David Gustafson - UX/Product Design Lead

Summary

Context

Accelerate was designed to transform Viator’s static supplier commission system into a dynamic, gamified model. By treating commissions as an advertising spend, suppliers could gain more exposure, and Viator saw new revenue streams. This project served as a high-impact pivot from a manual, flat-rate model toward an incentive-based, scalable marketplace solution.

Project Brief

- Overhaul an outdated commission structure to motivate suppliers to offer higher rates in exchange for greater visibility

- Validate a new gamified approach through incremental testing in selected market

- Position Viator for global expansion without major disruptions

Client

Viator - a Tripadvisor company

My role

Lead UX Designer & Researcher: Oversaw discovery, prototyping, usability testing, and overall product vision Interim Product Manager: Filled a gap when the original PM left, then onboarded the incoming PM Strategic Alignment: Served on the Steering Group with top executives, ensuring a consistent roadmap and hiring additional design talent once the project scaled

Timeline

12 months (MVP in 6 months, global rollout afterward)

Outcomes

Global rollout validated the gamified commission approach, providing a blueprint for future supplier incentives Improved alignment across engineering, finance, and design teams, reducing friction and ensuring smooth expansions

increase in overall take rate within 12 months

14%

Increase in annual revenue

above the original MVP goal

Approach

Discovery & Vision

The first step was to immerse myself in Viator’s existing commission workflows, meeting with suppliers to learn why they’d resist or embrace dynamic rates. We discovered that transparency—knowing who’s paying more and why—was a crucial motivator.

One user flow's screen's in Figma

Gamified Commission Model

Armed with user insights, we created a “visibility score” concept. Suppliers could see exactly how an increased commission would boost their listing’s placement. Through iterative prototyping and usability tests, we refined core features like competitor comparisons, ensuring clarity without overwhelming operators.

MVP Launch

We launched an MVP in a smaller U.S. market to measure real-world impact. The model resonated with suppliers, and initial metrics outperformed our expectations—eventually leading to the 3% overall take rate lift.

Go-to-market planning session in Miro

Steering & Scale

Serving on the Steering Group, I orchestrated stakeholder buy-in for a global rollout. Once the MVP succeeded locally, we scaled internationally, maintaining the user-centric design and regularly iterating based on live data.