Tame the Mobile Beast Why Accessibility is Everything at Booking.com, Featuring Hao Xie, Senior App Designer
On today’s episode of Masters of MAX, it’s time to shake things up a bit and look at the world of mobile from a different angle. We’ve heard from marketing leaders as they share the brand power apps bring to the table, but we want to dig deeper into the app design itself.
Joining to help us uncover more of the behind the scenes is Hao Xie, Senior App Designer at Booking.com, one of the world's largest travel marketplaces, mediating between hotels, guesthouses, vacation rentals, and their guests. Hao has been with Booking.com for over a year, being brought on to build the native app experience for the Attraction offering.
Hear as Hao and Tom discuss how crucial accessibility is to the mobile experience as it opens the door to millions of users who otherwise would be shut out. An often overlooked aspect of the design process, accessibility impacts everyone, not just those of differing abilities. Hao provides real world examples of inclusive features the team at Booking.com employs to create a more holistic experience.
Additionally, Hao shares a few stories from his time at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. He describes how he and his team were able to get live customer feedback immediately after piloting new features. How? Because they left their desks and asked passengers for their opinions as they waited to board their flights.
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Guest Bio
Hao Xie is an app design enthusiast with experience in diverse industries including agency, global brands, and tech. He has led transformative design projects for Air France's and KLM's apps, improved the core funnel of the Adidas consumer app with measurable results, and is now creating the foundation of a native app experience for attractions at Booking.com from scratch.
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Guest Quote
"Accessibility matters in so many, many ways. Especially at Booking.com, our brand mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. And there's a word in this sentence, which is everyone. And by everyone, it should literally mean everyone." – Hao Xie
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Time Stamps
*(01:08) Hao’s Background
*(03:03) How to merge two apps together seamlessly
*(08:15) Testing prototypes in real time with real people
*(11:07) Going from physical to digital experiences
*(13:08) Creating a native app
*(16:21) The importance of experimentation
*(17:11) Accessibility at Booking.com
*(19:51) How to focus deeply on your consumers' experience
*(23:14) Rapid Fire Questions
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Links