Hedvig

Kiosk action selection

Redesigning the first screen guests meet on a hotel self-service kiosk.

RoleProduct designer
Year2024, launched in August
TeamProduct manager, developers, QA and tech lead
PlatformSelf-service kiosk

Context

Every guest who uses the kiosk starts on this screen, to check in, check out or collect a key. Over time, new actions and booking statuses had been added, and the screen had become cluttered and hard to follow. We needed to rethink it from scratch, with a clear order and buttons that adapt to the hotel's opening hours.

The previous screen: a hotel greeting with Check in and Check out buttons, shown open and with one action closed
The previous screen. A greeting and two buttons, with a short note when an action was closed.

Impact

1tap fewer before guests can start
3actions, in the order of the guest's stay

A hotel customer named the design and interface as one of the main reasons for choosing the solution.

Shared by the COO after visiting the hotel

Approach

Research and testing shaped the scope

I looked at how other self-service products present choices and show the brand. Manage booking was planned as a fourth option, behind three verification questions. Testing showed that the extra step and the overlap with the other options confused guests, so we left it out and kept three actions: check in, check out and collect key.

Ordered by the guest's journey

Collect key comes first as a fast track, then check in and check out in the order they happen. Short supporting text, such as "If you registered online" and "To begin your stay", tells guests which button is theirs. The screen also replaced the old idle screen, so guests can start right away.

The previous screen next to the new one, which has Collect key, Check in and Check out
Before and after. The new order follows the guest's stay, with collect key as a fast track.

A closed button can still help

It is common to hide buttons that are not available. I kept them visible and showed when they open. Guests no longer try actions that would fail, like checking in before the room is ready, and they do not need to ask reception.

The new screen with all actions open, and with check-in and check-out closed, on a brand colour and on a photo background
Open and closed, on two backgrounds. Guests see when an action opens without asking anyone.

Built for many hotels

Each hotel sets its own background image and payment logos in the content management system, without any code changes. Photo backgrounds get a gradient overlay so the text stays readable, and brand colour backgrounds get a subtle motion overlay.

Text that stays readable

One hotel only allowed prepaid guests to check in at the kiosk. A colleague suggested putting a warning into the background image. I pointed out that the overlay on the background makes text in images hard to read, and suggested using the existing check-in permission popup instead. Hotels can also add an optional line of text under each button.

After launch

Signage differs a lot between hotel lobbies, and without the idle screen guests did not always understand what the kiosk was for. We brought it back as an option each hotel can choose. It appears after 30 seconds without activity, with large text that matches what is open, such as "Check in here" or "Check in and out here".

Learnings

What worked

Testing early. It showed us that Manage booking would confuse guests, so we left it out before building it.

What did not

Removing the idle screen did not suit every hotel, since signage in the lobby matters as much as the screen. The rollout also broke the styling on pages a hotel chain had customised.

What I would change

Test and observe more on site, in real hotel lobbies. I would also look closer at how receptionists talk to guests, and bring that language into the screens.