App Design
Outdoorsy
RV Rental Marketplace — Airbnb for Campers
Overview
A mobile-first marketplace connecting RV owners with adventure seekers — the Airbnb for recreational vehicle rentals.
Outdoorsy bridges the gap between independent RV owners and travellers seeking flexible, affordable campervan holidays. The platform needed to simplify the rental discovery process, showcase RVs with rich photography, and build trust through owner profiles and user reviews. The design prioritises search and filtering, location-based discovery, and a frictionless booking flow — all optimised for mobile-first users planning their next adventure.
Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Platform
Mobile App
Duration
6 months
Tools
Figma, Maze, Principle
Team
PM, Designer, UX Researcher, Engineer
Impact
2.5M+
Trips Facilitated
40K+
RVs Available
4.8★
Average Rating
15
Countries Served
01 — Homepage & Search
Find your perfect RV in three inputs
Frictionless search
Three teal input fields — Location, Start Date, End Date — lead users directly to filtered results. A prominent "Start Your Adventure" button reduces friction.
Trust badges
User avatar, name, and "Choose RV → Choose Date → Go Outdoorsy" steps guide first-time users through the journey with visual confidence.
Mobile-first layout
The entire flow is optimised for thumb-friendly interaction on smartphones, with large touch targets and minimal scrolling between key decision points.
02 — RV Listings & Features
Every amenity and detail, at a glance
Each RV listing features rich photography carousel, key specs (beds, bathrooms, mileage), amenities grid (WiFi, kitchen, AC), owner profile with reviews, and pricing breakdown. The layout prioritises visual discovery while keeping critical information scannable.
Full-width image carousel with pinch zoom on mobile
Key specs at a glance — beds, bathrooms, vehicle type
Colour-coded amenity tags (WiFi, kitchen, heating, etc.)
Owner avatar, name, and 4.9★ average rating badge
03 — Discovery & Experiences
Inspire adventures, exceed expectations
Curated collections
Thematic image galleries (National Parks, Beachside, Mountain Escapes) inspire trip planning and surface RVs suited to each adventure type.
Location carousel
A horizontal scroll of scenic destination images with dotted navigation indicators lets users explore trending locations at a glance.
Visual storytelling
Landscape photography and overlaid call-outs emphasise the adventure mindset — connecting users emotionally to the experience, not just the vehicle.
04 — How It Works
Matchmakers for RV owners and adventurers
Choose RV
Browse, filter by location, dates, and amenities. Read owner reviews, check photos, and compare pricing across the marketplace.
Book & pay
Secure online payment, instant confirmation, and pre-trip communication with the RV owner. Insurance and roadside assistance included.
Go outdoorsy
Pick up your RV, hit the road, and share your adventure. Post-trip reviews build owner reputation and help future adventurers discover the best campers.
05 — Reviews & Community
Trust built on real experiences
Star ratings
Every trip generates a two-way review — guests rate the RV and owner, owners rate guest behaviour. Transparency builds marketplace trust.
Written testimonials
Carousel of guest quotes with profile photos creates social proof. Quotes emphasise the experience, not just the vehicle rental.
Community gallery
Trip photos from guests become a visual portfolio for RV owners and inspiration for future adventurers — a virtuous cycle of engagement.
Summary
Overview
A mobile-first RV rental marketplace connecting 40K+ vehicle owners with 2.5M+ adventurers worldwide, facilitating flexible, affordable campervan holidays.
Challenge
Travellers wanted affordable, flexible RV rentals from independent owners, but existing platforms were fragmented, trust was low, and the booking process was cumbersome.
Solution
Built a mobile-first marketplace with rich RV photography, owner profiles, peer reviews, seamless search and booking, and community photo galleries—increasing trust and engagement by 65%.
Key Results
06 — User Testing
Adventurer and owner testing — validating trust, discovery, and booking confidence
Testing recruited both sides of the marketplace — renters planning trips and RV owners listing their vehicles. Sessions focused on whether first-time renters trusted the platform enough to book, and whether RV owners felt the listing experience represented their vehicle accurately. The balance of both perspectives was critical to designing a marketplace that worked for everyone.
Trust and first impression testing
Renter participants were shown the homepage and a listing detail page for 5 seconds before being asked what they'd trust, what was missing, and whether they'd book. This revealed that the owner avatar and response rate were the most-read trust signals — more so than the star rating alone.
Booking flow usability testing
Participants were asked to find and book a specific type of RV for a weekend trip using Maze. Sessions measured search-to-listing click rate, time-to-booking decision, and where drop-off occurred. The amenity tag filters were the most-used feature — but users initially missed the 'Pet-friendly' tag as it was outside the initial visible area.
Owner listing comprehension testing
RV owners were shown listing preview cards and asked 'Does this represent your vehicle well?'. Sessions revealed that mileage limits and insurance details were consistently the first things owners looked for — both of which required more prominent placement in the initial design.
Key Outcomes
65%
increase in booking conversions following trust signal and search filter improvements
4.8★
average platform rating — renter trust was cited as the primary reason in post-trip surveys
Owner avatar
was the top trust signal — more important to renters than the overall star rating
Pet-friendly
tag repositioned after being missed by 60% of participants in initial layout
Mileage limits
moved to primary listing info after owners consistently said it was 'buried' in the detail view
Methodology
Design System
Outdoorsy — adventure-first visual language
Warm, earthy tones and landscape photography are the backbone of the Outdoorsy design system — evoking the outdoors while keeping the booking experience frictionless on mobile.
Colour Palette
Adventure Teal
#00897B
Primary CTAs, search inputs, interactive elements, trust badges
Forest Dark
#1A2E28
Navigation, primary text, high-contrast headers
Warm Sand
#F5EFE0
Background surfaces, card whites, section dividers
Sunset Orange
#FF7043
Urgency tags, promotional banners, featured listing highlights
Sky Blue
#4FC3F7
Date inputs, link colours, interactive map elements
Leaf Green
#66BB6A
Availability indicators, success states, eco badges
Review Gold
#FFB300
Star ratings, review scores, featured endorsements
White
#FFFFFF
Card backgrounds, modal surfaces, listing image overlays
Typography Scale
48px / 700w
Hero Headline
Homepage hero, campaign headlines, destination names
28px / 700w
Section Title
How It Works, Reviews, Discover sections
20px / 600w
Listing Title
RV names, owner headings, page titles
16px / 400w
Body
Descriptions, review text, step explanations
12px / 500w
Meta / Tag
Amenity tags, vehicle specs, pricing labels
Core Components
Search Bar
Three teal input fields (Location, Start Date, End Date) in a single row card with a prominent Adventure CTA — optimised for thumb reach on mobile.
RV Listing Card
Full-bleed hero image, vehicle type badge, name, specs (beds, mileage), star rating, and per-night price. Favourites heart icon in top-right corner.
Amenity Tag
Small rounded pill with icon (WiFi, Kitchen, AC, Pet-friendly) in a teal or grey palette. Groups of up to 8 visible with a '+N more' overflow.
Owner Profile Badge
Avatar, display name, response rate, and aggregate star rating. Tappable to expand full profile with reviews and trip history.
Testimonial Carousel
Full-width quote card with guest photo, trip name, and star rating — auto-advances with dot navigation and swipe support on mobile.
Step Indicator
Three-step horizontal progress row (Choose RV → Book & Pay → Go Outdoorsy) used in How It Works and onboarding flows.
"Chris created a marketplace experience that makes discovering and renting RVs incredibly intuitive. The rich photography, owner profiles, and peer reviews build genuine trust. Booking conversions increased by 65%, and customers consistently praise the seamless journey."
Victoria Armstrong
Co-founder, Outdoorsy