Sezame

Elevating discovery through strategic optimisation

Optimising the current state of the platform and enhance the search experience on Sezame.

client

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My role

Product Designer

→ Led UX research to identify friction points in the search and filtering journey, prioritising low-effort, high-impact improvements.

These refinements turned an overloaded search into a smoother, more premium experience, achieved with minimal development effort.

Timeline

2 weeks sprint (2025)

Sezame opens the doors of the most prestigious 4- and 5-star hotels, offering access to their finest experiences without the need for an overnight stay. The ambition is not only to curate premium experiences, but to craft a journey that feels effortless, refined, and inspiring, beginning the instant a guest arrives on the site. Today, the search journey requires too much cognitive effort. The result: abandonment, frustration, and a diluted high-end image.

Optimise Sezame using what already exists: refine the current platform, elevate the search flow, reduce cognitive effort, and guide users from the very first step. Turning the existing experience into a smoother, more inspiring path that drives checkout.

Before we get started: the full scope

KickoffDiscoveryBusiness Analysis : Understanding the Product
User Personas & Scenarios
User Journey Map
Pain Points Listing and Analysis
IdeationBenchmark
Solutions
Effort/Impact Matrix
Roadmap
UI & PrototypingWireframing & visual design
Prototyping
User TestingTest objectives & protocoDelivery

Analysis Summary

UX analysis of the key steps in the Sezame experience search journey (Arrival & Exploration, Listing) includes a list of observations and their impact on the users, based on defined personas and scenarios.For full analysis please inquire.

Working Methods

User Journey Maps: Gabriel

User Journey Maps: Clémence

Personas

Gabriel

M, 32 years old, M&A Consultant
CSP+ • Couple / Duo • Exceptional Gift
le Marais, Paris

Gabriel, 32, is an M&A consultant living in Le Marais with his partner. Accustomed to a demanding lifestyle, he is looking to offer a premium and intimate moment to celebrate her 30th birthday. He doesn’t know exactly what to choose, but he wants the gift to take place in her hometown, Nice.

His expectations

Guidance: wants to be reassured and inspired from the very first step.

‍Romance & intimacy: expects “duo” or “private” experiences to be highlighted without ambiguity.

‍Trust: needs the confidence that what he books truly delivers on the promise.

In summary

Gabriel → is looking for inspiration, for a romantic duo experience outside of his current location.

Clémence

F, 29 years old, Architect
CSP+ • Last-Minute Gift
Paris

Clémence, 29, is an architect living in Paris with her sister. Between demanding projects and long working hours, she rarely has time to plan gifts in advance. She values meaningful gestures but needs them to be effortless to organise. For her sister’s birthday, she’s looking to offer a massage, something simple, affordable, and quick to book.

Her expectations

Speed: wants to find and purchase within minutes.

Accessible budget: needs to filter easily by price

‍Reliability: expects the experience to clearly match what she’s looking for (solo massage).eeds the confidence that what he books truly delivers on the promise.

In summary

Clémence → seeks speed and simplicity, with a focus on budget, solo format, and immediate gift availability.

Analysis notes

Arrival & Exploration

Header
The header doesn’t guide the user. It’s unclear where the journey starts, and the navigation options don’t communicate hierarchy or priority. A first-time visitor lacks orientation, which increases hesitation instead of inspiring confidence.

Hero
The hero currently feels like a static promotional block rather than a true entry point. Users don’t immediately understand what Sezame is offering. Instead of projecting aspiration, it reads as an “offer” to decode. The primary CTA is almost invisible, which kills momentum right at the first touchpoint.

Simplify the landing page
The landing page currently feels heavy, there are a lot of confusing touchpoints, a lot of text, the layout can be simpliflied to give a more premium and effortless approach on first click.

Listing

Search bar & Tags
The search bar and tags feel disconnected from the flow. Their affordance is weak, and their role unclear: are they for filtering, for exploration, or for inspiration? The coexistence of a search bar, header navigation, and sidebar filters creates redundancy and confusion. Users must guess how to interact, which generates unnecessary cognitive load.

Filters Sidebar
Filters lack precision and hierarchy. Some criteria are missing or hidden behind clicks, creating friction where simplicity is expected. Users must “hunt” for categories instead of being guided through them (chevrons). For a premium service, this lack of transparency undermines trust and slows decision-making.

Offer Cards
Visuals swing between activity and venue, creating inconsistency and confusion. Titles are vague, forcing unnecessary reading. Tags are dense, cluttered, and poorly grouped, adding noise instead of value. In a premium context, a card should reassure instantly: here it does the opposite, introducing doubt and cognitive friction that undermine trust and aspiration.

→ Arrival & Exploration

Current state

Benchmark Overview

Header

In the luxury space, the header isn’t just navigation: it’s a guide. Users should instantly know how to begin their journey. Staycation nails this with a central search bar and a single clear CTA: zero confusion, pure intent. Fever goes even further: entry via location + category, designed for users who want to act fast.

Hero Content

Instead of feeling static, the hero should embody the brand’s promise. A large immersive visual, evocative copy, and an integrated search bar; like on Mr & Mrs Smith, set the tone immediately. In one glance, users understand both the world they’re entering and the action they’re meant to take.

Search Bar + Inspiration Button

To serve both intent-driven and exploratory users, combine an explicit search bar with an “Inspire me” option. The planners can input location, date, and guests; the dreamers can let the system surprise them. Voyageurs du Monde and Le Collectionist use this concierge-like pattern to both reassure and inspire: blending usability with emotional pull. (strategic bet)

→ Listing

Current state

Filters

Filters should be visible, structured, and exhaustive, without feeling scattered. The goal is to make filters a lever of flow — not friction.

Cards

In a premium context, cards must distill both clarity and desirability. A clear title (e.g. “Massage & Champagne”), a consistent image, and grouped tags (participants, inclusions, options) all signal trust. 

When these signals are missing or incomplete, it creates frustration and doubt. Relais & Châteaux and Le Collectionist master this restraint: each card communicates the essential, no noise. Conversely, Welcome to the Jungle shows that information density can work: as long as visual hierarchy remains perfectly structured.

Roadmap

Quick Wins

(0–4 weeks)

Tactical optimisations that quickly reduce friction

1. Clarify Filters
→ Clear chips & faceted navigation → reduces cognitive effort.
‍
2. Optimise Header  + 2. Hero Content 
→ Central search bar  & single CTA → clarifies the entry point into the journey
→ Turn the header and hero into a true starting point: clear, premium, and easy to scan.

Mid-term

(4-10 weeks)

Strengthen the premium perception & streamline discovery

Redesign Cards 
‍→ Clear hierarchy, consistent visuals, grouped tags
→ immediate readability and premium feel.

Strategic Bets

(Product Vision)

Differentiate Sezame with a digital concierge posture

Inspiration 
‍A digital concierge approach that both surprises and guides, combining refined visuals with intelligent recommendations.

Solutions

A simplified landing page 

 In the luxury space, the header isn’t just navigation, it’s a guide. Users should instantly know how to begin their journey. A large immersive visual, evocative copy, and an integrated search bar set the tone immediately.

BEFORE

after

A simplified landing page 

A simplified landing page 
In the luxury space, the header isn’t just navigation, it’s a guide. Users should instantly know how to begin their journey. A large immersive visual, evocative copy, and an integrated search bar set the tone immediately.

before / AFTER

Success Metrics

Gift discovery conversion 
→ % of users who click on a product after seeing their results.

Multi-product purchase rate
‍→ % of quiz users who buymore than 1 gift.

Gift History page revisit rate
‍→ % of users who go back to view a past gift they gave.

Other Cases

Choose

Rewarding Users for their thoughtful Gifts

Ornikar

Designing for Parental Trust and Teen Autonomy