
THE TAKEAWAY
A premium marine marketplace designed to make discovery, comparison and booking feel clear, verified and predictable for high-value experiences.