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The Trainline
Role and scope
As a core member of the Trainline design team, I led design across desktop and mobile web, delivering an end-to-end redesign of the booking experience. A primary objective was to consolidate separate desktop and mobile sites into a single, responsive platform.
Approach
Through customer research and data analysis, I identified key usability and confidence gaps within the booking flow. These were addressed incrementally through a phased programme of work, with each initiative contributing to a cohesive redesign of the overall experience.
Example Problem Statement
Customers lacked confidence in their journey selection before entering checkout, feeling pressured to commit earlier than expected.
Key questions explored
Where do customers stop customising their journey?
When does data entry begin to feel like commitment?
Do customers have sufficient information before reaching checkout?
Areas where clarity was often lacking
Journey details
Seat reservations
Added extras
Payment options
Price transparency
Process
Each initiative followed a standard design approach, supported by:
User research
Problem-framing workshop
Multi-variant testing
Close collaboration with Product and Engineering
Insights from testing directly informed both experience design and implementation decisions.
Outcomes
Below are two features launched during my tenure at The Trainline. Both addressed critical user pain points and measurably improved confidence and flow through the booking experience.
Clarity on selected trip
Problem
After selecting a journey, customers struggle to confirm what they’ve chosen and where to find a complete journey summary. This is amplified for multi-leg journeys and on mobile, increasing uncertainty and drop-off.
Hypothesis
If we clearly surface the selected journey and provide an always-accessible, scannable journey summary, customers will feel more confident progressing through the booking flow, reducing re-selection and exit.
Success metrics
Reduced back-and-forth journey reselection
Lower exit rates from search and post-selection states
Increased progression to checkout
Design solution and results
Results
Improved clarity around which journey is selected at key decision points.
Made the number of changes explicit for complex, multi-leg trips.
Increased customer confidence that they are proceeding with the correct journey.
Reduced progression from low-intent customers who were advancing primarily to locate missing information—often only surfaced at the payment stage.
Impact
Increased conversion efficiency by filtering out low-intent progression earlier in the flow.
Reduced unnecessary advancement to payment driven by information-seeking rather than purchase intent.
Improved downstream conversion rates by ensuring customers reaching payment had higher confidence and intent.
Decreased cognitive load and decision friction for complex, multi-leg journeys, contributing to smoother progression for high-intent customers.
Journey summary and running total
Problem
As customers transition to payment, they lack confidence in what they’re about to purchase. Overwhelming content and limited mobile visibility make it difficult to confirm journey details and total price, increasing exit and backtracking.
Hypothesis
If we reinforce selection and pricing using familiar patterns and provide an accessible, lightweight journey summary, without overwhelming the interface, customers will feel confident proceeding to payment, reducing drop-off.
Success metrics
Reduced exits at the payment entry poin
Fewer back-and-forth interactions to reselect journeys
Increased successful progression through payment
Design solution and results
Results
Introduced a more visual, recognisable journey presentation aligned with patterns users are familiar with across travel products.
Improved clarity and prominence of pricing and running totals.
Increased confidence in the selected journey through clear top-level information, with progressive disclosure for deeper details as needed.
Impact
Reduced step-level drop-off and back-navigation within the booking flow
Increased progression through high-intent steps.
Improved overall purchase conversion.
In combination with seat-confidence messaging, interaction with the journey summary component increased by 300%.
Historical data showed that customers engaging with journey details were significantly more likely to convert, reinforcing the impact of surfacing this information more effectively.
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