Impact Driven
0 - 1 Flow
Product Thinking
Increasing user retention by 27% and reducing user query call by 16% on the refund to wallet selection in post-booking flights funnel
In this project, I redesigned the refund selection experience for MakeMyTrip’s mobile app, focusing on users in the GCC region. The problem was that users were consistently avoiding the wallet refund option causing higher business costs and user dissatisfaction.
As the Sole UX Designer on this project, I led the research, ideation, design, and testing process. My goal was to uncover why users weren’t selecting the wallet option and create a solution that aligned both user trust and business goals.
Impact
28.7% increase in wallet refunds selected option
16% drop in customer service calls about refund timelines
11.4% uplift in screen engagement (measured via scroll and click tracking)
Company
MakeMyTrip, Haryana, India
Project Duration
8 Days ( almost 1.5 week)
My Role
Solo Product Designer in collaboration with 1 Product Manager, 1 Design Lead , 2 Developers
Skills
Behavioral Design, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Business-oriented Design Thinking, Interaction Design
About The Company
In Summer 2023, I interned as a User Experience Designer at MakeMyTrip (MMT), India’s largest online travel platform. With a user base of over 54.92 million, MMT provides end-to-end travel services including flights, hotels, cabs, and local experiences. Operating at this scale requires efficient systems, especially in the post-booking experience where customer trust is tested most.
Problem Background
In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) post-booking funnel, the "Refund to Wallet" option saw an 86% drop in user selection from January to June 2023 arising concerns within the product and customer success teams. The team highlighted that users consistently chose the default 'Refund to Original Payment Mode' option, leading to
Increase in customer support tickets due to refund day
Increased processing costs via payment service provider
Reduced opportunities for repeat user engagement
Why This Problem Matters ?
Refund processes are a key post-booking touchpoint where user trust is either reinforced or eroded. When users face confusion or delay during refunds, it not only affects their experience but also leads to avoidable business costs.
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Business Impact
Retaining refunds in the MMT wallet ensures users remain within the MMT ecosystem, encouraging faster rebooking and improving customer Lifetime Value (LTV.)
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Operational Cost
Reducing third-party payment reversals saves on processing fees
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User Satisfaction
A clearer, benefits-driven refund experience can lead to greater trust in the brand and fewer support calls.
Business and Design Goals
How might we redesign the refund experience so that users feel confident choosing the wallet option leading to faster refunds for them and increased retention for the business?
Solution : Driving user retention through behavioral UX
I redesigned the refund decision-making screen after the conclusion that this was more than a UI issue, it was more of a behavioral decision-making problem. I approached the solution by focusing on information clarity, visual distinction, and persuasive design
Research
To design an effective solution, I needed to deeply understand why users were not selecting the wallet refund option. The goal of the research was in twofold:
User Behavior Insight
Here the idea was to identify why users ignored the my wallet refund option despite its benefits.
Problem Validation
This was to determine if the problem we are solving is a UI issue, a trust issue, or a more systemic design flaw.
By going beyond the Product Manager’s Product requirement document (PRD) brief, I aimed to validate the problem myself and understand it from the user’s perspective. I used a mixed-method approach combining both qualitative and quantitative insights:
Research Insights synthesised
Content Overload
Users found the screen text-heavy and overwhelming. They skipped important details, including the wallet benefits, due to lack of visual hierarchy.
Default Bias
Users assumed the pre-selected refund-to-original-mode was the recommended or safer option. The lack of contrast between options reinforced passive behavior.
Invisible Benefits
The advantages of using the MMT wallet were not noticeable., users overlooked paragraphs of dense text.
User lack awarness and trust
Several users didn’t know what the MMT wallet was or felt uncertain about how soon they would get the money back. This unfamiliarity caused hesitation and a strong preference for their usual payment method.
Project Constraints
While working on this project, there were several constraints that shaped the design approach I took and also synced wit timelines
Time Constraint (2-week sprint cycle)
The project had to be designed, tested, and shipped within a narrow sprint window. This limited the depth of testing and iteration cycles, requiring fast but effective decisions based on available data.
GCC Regional Scope Only
The scope of this rollout was restricted to the GCC region due to localization priorities, meaning the solution couldn’t be tested globally despite its broader relevance.
Existing Component Library
MakeMyTrip’s mobile platform used a shared component system across booking, cancellation, and refund flows. Any major redesign needed to fit within this system to avoid engineering complexity.
Business Rules
Some backend refund policies (e.g., eligibility for wallet based on payment mode) were hardcoded and could not be changed during the scope of this redesign, limiting flexibility in default behavior or automation.
Design Ideas Explorations
Final Design focused on Discoverability, User Persuasion and Clarity of conyent
Challenges during the project
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Balancing User Freedom vs. Business Nudging
One of the key tensions in this project was encouraging users to select the wallet refund option without making it feel forced. While the business needed higher wallet adoption, my role as a designer was to respect user autonomy.
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Iterating in a Fast-Moving, PM-Led Environment
At MakeMyTrip, PMs often drive roadmaps with aggressive targets. As the only designer on this feature, I had to present strong rationale for design decisions quickly, often backed by behavioral research or user testing insights.
