Transforming the End-to-End EF Customer Experience

Goal

To design an end-to-end experience that drives bookings and long-term engagement by giving parents and kids the confidence to book their trip abroad.

My role

I led research and design efforts, collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team, including designers, developers, a creative director, a product manager, videographers, and UX writers.

Impact

My work influenced EF's strategic direction, leading to key hires, improved customer engagement, and clearer decision-making across teams. Customers in a key market doubled their online bookings within one year, we launched in new markets, and internal collaboration became faster and more aligned.

Video I co-produced based on the research

I collaborated with a videographer to create an emotionally resonant video showcasing what happens when parents send their child on an EF trip. I conducted all on-camera interviews, storyboarded the narrative, directed editing changes, and launched the video on the product website.

Where we started

User challenges:

Pre-booking: Users struggled to find relevant, inspiring content, relying on stock photography and generic messaging that failed to connect with kids and their parents.

Post-booking: Engagement dropped, with missed opportunities to build loyalty and satisfaction.

Internal challenges:

Operational inefficiencies delayed customer communication. Tools and processes didn't fully support decision-making clarity.

Our first steps

To address challenges and align EF's digital experience with both user and business needs, we:

Persuaded senior leadership to adopt authentic, user-centered content.
Analyzed sales data to set clear goals and identify key markets.
Conducted interviews with students, parents, and internal teams to uncover their experiences and needs.
Led collaborative workshops with marketing, sales, and customer service teams to create a Customer Journey Map and develop a Service Blueprint.

Research interview in Spain — User interviews

Mapping

1. Customer Journey Map

We mapped the journey from inspiration to post-booking, uncovering key insights:

Frustrations: Users faced unclear information during the decision-making process, leading to hesitation.
Opportunities: Engagement gaps were identified after booking, during the trip, and after returning home, presenting opportunities to strengthen loyalty and satisfaction.

These findings shaped our priorities for content, communication, and product improvements, ensuring a more seamless and engaging user experience.

Customer journey map blurred to protect company confidentiality

2. Service Blueprint

The service blueprint aligned user-facing interactions with internal operations, revealing:

Operational inefficiencies like delayed parental notifications after a student's arrival.
This work influenced the hiring of a VP of Customer Experience to streamline processes and improve touchpoints.

Design process

Designed content from sketches to wireframes and mockups, based on user research, with a focus on clear storytelling, authenticity, and compelling visuals to inspire and inform students and parents.

Early phase prototype

Exploring the city

Student stories and booking

Final design

Impact

Launched a new digital experience for EF, featuring rich, authentic content that inspired kids and parents to book language courses abroad.
Presented research and design work to the company President, EVP of Marketing, and other leadership, influencing strategy and shifting focus toward online booking.
Direct outcomes included the hiring of a VP of Customer Experience and a full-time videographer to produce authentic destination content.
Research informed the product roadmap, uncovering new opportunities for design, content, and product improvements.
Three months post-launch, user engagement increased, and response times improved through earlier, more streamlined customer communication by introducing a new chatbot. Customers in a key market also doubled their online bookings within one year.