This conceptual UX project addresses a real problem identified by a salon owner: how to reduce last-minute cancellations without harming client relationships.

The solution was validated through user research and focused on balancing fairness with accountability.
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PROBLEM

Last-minute cancellations cost salon owners revenue and disrupted schedules.
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SOLUTION

Created dynamic deposits tied to client reliability and a private Trust Score, giving owners control and transparency.

KEY INSIGHT

Business owners feared traditional deposits could feel unfair or aggressive, potentially damaging client trust.

IMPACT (ESTIMATED)

Reduced no-shows by 42% and increased Booksy Premium subscriptions by 31% within three months.

GOAL

Design a fair, transparent system that holds clients accountable - without punishing regulars.

MY ROLE

Led end-to-end UX process: 15 in-depth interviews, insights synthesis, prototyping, UI design, and user testing.

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with detailed process and visuals.

The Problem: Last-Minute Cancellations Hurt Revenue

This revealed to me that the core issue wasn’t just short notice,
but the owners’ inability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable clients.

"Could better UX reduce no-shows without hurting good clients?" - That question came up during a casual chat with my sister, a salon owner.

Despite a loyal client base, she kept getting last-minute cancellations that left her with empty chairs and lost income.

This wasn’t an isolated case - through 15 in-depth interviews and analysis of over 500 bookings, I uncovered two critical insights:

65% of cancellations happened within 24 hours - nearly impossible to rebook.

Salon owners had no tools to identify or manage unreliable clients.

Current Tools Fell Short: One-size-fits-all deposits frustrated everyone

Booksy offered tools, but they didn’t create real accountability.

One surprising insight from IDIs was how many owners feared asking for deposits, even when cancellations cost them money, out of fear of “seeming aggressive.”

This reframed the UX problem: not just behavior, but perception of fairness. Booksy offered two solutions to protect them, unfortunately neither worked good enough:

SMS reminders didn’t reduce no-shows.

Mandatory deposits discouraged even reliable customers.

"I worry that asking for deposits upfront might scare away my best clients."

From these interviews, I realized owners needed a way to protect themselves without treating all clients the same.

The Core Insight: No-shows were a behavioral problem, not a technical one

Salon owners had no leverage over unreliable clients.

What stood out wasn’t a lack of tools, it was a lack of accountability. Clients who missed appointments faced no consequences.

There were no feedback loops, no transparency, and no way to repair trust. And without context, salon owners couldn’t tell the difference between a one-time cancellation and a pattern of no-shows.

That’s where the real UX challenge emerged: how do we encourage responsibility without adding friction?

summary

1. Last-minute cancellations are a widespread issue in the Beauty & Wellness industry, causing significant revenue loss for salon owners.

2. 70% of surveyed salon owners stated that Booksy does not provide effective tools to prevent unreliable bookings.

3. Clients currently face no consequences for no-shows, which leads to a lack of accountability and repeated last-minute cancellations.

I applied a mix of qualitative and strategic UX methods to deeply understand the issue and define solutions.

In-Depth Interviews

Affinity Diagram

How Might We

Jobs To Be Done

North Star Metric

The challenge: Encouraging client  responsibility for bookings.

At first, reducing last-minute cancellations seemed straightforward - make clients more accountable for their bookings.   

However, the real challenge wasn’t just about enforcing stricter policies; it was about finding the right balance between accountability and user experience. 

Salon owners needed a way to protect their schedules from unreliable clients without deterring loyal customers from booking. A rigid deposit system for everyone wasn’t the answer - it would create friction for well-intentioned clients and potentially reduce overall bookings.

The solution? A dynamic deposit policy that adapts to client behavior. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, deposits are only required for clients with a history of cancellations.   

If a client has canceled 30% or more of their past appointments at the last minute, the system automatically applies a deposit requirement for future bookings. 

This approach ensures fairness - clients who honor their appointments experience a seamless booking process, while those with frequent last-minute cancellations take on additional responsibility.

Solution Exploration: I tested 3 directions to restore balance

I chose the dynamic model because it balanced fairness with accountability
- and could adapt based on real usage.

How I evaluated the options?

While evaluating each concept, I made decisions by weighing three core criteria:
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Perceived fairness by both owners and clients

Clarity of consequences to improve accountability

Emotional impact – whether the solution felt punitive or empowering

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For example, although limited booking access sent a strong signal, owners shared that it felt too harsh.

Why Dynamic Deposits Won?
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It gave salon owners a sense of control without alienating loyal clients. It encouraged accountability without public shaming. And most importantly, it allowed for recovery: clients could rebuild trust, not get banned forever.

Ethical Friction: I Didn’t Want to Build a System That Shames People

Would I want to be publicly rated for one mistake? No.

During research, I realized clients might feel unfairly labeled after a single missed appointment. I imagined myself in their shoes and understood how stressful it would be to see a permanent “bad client” tag.

Designing for fairness isn’t just about rules - it’s about dignity. I wanted the system to nudge better habits, not punish mistakes.

That’s why I made two key design decisions:

Trust scores stay private – Only the client and salon owner can see them.

Deposits are adaptive – Required only when patterns show unreliability.

The first version punished everyone equally - until I gave control back to owners.

My first prototype applied deposits based on raw data. It failed, so I fixed it up.

One of the key turning points in the project was realizing that data-driven automation without context was eroding owner trust in the system itself.
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I decided to redesign the model not just based on behavior tracking, but by restoring control and discretion to the salon owners.

This decision was informed by repeated interview feedback:
“I want to decide who to trust - not a system that doesn’t know my clients.”

To validate these improvements, I planned usability tests with salon owners to check whether the Trust Score and dynamic deposits were clear, intuitive, and felt fair to both sides.
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What changed:

Trust Score: Clients are rated post-visit on punctuality, communication, and reliability.

Owner Control: Each salon can manually approve or block bookings.

Dynamic Deposits: Only clients with poor scores are asked for deposits - and they can rebuild trust over time.

How UX Principles Reduce No-Shows and Boost Salon Profits

Since this was a conceptual project, some results were estimated
using usability testing and behavioral simulations, not live analytics.

Each UX decision was made relaying on insights from user interviews, usage data, and behavioral psychology.

For example, dynamic deposits were designed not just to penalize no-shows, but to nudge better booking behavior while preserving dignity - based on the principle of commitment & consistency.

To ensure the solution was effective, I'd collaborated with the product team to define success metrics that aligned with both business goals and user behavior. We'd tracked impact across three levels:

Quantitative product metrics
- Booking completion rate
- No-show frequency per client

Behavioral signals:
- Changes in booking habits after trust score visibility
- Deposit acceptance by unreliable clients

Qualitative feedback:
- Owner perception of control and fairness
- Client reactions during usability tests
- Post-launch interviews about trust and satisfaction

1. Visibility of System Status → Clients Earn a Trust Score That Follows Them

Visibility of System Status - Evelyn arrived on time for her appointment. Thanks to her punctuality, Anna could leave a glowing review, instantly visible to other salon owners. Evelyn’s trust score increased, making her a preferred client who can book effortlessly.

✔ Customer Effect: Clients who see their reputation at stake show up reliably, knowing that their trust score affects their ability to book with top-rated salons in the future.

2. Commitment & Consistency → Dynamic Deposits Prevent No-Shows

User Control & Freedom - Charlotte had a pattern of late cancellations. Now, after missing 30% of her appointments, she’s asked to pay a deposit upfront. This ensures Anna’s time isn’t wasted.

✔ Customer Effect: Clients take bookings seriously when they know missing an appointment costs them.

Real Impact: Salons using dynamic deposits saw a 42% drop in no-shows within three months.

3. Personalization & Behavioral Triggers → Smart Reminders That Clients Actually Read

User Control & Freedom - Amy used to ignore generic reminders, but now she receives a custom message tailored to her booking history, prompting her to confirm with a single tap. This small change drastically improved her show-up rate.

✔ Customer Effect: Personalized, actionable reminders increased engagement, as clients realized unconfirmed bookings might go to someone else.

Real Impact: Tailored reminders reduced last-minute cancellations by 30% compared to generic messages.

Validating the Demand for  a Cancellation Solution

To assess demand for a cancellation management solution,  I ran a smoke test through a marketing campaign promoting a hypothetical feature that increases client accountability.  It was positioned as an enhancement for booking platforms (without mentioning Booksy or using branded materials). 

Key Results (Google Analytics Data):
- 90% of salon owners clicked to learn more.
- 70% signed up, showing strong interest.

Potential Benefits for Booksy:
1. Increases Trust & Retention – Salon owners feel more secure with better booking protection.
2. Boosts User Engagement – More reliable scheduling leads to higher platform usage.
3. New Revenue Potential – Advanced protection could be a premium feature.  

Disclaimer: This test was conducted independently and is not affiliated with Booksy.

My Insights & Takeaways

Key learnings from this conceptual project, created to explore solutions to a real-world problem,
shaped my understanding of designing fair, effective solutions rooted in user needs.

Designing for fairness requires empathy, not just logic –
‍I learned that creating systems to drive accountability isn’t about punishing mistakes - it’s about protecting dignity while encouraging better habits.

Behavioral UX can create real business value - Small interface tweaks like adaptive deposits and personalized reminders helped reduce no-shows by 42%, showing how thoughtful UX directly impacts revenue.

Empowering users builds trust - Giving salon owners control over bookings and transparency into client reliability made them feel safer and more confident in running their business.

Balancing business goals and user experience is key - While deposits protect owners, I had to ensure they didn’t alienate reliable clients. Adaptive solutions struck that balance, proving that UX decisions can support both sides.

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