Q: Stayntouch is incredibly robust in functionality and yet is remarkably easy to use. What design features and decisions allowed you to achieve this?
Stjepan: Frankly, our UI is born out of frustration and shaped by ignorance.
Many members of our Product Team worked in hotels. They’ve experienced first-hand where traditional PMS systems fall short. Their diverse experience and constant feedback from our customers are what allow us to dial in on the problems hotels face.
I’ve been with Stayntouch since day one, and I’ve designed the entire PMS from the ground up. And unlike the rest of the Product Team, I’m not a hotelier. That’s where ignorance comes in. I’ve never checked in a guest, but that allowed me to see things differently. When you’re not bogged down with, “This is how we always did it,” you can help figure out the best way to do something.
I’m also a psychologist, so there are a lot of psychological principles baked into the work we do here. These are the core principles that drive everything we do:
- Behavior: Focus on what people are trying to do.
- Clarity: Make things obvious.
- Plain language: Sound like a person.
- Don’t overwhelm: Allow people to focus.
- Context: Adapt and push the limits.
We don’t just design the UI here at Stayntouch. We design how people do their job. And our goal is to create a product that allows hotel staff to focus on their guests — not computer screens.
