21/10/2023
User-centric design.
What does that even mean?
Simply-put, it’s about building an experience around the user. Of course, this means you really have to know and understand why makes your customers tick…if you have a suspicion or have made an assumption I’d strongly recommend verifying this by speaking to a real-life customer or two.
A brand who does this exceptionally well is Airbnb.
Founded in October 2007, when Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia hosted Airbed & Breakfast’s first guests, they launched officially six months later at SXSW, where they received 2 bookings.
Much like Steve Jobs’ approach at Apple, starting with the customer and working back to the technology, Airbnb has been through multiple iterations and developments since it’s inception, guided by a set of powerful brand values - community, safety, trust, innovation, respect, and inclusivity.
Decisions on which features to add or who to partner with, as well as how to use their growing voice have all been aligned with these core values. A few examples of which include:
⭐️ Expansion from rooms to apartment, home and holiday rentals in 2009
⭐️ Addition of Airbnb app in 2010
⭐️ Development Disaster Relief tool and housing for displaced residents in response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012
⭐️ Introduction of Airbnb experiences in 2016
⭐️ Launch of Frontline Stays to safely house medical workers during the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020
⭐️ Launch of Online Experiences to make up for lost earnings for hosts in 2020
⭐️ Airbnb.org non-profit launched to connect people to places in times of crisis in 2020
One thing you’ll notice about these highly successful, disruptive brands is that they don’t stay still - they continue to innovate, test, and develop - and are responsive to the changes in the world around them - which is where SO many businesses struggle, being too introspective and focused on themselves to notice the market and so customer needs changing!
Airbnb has actually given us all a masterclass in user-centric design and brand building - very much a lesson applicable by any brand, big or small.
