BOOKING a Driving Experience

Designing the booking process for parallel destinations

COMPANY

Knockhill

ROLE

UX Designer

EXPERTISE

UX/UI Design

YEAR

2023 / 2024

Intro

Knockhill Racing Circuit is a premier motorsport venue offering a range of driving experiences, events, and track days. Their website serves as the primary platform for customers to book event tickets and experiences. sought to revamp their online booking system for driving experiences. As a UX Designer, I collaborated with their in-house graphic designer to create a user-friendly checkout process that catered to two distinct user groups: those booking experiences for themselves and those purchasing gift vouchers.

The Objective

The goal of the project was to design and implement a seamless booking process for Knockhill’s driving experiences, catering to two primary user types, in a flow that streamlined the online booking process whilst maximising upselling opportunities.

Constraints

Timeframe

With 3 weeks to design and implement the new process, ready for the Go-Live date.

Limited Budget

There was no direct budget allocated for extensive UX research.

Existing Design

The website's overall look & feel, main navigation and information architecture were already established.

Phase One |
Getting familiar with the challenges of the track

The existing website only allowed for monetary vouchers, not experience-specific ones. The new system needed to accommodate both direct bookings and gift voucher purchases, while capturing essential driver information without hindering the user experience. Additionally, it was crucial to incorporate upselling opportunities for both user types.

Research & Planning

With limited time and budget for formal research, I relied on stakeholder interviews, CRM data analysis, and Google Analytics to understand user behaviour. This revealed that over 65% of customers purchased experiences as gifts, highlighting the need for a robust gifting option.

Two Distinct Users Types

Direct Bookers: Individuals booking experiences for themselves, requiring immediate date/time selection and driver information capture.

Gift Givers: Purchasing vouchers with open dates, requiring minimal recipient information and personalised gifting options.

The Approach to a Dual-Path Solution

The challenge was to create a checkout process that worked for both user types without overwhelming them when it came to add-on extras or capturing information about the driver that was crucial for their safety.

I designed a dual booking path: "Book Now" for direct bookings and "Buy Voucher" for gifts. This allowed me to tailor the information capture process to each user type, minimizing friction and maximizing conversions.

Direct Booking Flow

This allowed the user to select a driving experience, choose a date and time and provide the drivers details before continuing through a check out process that users would be familiar with.

Voucher Purchase Flow

Selecting a driving experience as an open date voucher, taking the user directly to the steps of providing the driver details and choosing to personalise a gift message with comprehensive delivery options.

Upselling

Upselling was a key business goal. I designed a step where users could add extras like karting or in-car footage before proceeding to checkout. For gift vouchers, these extras were included in the voucher, giving recipients a chance to enhance their experience.

DUAL-PATH BOOKING
A process designed for two user types.
streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplifying information
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
integrated upselling
Allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
DUAL-PATH BOOKING
A process designed for two user types.
streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplifying information
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
integrated upselling
Allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
DUAL-PATH BOOKING
A process designed for two user types.
streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplifying information
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
integrated upselling
Allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
DUAL-PATH BOOKING
A process designed for two user types.
streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplifying information
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
integrated upselling
Allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.

Streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplified Information Capture
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
Integrated Upselling
An "Extras" step was incorporated, allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
Streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplified Information Capture
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
Integrated Upselling
An "Extras" step was incorporated, allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
Streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplified Information Capture
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
Integrated Upselling
An "Extras" step was incorporated, allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.
Streamlined checkout
Clear and familiar process for buying open date vouchers for a specific experience.
Simplified Information Capture
Detailed information capture was deferred to the recipient's booking stage, minimizing friction for the purchaser.
Integrated Upselling
An "Extras" step was incorporated, allowing users to add enhancements like karting or in-car video footage to their purchase, regardless of booking type.

Phase Two |
Voucher Redemption Process

Following the successful launch of the initial booking flow, the focus shifted to optimizing the voucher redemption process. The goal was to create a seamless experience for recipients to book their driving experience using their voucher code.

Voucher-First Approach

Initially, we directed users to a separate "Redeem Your Voucher" page where users entered their voucher code upfront, which unlocked a personal booking flow specific to their voucher detail.

Dynamic Calendar

The implementation of a dynamic calendar was a critical component of the voucher redemption design. This involved complex logic to display availability for both the user's voucher experience and alternative driving disciplines. Upon time slot selection, the system calculated and presented any upgrade costs, ensuring transparency and facilitating upselling. This feature addressed the sales team's requirements while providing a user-friendly experience.

Additional Upsell Opportunity

During the voucher redemption flow we introduced an 'Extras' step that presented users with add-ons specific to their chosen date and time. This approach provided both a tailored experience and the flexibility to skip the extras step. This focused upselling strategy, including options like karting and in-car video footage, proved to be a valuable revenue driver.

Refinement - Hitting a Speed Bump

After the initial launch, Knockhill identified a need to improve the voucher redemption process. Users struggled to redeem vouchers online, leading to cart abandonment and customer frustration.

Research & Insights

Analytics revealed that 25% of users abandoned their cart during the voucher redemption process. Customer service call recordings highlighted user confusion regarding the redemption process. Many users expected to enter their voucher code at the end of the standard booking flow.

Redesigning the flow

User behavior analysis revealed a disconnect between the redemption process and user expectations. Users naturally navigated to the 'Book Now' flow, anticipating voucher application at checkout. To bridge this gap, I redesigned the flow, allowing users to follow their expected path. An intercept point with a simple 'Do you have a voucher?' prompt seamlessly integrated the redemption process, resulting in a more intuitive experience.

Bring A Friend Feature

This redesign facilitated the introduction of a user-centric 'Bring a Friend' feature. Implemented as a strategic upsell within the redemption process, provided users with a valuable opportunity to share their experience at a reduced cost. This feature fostered a sense of customer appreciation and directly contributed to increased sales for Knockhill

UPGRADING THE EXPERIENCE
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
BRING A FRIEND UPSELL
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
DYNAMIC CALENDAR
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
UPGRADING THE EXPERIENCE
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
BRING A FRIEND UPSELL
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
DYNAMIC CALENDAR
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
UPGRADING THE EXPERIENCE
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
BRING A FRIEND UPSELL
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
DYNAMIC CALENDAR
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
UPGRADING THE EXPERIENCE
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
BRING A FRIEND UPSELL
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
DYNAMIC CALENDAR
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.

Redeeming a voucher
Users started by entering their voucher code, ensuring a personalised experience based on the specific experience gifted
Dynamic Calendar
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
Bring A Friend Upsell
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
Upgrading the experience
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
Redeeming a voucher
Users started by entering their voucher code, ensuring a personalised experience based on the specific experience gifted
Dynamic Calendar
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
Bring A Friend Upsell
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
Upgrading the experience
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
Redeeming a voucher
Users started by entering their voucher code, ensuring a personalised experience based on the specific experience gifted
Dynamic Calendar
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
Bring A Friend Upsell
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
Upgrading the experience
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.
Redeeming a voucher
Users started by entering their voucher code, ensuring a personalised experience based on the specific experience gifted
Dynamic Calendar
Users could easily upgrade their voucher to a different experience, with clear visibility of available dates, times and additional costs.
Bring A Friend Upsell
A new feature to bring a friend maximized both customer experience and Knockhill's revenue.
Upgrading the experience
Allowing users to add extras such as karting or in-car video footage to their purchase with clarity on costs.

The Impact

The implementation of the dynamic calendar and personalized 'Extras' selection within the voucher redemption process proved to be highly successful. Knockhill saw a substantial increase in voucher sales, particularly during peak gifting periods. Users benefited from the ability to easily upgrade experiences and add relevant extras, enhancing their overall satisfaction. The 'Bring a Friend' feature not only drove revenue but also fostered a sense of community, with users expressing enthusiasm for the shared experience. The combined impact of these features resulted in a more efficient, user-friendly, and profitable online booking system.

Lessons Learned

This project was a journey of continuous learning, reinforcing the power of user empathy and adaptability. Even with limited resources, understanding user behaviour through analytics and feedback allowed me to create a flexible and intuitive booking system. The iterative approach proved vital in addressing unforeseen pain points, demonstrating that a commitment to user-centric design, combined with a willingness to iterate, is essential for delivering a truly winning experience

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