YAPSTONE
Simplifying Payment Disputes
A streamlined experience that guides users through every step, without confusion or friction.
Project Overview
Role: UX/UI Designer, Product Researcher
Timeline: 6 months.
Team: Worked closely with product managers, engineers, and compliance stakeholders to redesign Yapstone’s dispute-resolution experience.
The Challenge
Yapstone needed to modernize how users manage transaction disputes across global rental marketplaces. The existing process was complex, unclear, and difficult for non-technical users to navigate especially when dealing with high-stress situations like chargebacks or missing refunds.
The challenge was to create a dispute portal that reduced confusion, improved transparency, and supported users with clear guidance at every step.
The Goal
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Clear, guided, and easy to follow
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Trustworthy and transparent, with real-time status updates
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Efficient for both guests and property managers
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Consistent across web and mobile experiences
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Scalable for future dispute types and edge-case workflows
What I Delivered
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A complete redesign of the Yapstone dispute portal
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Guided workflows for filing and managing disputes
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Real-time case tracking with intuitive timelines and status indicators
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Simplified document upload and evidence management
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A scalable design system with tokens, components, and UI patterns
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High-fidelity prototypes validated through weekly usability testing
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An MVP-ready experience focused on clarity, accessibility, and user confidence
User persona
Age: 28 & 30
Role: Holiday Renters
Tech Level: High
Bio
Mia and Alex travel frequently, booking holiday homes and weekend getaways whenever their schedules allow. They rely on online marketplaces to find cabins, rentals, and unique stays. When a booking or payment issue occurs, it immediately disrupts their plans and causes stress. They expect a platform that is trustworthy, transparent, and easy to use especially when dealing with something as sensitive as their money.
They want quick answers, clear steps, and a smooth process that doesn’t require calling support or navigating confusing financial jargon
Goals
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Understand and resolve disputes quickly and without frustration
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Track the status of their case in real time
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Upload documents easily from phone or laptop
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Feel confident that the platform is secure and acting in their best interest
Motivations
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Keep their travel plans stress-free and uninterrupted
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Ensure their money is handled safely and transparently
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Use tools that feel modern, intuitive, and mobile-friendly
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Avoid unnecessary back-and-forth with hosts or customer support
Pain Points
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Confusing dispute steps or unclear timelines
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Difficulty understanding what documents are needed
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Lack of transparency on refund amounts or outcomes
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Feeling anxious when money is tied up for days or weeks
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Needing to repeat details or re-upload information
USER PERSONA
Mia & Alex, Traveling Couple
"I don’t want complicated systems. I just want something simple, reliable, and professional."
Research Insights
Methods Used
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User interviews with guests, property managers, owners, and support agents
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Surveys focused on dispute pain points, document handling, and refund clarity
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Competitor analysis across major rental platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking, Stripe disputes)
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Persona creation for all user types involved in the dispute lifecycle
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Usability testing on early dispute-flow prototypes
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Reviewing real dispute cases with the operations and risk teams
What I Found
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Users struggled with unclear dispute steps and inconsistent communication.
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Document upload was a major friction point users didn’t know what was required or why.
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Lack of transparency around refund timelines caused stress and mistrust.
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People preferred fewer steps with clear guidance instead of long text explanations.
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Users relied heavily on mobile, but the previous flows were desktop-biased.
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A simple visual timeline dramatically increased confidence and reduced support calls.
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Clear action labels (“Upload Evidence,” “Next Step,” “Review Outcome”) improved task completion rates.
We spoke with guests, hosts, property managers, marketplace support teams, and internal risk specialists to understand the real challenges people face when resolving payment disputes. Across interviews, surveys, and prototype testing, users consistently described uncertainty, stress, and friction around documentation, timelines, and financial clarity. These insights shaped our core findings and guided the direction of the new Yapstone dispute-resolution experience.
Key Findings
1. Dispute steps must be clear, guided, and easy to follow.
Guests and hosts felt overwhelmed by jargon and long instructions. Simple steps, plain language, and guided flows significantly reduced confusion.
2. Transparency increases trust especially around money on hold.
Users want to know what happened, why, how much is affected, and when funds will be released
3. Document upload is a major friction point.
Users often didn’t know what evidence was required or whether their upload was accepted. Clear instructions, examples, and instant feedback increased successful submissions.
4. Different user groups need different levels of detail.
Guests want short, simple explanations.
Property managers handling multiple cases need deeper views, filters, and organized evidence management.
5. Existing tools felt formal, outdated, and hard to navigate on mobile.
A banking-like interface created anxiety, especially for renters who rarely deal with disputes. Users preferred a clean, modern, and emotionally neutral experience.
6. Friendly, human communication reduces stress during disputes.
Warm language, progress indicators, and confirmation messages helped reassure users.
3 core problems
1. Dispute processes feel unclear and stressful for users.
Guests, hosts, and property managers all struggle with understanding what a dispute requires, how long it takes, and what the next step is.
Unclear terminology, long instructions, and inconsistent communication lead to frustration and increased support requests.
Users need simple, guided flows that break complex financial steps into small, clear actions.
2. Evidence collection and documentation are confusing and time-consuming.
Both guests and hosts often don’t know which documents to upload, why they are needed, or whether they were submitted correctly.
Missing or incorrect evidence causes delays, repeat submissions, and negative user sentiment.
Clear guidance, examples, and instant feedback dramatically improve success rates.
3. Tracking dispute status is difficult across platforms and communication channels.
Users frequently check email, marketplace dashboards, and support tickets to understand dispute progress — leading to confusion and duplicated effort.
They want one place where they can see what’s happening: what’s resolved, what needs attention, and what’s pending with the bank or processor.
Yapstone • Dispute Portal Redesign
A clearer, faster way to manage disputes for guests, hosts, and property managers.
A redesigned dispute portal that brings transparency, structure, and ease to every step of the resolution process—whether users are tracking a refund, submitting evidence, or managing multiple cases at once.
Reflection & Learnings
What Worked Well
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Guided, step-by-step flows reduced user confusion and helped guests and hosts complete disputes without contacting support.
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Real-time status updates and timelines built trust, especially for users anxious about refunds or pending bank decisions.
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Clear document instructions increased successful submissions and reduced repeat uploads.
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Modular design system components improved consistency across desktop and mobile, speeding up design and development.
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Early usability testing validated critical flows and helped the team align quickly on what mattered most to users.
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Neutral, human-friendly language lowered stress, especially during sensitive steps like chargebacks or evidence review.
What I’d Improve Next
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Add role-specific dashboards so guests, hosts, and property managers each see the information most relevant to them.
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Further simplify evidence requirements with smarter prompts, examples, and automatic file checks.
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Enhance mobile-first interactions, as many users try to resolve disputes while traveling.
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Introduce proactive notifications to reduce uncertainty during long bank review periods.
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Collaborate more closely with support and risk teams to reduce ambiguity in complex dispute scenarios.
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Expand the design system to cover more edge cases and future dispute types.