How can comparison help hosts decide faster?
We explored different ways to organize protection options — from tables and columns to rows and cards — to find the clearest way to compare coverage, pricing, and benefit.
Switch iterations
Redefining protection for Vrbo hosts
Designed and launched Vrbo’s Host with Confidence program from zero to one.
- Role: Lead Product Designer
- Timeline: Jan – April 2026
- Strategy area: Fintech monetization & partner value
The platform
What is Vrbo?
Vrbo is the world’s second-largest vacation rental platform, part of Expedia Group, connecting millions of travelers with vacation homes through its global network of hosts.
- Listings
- 3M+bookable properties worldwide
- Global reach
- 190+countries where Vrbo is available
- Active users
- ~48Mmonthly active users
Context
Hosts were taking on more risk than they could see.
The problem wasn’t a lack of protection options. Existing solutions still left important risks uncovered.
Hosts remained exposed to chargebacks, property damage, and lost income — creating significant financial risk beyond the cost of a damaged item.
Experience audit
Where the existing experience fell short
Hosts had to piece together whether they were actually protected across damage, chargebacks, and lost income, rather than feeling confident that their broader business risks were covered.
Redefining the problem statement
Build a new protection product that gives hosts confidence beyond accidental damage — while transforming the existing experience from a complex list of options into a clear, scalable way to discover and choose protection.
Lead with confidence, not coverage
Start from the reassurance a host is looking for, then show the coverage that backs it up.
Make trade-offs comparable
Put cost, coverage, and who pays side by side so a host can weigh options in one read.
One decision at a time
Ask hosts to pick a direction first, then reveal the details that decision actually needs.
Surface protection early
Meet hosts where they already work instead of waiting for them to find a settings page.
Design for the system, not a single screen
Connect discovery, education, comparison, and expansion across the host experience.
Design explorations
How the work found its shape
How should protection options be structured?
We explored different ways to structure each protection option around the details hosts need to make a decision — what it is, what it costs, and what it covers — without overwhelming them with information upfront.
Switch iterations
Host research
60 minute moderated interviews with 10+ premium hosts
Insight 1
The header needs to do more with the value
The plan name alone wasn't enough to help hosts choose. The header needed to communicate the core value.
Insight 2
Pricing shouldn’t be the primary factor
Who pays and how payment is handled is different in all three scenarios, so price shouldn’t lead the card.
The insights gave us the ingredients. Now we had to turn them into an experience.
A new approach to protection
From overwhelming choices to confident decisions
Inside the card
Making value clear at every glance
Leading with confidence
The header focuses on the reassurance and value the protection provides, helping hosts understand why it matters before getting into the finer details of coverage.
Make protection easy to scan
The key coverage points are called out upfront, giving hosts a quick understanding of what’s protected without making them read through dense policy information.
Progressive disclosure
Giving hosts the right information at the right step.
Scroll
Early funnel awareness
Introducing Host with Confidence
Meeting hosts earlier
We introduced Host with Confidence beyond the deep settings flow, giving hosts an early, contextual entry point to discover protection before they need to make a decision.
The protection ecosystem
Building a journey, not just the destination
From opportunity cards to emails and in-product surfaces, each touchpoint was designed to work together rather than operate as a standalone experience.
Recognition
Shout-outs from across Expedia Group
The launch travelled well past the squad. Product and design leaders shared it with their own teams and networks.
Akanksha Singh
Director of UX
Vrbo
Partner product launch
Mariia Kovalenko
Director of Product Management
A note on Confidentiality and Impact
The numbers are confidential, so I can’t share the actual results publicly. What I can share is how the work is being judged — we’re tracking the following metrics.
- Adoption among eligible hosts
- Gross profit from protection
- HWC contribution in GP
- Cannibalization across products
- Post-release feedback and sentiment
Happy to walk through the work, decisions, and impact in more detail in a conversation.
Thanks for reading