Lenda is a service that connects hotel guests to local recommendations from hotel employees through a tablet and desktop application. Guests can browse and save recommendations within the system and then take those recommendations with them on the go. They can also use the system as a jumping-off point for conversations with hotel staff about recommendations, common interests, or unique aspects of Madeira. Its unique value proposition is that it allows guests to learn what locals genuinely love and recommend about their home while simultaneously elevating employees by showcasing their expertise as locals. By sharing knowledge, Lenda allows hotel employees and guests to bond and connect, providing the kind of cross-cultural exchange that motivates many travelers in their choice of destination and accommodation.

In designing Lenda, we wanted to make sure that we were not only meeting the experience needs of our two user groups, but that we were providing opportunities for experiences that they otherwise would not have had. For guests, this comes in the form of recommendations for activities that they otherwise would not have discovered. For staff, this comes in being able to share their own discoveries with others. However, beyond those two things, we wanted Lenda to support personal connections between guests and staff, with guests seeking out and following up with staff members who wrote the recommendations they had used. It’s these conversations and connections that we see as the ultimate metric of Lenda’s success.

Because Lenda is a system with two sides, we’ve had to think through the touchpoints for both sets of users and their experiences. We’ve also made sure to consider how Lenda connects to the other tech touchpoints in the hotel, including the PMS and the booking system. Because Lenda cannot function as a stand-alone application, it’s crucial that we consider the entire experience and ecosystem in which it will exist to ensure a seamless and useful experience.

Here are few of the key screens that support Lenda’s most important features. For guests, we’ve focused on the best ways to help organize recommendations to make them usable and engaging for visitors. For staff, we have focused largely on the practical activities of creating profiles and recommendations, but also wanted to make sure we supported collaboration between staff members and gave each staff member a strong sense of control over their own content.