As a UX designer in Kent, I’ve spent the past 17 months working on an event booking system for Kent Country Parks with BookingLab.
What I’ve learned is that most booking platforms do not fail because of technology. They fail because they make simple decisions feel harder than they should.
That is usually where the problem starts.
Why customers abandon booking systems
Most people do not arrive at a booking platform in the mood to browse. They arrive with a job to do.
For family attractions and local events, that often means a parent on their phone, short on time, comparing options quickly and trying to make a good decision without overthinking it.
They want fast reassurance. What is on, is it suitable, is there still availability, and can I book it without jumping through hoops.
If the experience gets in the way of those answers, people leave.
Not because they are not interested. Because the system creates doubt.
The biggest lesson I learned from this project
When I started working on this platform, the goal was not to create something flashy.
The existing system was being deprecated, so the brief was to help shape a replacement that supported Kent Country Parks’ longer-term strategy while still working for customers in the real world.
What became clear quite quickly was that the hardest part was not the tech.
It was making sure the system reflected how people actually behave.
Designing for real behaviour, not ideal behaviour
It is easy in projects like this to focus on features, integrations, reporting requirements, internal processes, and stakeholder requests.
All of those things matter. But if the front end journey does not feel obvious and reassuring to the customer, the platform will underperform however clever the back end may be.
One of the most useful mindset shifts for me was this. Do not design for how you hope users will behave. Design for how they actually behave.
Assume people are distracted. Assume they are in a rush. Assume they will leave if something is confusing.
What “easy” really means in UX
“Easy” is one of the hardest things to design well.
It is not just about reducing the number of clicks. It is about reducing hesitation.
Can I trust this. Is this right for me. Is it still available. Am I doing the right thing.
Every moment of uncertainty adds friction. And friction is where bookings are lost.
That is why clarity matters more than complexity.
Clear choices. Clear availability. Clear next steps.
What made this project challenging
I led the project through functional specification, UX design, and multiple rounds of user acceptance testing, working closely with Kent County Council’s digital, accessibility, and technical teams throughout.
The biggest challenge was not technical. Getting teams to agree, managing change, and keeping the focus on how this would actually feel to use, not just how it works on paper.
How to fix booking friction
If there is one takeaway I would share, it is this. Start with intent.
Ask what the user is really trying to achieve in that moment.
Then remove anything that delays, confuses, or weakens that outcome.
Make key information obvious. Help people understand what is available and what happens next.
Reduce the thinking required. Do not ask for effort too early.
Final thoughts
The platform only went live a couple of weeks ago, so it is still early.
But one thing is clear. Customers rarely abandon a booking because they do not want what you offer.
They abandon because the path to getting it feels harder than it should.
If you are seeing drop-offs, it is rarely the tech.
It is usually friction hiding in plain sight.
