Facility Booking System
A web application designed for managing facility slot booking
Introduction
The Facility Booking System is a specialized module that has been integrated into the Gymshim CRM platform. With this booking system, sports clubs can efficiently manage reservations for various facilities, such as tennis courts and swimming pools.
In the past, Gymshim was exclusively geared towards serving gym facilities. However, with the inclusion of this feature, Gymshim can now accommodate a wider range of clients, including sports clubs, activity facilities, and studios.
Objective
The objective is to create an all-encompassing solution that empowers clubs to reserve time slots for specific facilities, check the availability of slots, and modify existing bookings whenever necessary.
Through this solution, we aim to offer features and functionalities that streamline the booking process and enable clubs to optimize their facility usage, ultimately leading to enhanced member satisfaction and increased business growth.
Research
When I start working on a project, my first priority is to understand the perspective of the end-users. To achieve this, I conduct research on the target audience and their environment. In most cases, I prefer using guerrilla research method to gain insights quickly and cost-effectively.
I visited sports clubs and observed their existing solutions for booking management. To my surprise, I found that they were using Microsoft Excel to manage bookings, and at times, resorted to pen and paper for quick bookings, later entering the data into Excel.
However, the current booking management solution had several disadvantages that impacted their efficiency.
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MS Excel is not designed for booking and, while it can do the job, it's not optimized for it.
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Manually typing everything into Excel is a time-consuming task
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Canceling or rescheduling bookings can be tedious.
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Moreover, the manual method is prone to overlapping bookings, which can lead to scheduling conflicts and member dissatisfaction.
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Managing a large number of bookings on an Excel sheet can be overwhelming, especially during peak hours when there is a long queue.
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Lastly, this method is prone to data loss, which can result in inaccurate booking records.
Our research did not just stop at observing what they were doing, but we also looked into why they were doing it. After gathering data from interviews and observations, it became apparent that there was ample room for improvement and a need for a tailor-made, optimized solution.
The majority of their tasks revolved around booking, rescheduling, and canceling.
In some clubs, they offered memberships with different pricing structures for members and non-members.
Armed with this knowledge, I can design a booking management system that streamlines these processes, enhances member satisfaction, and improves the overall efficiency of the clubs.
Persona
Pravin
Age: 30, Occupation: Manager at Sports Club
Background
Pravin holds a graduate degree and has a decent understanding of computers and technology. He oversees all the facilities and bookings at the club and is responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
Goals and Needs
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Pravin's primary goal is to efficiently book facilities for the club's members without any overlaps or conflicts.
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He needs the booking system to provide him with all the necessary information at a glance so that he can make quick decisions.
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Pravin expects the software to allow for easy cancellation and rescheduling of bookings
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He wants the system to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, as he doesn't have a lot of time.
User Flow
Through user research, I identified the target users for the expense management. Further work helped me create detailed personas to better understand their needs and preferences.
This led to the identification of several important use cases:
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Logging new expenses
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Editing and deleting expenses
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Generating reports
By prioritizing these use cases, I was able to develop user flows that ensure a seamless and user-friendly experience for the users.
Thumbnail Sketches
Creating thumbnail sketches allows me to explore multiple user interface (UI) possibilities. By doing so, I can experiment with different layouts and designs, and ultimately identify the most efficient and impactful approach.
Wireframes
Utilizing wireframes is a key aspect of the design process since they facilitate my ability to visualize and enhance the interface's layout and structure early on, preventing wastage of valuable time and resources on design tasks.
Style Guide
As a part of the CRM, I must comply with its established font style. Nonetheless, I have managed to incorporate some liveliness into the design without compromising its coherence.
Final Design
My focus was on achieving a design that harmoniously combines form and function. My objective was to guarantee that the design not only looks visually appealing but also functions optimally to accomplish its intended objectives.
Final Thoughts & Learnings
Harmonizing User Needs: Navigating through this project illuminated the significance of crafting an experience centered around users' needs and preferences. This approach forms the bedrock of a system that not only fulfills its purpose but also delights its users.
Streamlined Simplicity: The elegance of simplicity emerged as a key principle. A clean and intuitive interface isn't just visually appealing; it's a pathway to fostering seamless interactions and reducing complexity for both clients and administrators.
Endless Evolution: Embracing the iterative cycle of refinement highlighted the beauty of perpetual growth, driven by user feedback and innovative enhancements.
Thank You!