The Secrets Behind Business Travel’s Most User-Friendly UX

At Navan, creating a seamless user experience (UX) is more than just a goal — it’s a guiding principle. 

That experience begins with Navan VP of Product Design Kate McCarthy, who leads a team building the most user-friendly interfaces in the business travel and expense industry. 

A combination of deep empathy for users, cross-functional collaboration, and constant innovation has made Navan’s UX and user interface (UI) the best in the business. Here’s how McCarthy and her team do it.

A Focus on Empathy and Understanding

McCarthy joined Navan in 2021 with the task of building out the UX research function. Her background in qualitative and quantitative research for leading tech companies helped her establish her user-centered design philosophy — and is one of the reasons she was first attracted to Navan.

“Our relentless focus on the user has always been a core value at Navan,” said McCarthy, adding that this focus influences the entire company. 

It begins with the right enablement. “We make sure that all team members, from product to sales and marketing, develop a deep empathy and understanding of our users,” said McCarthy.

“We believe deeply in the power of in-person connections, and travel makes that possible,” said McCarthy. 

“Our goal as a design team is to make travel seamless for every type of traveler – from the road warrior who confidently optimizes their travel and is motivated to maximize loyalty program points, to a cautious traveler who finds travel overwhelming because they don’t have established routines. Everyone should have an exceptional, customized experience when they use Navan.”

That empathy informs every stage of the design process. The team constantly seeks to bridge the gap between user needs and business objectives. 

“We discuss and document opportunities to solve challenges users face, as well as the impact those problems have on our business,” said McCarthy. “Designers bring early concepts to design forums and designs to our critique sessions, where we discuss the problems at hand, constraints, and solutions as a team.”

Flexibility Within Structure

When it comes to design, McCarthy’s team doesn’t adhere to a rigid process. Instead, they prioritize flexibility while maintaining standards. 

“We give our teams autonomy, but we also set standards for how we think about our designs and integrate collaborative feedback. It’s striking a balance between flexibility and making sure we deliver an intuitive, cohesive experience.” 

The design process is highly iterative, with multiple touchpoints for feedback. It’s a priority that everyone has the opportunity to receive and integrate feedback, taking into consideration team requirements and the constraints that designers work within.

 “We integrate insights from UX research, quantitative data like NPS scores, and qualitative user feedback into our design thinking,” she added. 

This dynamic, feedback-driven approach allows the team to remain agile while continuously improving the user experience.

User Feedback: The Heart of the Design Process

User feedback plays a crucial role in Navan’s design strategy. The team leverages user insights to identify problems and refine solutions. And they employ various testing methods, from generative research to usability testing, to validate that the team is focused on the right problems and that solutions resonate with real users.

“We have touchpoints with users at all different phases in the design process,” said McCarthy. “We use a platform that allows users to opt-in and give feedback about the product, and we often follow up . Whether it’s early-stage concepts or high-fidelity designs, we make sure that our solutions really work for our users.”

No design decision is just a guess; it’s validated by actual user behavior and preferences. This commitment to real-world input guarantees that Navan’s solutions are not only innovative, but also deeply attuned to the experiences of real users.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: A Key to Success

Collaboration is at the core of Navan’s product development process. 

“Cross-functional communication and collaboration are essential to the success of our product and our velocity as a team,” said McCarthy. 

The product organization — which includes product, design, and engineering — uses a model that McCarthy describes as a “three-legged stool.” Each function plays an equally important role in bringing the product to life.

McCarthy’s team also regularly interfaces with sales, customer success, and global operations and servicing teams to make sure that feedback from all corners of the company informs product development.

 “We hold monthly sessions to discuss the top issues we’re hearing from customers and from our frontline travel consultants who see firsthand challenges users confront, and we stack-rank our priorities accordingly,” she said. 

This holistic approach allows the team to address the needs of both travelers and travel managers, so that all perspectives are considered in the design process.

Staying Ahead of Emerging Trends

McCarthy’s team is always looking toward the future, keeping an eye on emerging trends that could shape the travel and expense industry. One of the biggest trends they’re focused on is personalization. 

“Personalization is paramount to delivering an exceptional travel experience,” McCarthy said.

However, she acknowledges that personalization can sometimes feel invasive. “There was a time when personalization felt creepy, like social media feeds knowing too much about you.” 

But in the context of business travel, the right kind of personalization can be a game-changer. McCarthy’s team is focused on providing users with a tailored experience based on their preferences, travel history, and needs.

“For example, Road Warriors often tell us they love how Navan’s streamlined experience allows them to rebook the flights and hotel they always book when visiting a specific location–which we now have in Trip Planner–while Cautious Travelers enjoy how Navan helps them narrow decisions, for example, by indicating which hotels were previously booked by colleagues and receive high ratings,” she said. 

The goal is to make the travel booking process as simple and intuitive as possible for every type of user.

Leveraging AI to Enhance the User Experience

AI and machine learning play an increasingly important role in enhancing Navan’s UX. McCarthy highlights the progress of Navan’s AI assistant, Ava, which now handles around 50% of inbound chats.

 “Ava allows users to get answers quickly, which is a huge benefit,” she said.

The team is also exploring how AI can be used to provide more personalized travel recommendations. With advancements like New Distribution Capability (NDC), Navan will be able to offer travelers a more tailored experience, with customized offers based on factors like company policy approved ancillaries, like WiFi and lounge access, and airline loyalty status.

Designing for a Global Audience

As a global company, Navan must cater to the diverse needs of users around the world. 

“The needs of a traveler in the U.S. are often quite different from those of a traveler in, say, India or Europe,” said McCarthy. Her team considers these regional differences in every aspect of design — from the types of features offered to the layout of the user interface.

For example, European companies often prioritize sustainability, so Navan offers a feature that nudges users to explore taking a train instead of a flight for shorter trips. 

“It’s all about making sure that our product meets the needs of our global user base,” said McCarthy.

A Commitment to Customers

Navan’s commitment to user-friendly design is evident in every decision McCarthy and her team make. By focusing on empathy, maintaining flexibility, prioritizing user feedback, and embracing emerging trends, they’ve created a travel and expense platform that’s not only functional but also enjoyable to use.

As McCarthy put it, “The best travel product is one that people want to use — and that’s what we’re building every day at Navan.”

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