Brazilian Waxing Company — Booking Platform Redesign

Improving client booking and staff operations through UX-led product delivery across a multi-site beauty salon business.

My Role
Product Owner · UX Lead
Team
Me + 2 Offshore Developers
Experience
9+ Years in Industry
Location
Multi-site, Manchester
0%
No-show rate after platform redesign
↓ from 15% monthly
22%
Revenue increase from payment & booking improvements
↑ year on year
5k+
Monthly active users on the platform
↑ ongoing growth
01 — Context

A booking system that was losing money every month

The Problem
15% monthly revenue lost to no-shows

Clients regularly failed to attend booked treatments due to the absence of online pre-payment and automated reminders. This caused significant, predictable revenue loss and created scheduling chaos for staff. The existing system had no password protection, no online payment option, no rescheduling, and no way to prevent fake bookings.

The Solution
A full salon operations platform, built around users

By redesigning the web application with upfront payment via Stripe, automated reminders, self-serve rescheduling, and a companion internal staff application, we eliminated no-shows entirely and created a platform that serves both clients and staff across multiple salon locations.

02 — Process

Double Diamond from discovery to delivery

I used the Double Diamond design process to structure the project — moving from broad research and discovery through to defined requirements and iterative delivery.

01 — DISCOVER
Research & Observe
  • Staff interviews
  • Client observation
  • Phone call monitoring
  • 3 years of Google Analytics data
  • Competitive analysis
02 — DEFINE
Synthesise & Frame
  • User personas
  • MoSCoW prioritisation
  • Technical constraints
  • Site map
  • User flow design
03 — DEVELOP
Design & Prototype
  • Wireframes
  • Mini design workshops
  • Hi-fi prototype
  • Visual system
  • Usability testing ×20
04 — DELIVER
Build & Launch
  • Offshore dev coordination
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Iterative releases
  • Staff training
  • Post-launch optimisation
03 — Research Findings

What the data and users told us

I dedicated a week to monitoring and documenting incoming client calls to understand why people were calling rather than booking online. The pattern was clear — the existing platform wasn't serving two critical needs.

CALLS ABOUT
Payment queries 47%
Rescheduling requests 38%
Other 15%
73%
of users were female, per 3 years of Google Analytics data
84%
accessed on mobile — making responsive design critical
20
participants in usability testing — 10 new users, 10 existing users
04 — User Personas

Two goal-oriented personas guided design decisions

AGE 18–24
The Student

Recently moved to Manchester, balancing studies and social life. Wants an affordable way to maintain her appearance without spending time she doesn't have. Books independently and knows exactly what she wants.

"I want to login, book and log out — I know what I need."
Goals
  • Find the right time
  • Save money
  • Get notifications
  • Book quickly
Frustrations
  • Wasted time
  • Fake reviews
  • Hard to find nearby
  • Unavailable slots shown
AGE 25–44
The Busy Mum

Juggling work, parenting, and household responsibilities. Limited time for herself and values services that are fast, reliable, and easy to fit around her schedule. Prefers to plan ahead.

"Things need to be simple — I don't want to see options that aren't available."
Goals
  • Weekend availability
  • Top-rated salon
  • Reminder notifications
  • Save time
Frustrations
  • Long wait times
  • Time-consuming process
  • Tired on weekends
  • Can't find a date
05 — Prioritisation

MoSCoW method to align team and stakeholders

I used MoSCoW prioritisation to structure the backlog and agree with stakeholders which features were critical to launch versus nice-to-have for later iterations.

Must Have
Mobile number sign-in
Responsive design
Fast loading times
Easy availability view
Online payment (Stripe)
Reschedule capability
Booking history
Account verification
Should Have
Book multiple rooms
Dashboard for treatments
Apple Pay
Block guest accounts
Hide conflicting slots
Discount code system
Google feedback
Reporting dashboard
06 — What We Built

A full salon operations platform, not just a booking form

The redesigned platform covers the full client and staff journey — from discovery and booking through to in-salon arrival, treatment, and payment.

💳
Stripe Multi-Channel Payments
Online upfront payment at booking, in-salon Stripe Terminal tap-to-pay, and a bespoke over-the-phone payment flow built into the staff interface.
🔔
Automated Reminders
Automated appointment reminder workflows that eliminated no-shows entirely — reducing the rate from 15% to 0%.
📅
Self-Serve Rescheduling
Clients can reschedule their own appointments online, removing one of the biggest drivers of incoming phone calls to reception.
📱
iPad Check-In & Therapist Notes
Web-based iPad app for receptionists to mark client arrivals. Therapists see client name, new or returning status, and previous session notes before calling clients in.
🏷️
Discount Code System
Admin-configurable discount codes with expiry dates or usage limits, integrated directly into the client checkout flow.
🖥️
Self-Service Kiosk
Clients can check themselves in when reception is busy, reducing wait times and improving the in-salon arrival experience.
📊
Reporting Dashboard
Business owners can view most visited clients, most popular treatments, and busiest times of day — enabling data-driven staffing decisions.
🔒
Account Security & Verification
Introduced password protection and mobile number verification to prevent fake accounts and fraudulent bookings, solving a key data integrity problem.
🗓️
Multiple Room Booking
Clients can book into multiple treatment rooms in a single transaction at different time slots — a capability no available SaaS product offered.
The Platform

See it across every device

The platform was built mobile-first with a responsive design that works seamlessly across phone, tablet, and desktop — reflecting that 84% of users accessed via mobile.

BWC booking platform shown on iPad, laptop and iPhone — treatment selection, calendar booking and time picker screens
iPad View
Dashboard with upcoming bookings and account management
Desktop View
Full treatment selection across Body, Face and Laser categories with live order summary
Mobile View
Date and time picker optimised for one-handed mobile use
07 — Technical Challenges

The hard problems we had to solve

CHALLENGE 01
In-store payment without losing online bookings

Clients paying in-store still needed to be able to manage their bookings online. We designed and built a separate staff application with Stripe Terminal integration, allowing payments to be recorded against client accounts without disrupting the online experience.

CHALLENGE 02
Migrating users to password-protected accounts

The existing system had no passwords — users accessed accounts via mobile number, including outdated or international numbers. We needed to migrate existing users to secure accounts without losing their booking history or disrupting active treatments.

CHALLENGE 03
Preventing fake accounts and no-show abuse

Without verification, clients could create bookings with fake numbers and never attend. We introduced mobile verification for new users whilst designing a migration path that didn't lock out genuine existing customers.

CHALLENGE 04
Why we didn't use an off-the-shelf SaaS

I researched Get Timely and Ovatu — the main competitors in the beauty salon space. Neither supported booking multiple treatment rooms in a single transaction, which was a core business requirement. Building custom was the only viable path.

08 — Results & Impact

Measurable outcomes from day one

0%
No-Show Rate
Automated reminders and upfront Stripe payments eliminated no-shows entirely. Down from 15% monthly — a direct and unambiguous result of the platform changes.
22%
Revenue Increase
Driven by introducing upfront online payments, removing the cancellation policy, and adding self-serve rescheduling — eliminating revenue leakage from cancellations.
Staff & Clients
Outstanding Feedback
The platform received outstanding feedback from both staff and clients since launch. The iPad check-in system and self-service kiosk transformed the in-salon experience.
Disaster Recovery
Resilience Built In
Implemented a disaster recovery and backup solution alongside the platform — ensuring business continuity and protecting years of client data.