The Yacht Week
The Yacht Week is a unique travel experience offering a blend of sailing, adventure, and vibrant social scenes in some of the world’s most stunning coastal destinations. Catering to individuals, groups, and private charters, it features week-long flotillas of yachts exploring picturesque islands and crystal-clear waters. Known for its iconic parties, cultural excursions, and opportunities for networking with like-minded travelers, The Yacht Week combines luxury, exploration, and unforgettable memories, making it more than just a holiday—it’s a lifestyle experience.
Overview
Since 2015, I have been collaborating with The Yacht Week, a leading global events brand, to enhance their digital experience and drive user engagement. My involvement began with the design of their first mobile app, ‘Day 8’, which was created to help attendees connect during and after their iconic events, including The Yacht Week and The Ski Week. The app focused on fostering meaningful connections and enhancing the overall event experience for participants.
Following the success of the app, I have continued to work with The Yacht Week, providing consulting and design expertise to optimise their digital platform. This has included a range of projects aimed at improving their website and booking processes. I have strategically refined key areas of their platform, including the homepage, destination pages, and the crew finder feature, ensuring they deliver a seamless and engaging user experience.
In addition, I have worked on redesigning their booking funnels to create smooth, conversion-focused pathways that streamline the customer journey. My contributions have also extended to enhancing social features within the platform, introducing interactive elements to foster a vibrant and connected community.
This collaboration has allowed me to bring together my expertise in UX/UI design, conversion optimisation, and digital product strategy. By focusing on user-centred design principles, I have helped The Yacht Week maintain its position as a leader in event-driven digital innovation.
Projects
Page optimisations
In a product consultancy role, I conducted a comprehensive audit of The Yacht Week website, focusing on key areas like the homepage and destination pages. I identified gaps in best practices and provided actionable feedback on optimising layout, tone of voice, and brand consistency. This analysis served as the foundation for a broader redesign and complete restructure of the website, ensuring a more cohesive, user-friendly, and impactful digital experience from top to bottom.
Booking Funnel
The booking funnel is arguably the most critical component of The Yacht Week website, responsible for facilitating millions of dollars in payments seamlessly. As the gateway to converting interest into unforgettable experiences, it demands constant optimisation, refinement, and innovation.
Over the past three seasons, I’ve worked closely on enhancing this vital system, ensuring it evolves alongside the company’s shifting needs and customer expectations. From streamlining user flows to implementing design improvements that reduce friction, my focus has been on creating a booking experience that’s not only efficient but also enjoyable. These ongoing refinements have helped drive conversions, build trust, and maintain the high standards that The Yacht Week is known for.
Crew Finder
Looking to join a yacht rather than take on the cost of chartering one yourself? The Crew Finder feature lets you explore openings on other yachts for specific weeks. Yacht crews can share a snapshot of their vibe, giving potential guests a high-level glimpse of what to expect on board. If you find a good match, you can reach out, make a connection, and hopefully secure your spot. Think of it as finding a flatmate—but just for an unforgettable week at sea!
Payments
Adding clarity to the payment funnel and the various payment options was crucial for users looking to book a yacht. The original implementation provided basic payment plan options, but the introduction of automated payments presented a new challenge. This feature, designed to offer flexibility, allowed users to make monthly payments up to six months before setting sail—a highly compelling offering.
This enhancement required a thoughtful and visually intuitive solution to ensure it simplified rather than complicated the user experience. Communicating the benefits of this payment option effectively on the marketing website was just the first step. It also needed to be seamlessly integrated into the checkout process, providing users with clear choices and confidence in their booking decisions.
At the same time, additional new payment methods had to be accommodated within the system. Balancing these complexities while maintaining a user-friendly interface was key to ensuring the payment experience aligned with the high standards of The Yacht Week’s overall platform.
Results
The collaboration with The Yacht Week has delivered significant outcomes, showcasing the impact of user-centred design and strategic digital optimisation:
- Mobile App Engagement: Although the ‘Day 8’ app was removed from the App Store after a few seasons, it saw widespread adoption during its active period. It became a vital tool for attendees to share experiences and connect with fellow Weekers, fostering community engagement and enhancing the overall event experience.
- Increase in Bookings: Through optimised booking funnels and improved user experience, the platform experienced a measurable increase in completed bookings. By simplifying navigation and reducing friction in the booking journey, more users progressed from browsing and saving to completing their purchases.
- Enhanced Website Visibility: Design improvements to the homepage and destination pages, coupled with better content structuring, contributed to higher rankings in search engine results. These changes not only improved SEO performance but also drove increased organic traffic to the site.
- Improved Conversion Rates: Streamlined user flows and an intuitive interface led to improved conversion rates across critical touchpoints. This included higher rates of completed bookings, more users engaging with crew finder features, and greater interaction with destination content.
- Platform Performance: Key metrics, such as bounce rate, time on site, and session duration, showed significant improvement following the redesigns. These enhancements helped create a more engaging experience for users, ensuring they spent more time exploring and interacting with the platform.
This results-driven approach has enabled The Yacht Week to strengthen its position as a leader in event-driven travel experiences, delivering both a memorable user experience and tangible business growth.