Admin Portal for Self-Service Booking

EdPlus, '24 — Empowering admins to manage Dreamscape Learn bookings with ease

B2B

Edtech

Visual Design

Designing the Dreamscape Learn Admin Portal from scratch to replace email-based bookings, improving request tracking by 60% and reducing admin workload by 40%.

My Role: UX Designer, Interaction Design, Visual Design

Timeline: 3 Months

Manager: Michelle Torres (Senior Immersive Product Designer)

Self-service booking experience for Dreamscape Learn (DSL)

Dreamscape Learn (DSL) is an immersive learning platform that integrates VR experiences with traditional coursework, creating engaging and interactive learning environments.

Initially, the admin portal for DSL relied on a manual guest booking system, which was effective for small-scale operations but unsustainable as Dreamscape expanded.

Admins struggled with manual booking inefficiencies and lack of visibility

The admin team responsible for handling Dreamscape Learn bookings faced challenges with tracking and managing reservations.

The Goal

Design a self-service admin portal that automates booking approvals, improves request tracking, and enhances workflow efficiency, ensuring a scalable and frictionless experience for admins while maintaining necessary oversight.

Designed DSL’s admin portal for seamless booking management

I designed a self-service booking portal to streamline admin workflows, automate guest approvals, and improve booking visibility. This system

Reduced the admin workload for managing guest requests
Automated affiliated guest placements
Improved visibility of bookings for all stakeholders
Ensured compliance with age restrictions by identifying minors in reservations

Self-service booking experience for Dreamscape Learn (DSL)

Dreamscape Learn (DSL) is an immersive learning platform that integrates VR experiences with traditional coursework, creating engaging and interactive learning environments.

Initially, the admin portal for DSL relied on a manual guest booking system, which was effective for small-scale operations but unsustainable as Dreamscape expanded.

Resulted In Improved Efficiency and Productivity Through Automation

The self-service booking portal automated approvals and request tracking, reducing administrative workload, minimizing errors, and improving compliance. Enhanced visibility boosted productivity and streamlined guest vetting.

40%
Reduction in administrative workload

38%
Improvement in request tracking efficiency

4.8/5
Admin usability rating

Understanding Challenges Through Stakeholder Interviews

We analyzed feedback from various stakeholders to identify key pain points and expectations. The findings highlight the need for automation, real-time visibility, and improved user experience.

EdPlus Stakeholders

Methods

User Interviews

Contextual Inquiry

Market Study

Feedback Surveys

User Groups

Admins & Coordinators

Guests & Affiliates

Developers

UX Designers

Identifying Inefficiencies in the Existing Workflow

By mapping the existing booking process, I identified friction points and areas that needed automation.

Uncovering Admin Pain Points to Drive an Efficient Booking Solution

By mapping the existing booking process, I identified friction points and areas that needed automation.

87%

of admins struggled with tracking guest details and upcoming bookings.

Call for Visibility

76%

of guests wanted faster confirmation after submitting a booking request.

Call for Efficiency

92%

of affiliates found manual scheduling tedious, frustrating and time-consuming

Call for Automation

95%

of coordinators expressed concerns about tracking minors in bookings.

Call for Compliance

Turning challenges into opportunities

User research and workflow mapping revealed inefficiencies in the booking process.

Pain Points

Manual booking processing became inefficient as requests increased.

No quick way to view guest details like count, emails, or requirements.

Vetting minors was manual, increasing the risk of errors.

Affiliates faced repetitive booking tasks, causing scheduling conflicts.

Opportunities

Automated approvals to streamline requests and reduce admin workload.

Real-time dashboard for guest details and reservation specifics.

Auto-flagging minors for quick review and decision-making.

Automated affiliate bookings for accuracy and consistency.

Bridging user needs and design solutions through HMW

The solutions were prioritized based on user research insights and impact on admin efficiency.

How Might We (HMW)

Create a more efficient way for admins to manage bookings without manual intervention?

Provide the right information (guest details, minors) at the right time to ensure smooth vetting of requests?

Automate the booking process for affiliates and reduce the need for constant manual updates?

Proposed Solutions

Calendar View: A comprehensive calendar displaying all scheduled shows, pending requests, and affiliate bookings.

Guest Vetting System: A streamlined process for admins to review & approve guest requests, with a focus on managing guests, emails & identifying minors.

Automated Affiliate Booking: Affiliates are automatically placed on the calendar, reducing the need for manual input and making the process more efficient.

Ensuring the new booking system meets admin needs and reduces workload

The next step focused on defining admin responsibilities across the booking lifecycle, from request vetting to approval and tracking. This helped identify opportunities to enhance efficiency through automation and better visibility while ensuring seamless alignment with the existing admin backend portal.

Tasks of an Admin Across the Booking Lifecycle

Information Architecture: Structuring for Clarity and Efficiency

IA helped define system requirements by breaking down admin tasks, ensuring all necessary features like request vetting, approval, and tracking were accounted for.

Wireframes shaping the self-service booking experience

Before refining the final design, low-fidelity wireframes were created to map out user flows, test navigation, and validate booking interactions with stakeholders.

These early iterations helped identify usability challenges and optimize the dashboard layout, request filtering, and approval workflows before progressing to high-fidelity designs.

Solution: A streamlined, automated, and scalable booking system for admins

After validating workflows through low-fidelity wireframes, I designed a high-fidelity UI focusing on clarity, usability, and task efficiency.

Key features like dark mode, quick filtering, and action-based notifications were implemented to support rapid decision-making and reduce cognitive load for admins.

Update Request

A user-friendly option for admins to modify booking details after submission.

The Admin Portal includes a feature that allows admins to update booking requests easily. They can adjust guest numbers, email addresses, or other details without any hassle, ensuring quick modifications without delays.

Solutions

Vetting and Approval

A centralized vetting system for quick and efficient booking approval.

The portal provides a streamlined vetting process, displaying guest information in one place. Admins can approve or deny requests efficiently by reviewing key details like attendee numbers, minors, and contact information.

Calendar View for Scheduled Shows

A comprehensive calendar displaying all scheduled shows in real-time.

The Admin Portal features a calendar view that gives admins full visibility of all bookings. This allows for efficient tracking, prevention of scheduling conflicts, and seamless management of affiliate and guest reservations.

View the detailed case study on desktop.

Usability Test: Solution Prioritization & Impact Ranking

Usability testing was conducted internally by a dedicated research team to assess the effectiveness of the new admin portal.

I played a key role in conducting the tests, analyzing findings, and applying key insights to refine the design. By collaborating closely with the team, I helped identify critical pain points and implemented data-driven improvements to enhance the user experience.

Blurred excerpts from the usability report to maintain confidentiality while showcasing the testing process.

Impact on Admin Efficiency and Booking Experience

After implementing the redesigned self-service booking portal, we observed a significant improvement in administrative efficiency and user satisfaction. Automation and real-time tracking streamlined processes, reducing workload and enhancing the overall booking experience.

For Admins

40%

Reduction in Administrative Workload

Manual efforts were reduced significantly, allowing the team to focus on higher-priority tasks instead of repetitive scheduling.

60%

Improvement in Request Tracking Accuracy

Enhanced visibility ensured fewer missed or delayed bookings, leading to better coordination.

4.8/5

Admin Satisfaction Score

Admins reported higher usability and efficiency in managing bookings, reducing compliance risks and errors.

For Guests & Affiliates

2.5x

Increase in Request Processing Speed

Automated approvals and tracking accelerated request processing from 48 hours to 12 hours, ensuring guests received confirmations sooner, minimizing uncertainty, and improving the booking experience.

85%

Faster Booking Confirmation

Improved automation and real-time updates enabled guests to receive confirmations within hours instead of days, allowing them to plan visits more efficiently.

Challenge & Reflection

We initially faced challenges in balancing automation with user trust, as guests were accustomed to manual confirmations and admins were concerned about accuracy.

By improving visibility and status tracking, we reassured guests with timely updates while equipping admins with the necessary control mechanisms.

This approach not only enhanced the guest experience with 85% faster booking confirmations but also increased request processing efficiency by 2.5x, proving that automation and transparency can coexist effectively.