Manual to Magic: Membership Management Made Easy
Improving membership UX by streamlining booking and family assignment flows.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Agency/ Client
The Union, Mandai
Project Type
Tourism, Digital Transformation
The Challenge
Mandai's Membership Digital Upgrade
Before 2019, Mandai’s membership renewals and bookings were solely on-site, causing delays and friction. Introducing an online renewal flow reduced crowding, increased renewals with upfront discounts, and improved operational efficiency, significantly enhancing the visitor experience. This digital transformation was pivotal in phasing out physical memberships by 2022, marking a major milestone in Mandai’s journey toward full digitisation.
I helped transform the Membership renewal and booking experience for Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consistently ranked among the world’s best zoos, making it smoother and more user-friendly.
The core challenge
How might we empower members to manage renewals and bookings online with ease and flexibility?
The Solution, Design Approach
Beyond-the-Click Member & System Optimisation
Once I understood the enhancement scope and reviewed the legacy membership system, I identified key experience gaps and introduced UX refinements to streamline renewals and bookings, support operational needs, and align with Mandai’s evolving membership model.
In parallel, we implemented structural improvements to minimise API load, introduced a scalable multi-day ticketing flow with family member assignment, and optimised content delivery, enabling a faster, more resilient system behind the scenes.
My Role
UX Designer in Agile workflow
As the UX Designer, I partnered with Project Manager and Developers in an Agile framework to define, strategise, and execute key enhancements, integrating critical business and technical requirements into the design process.
Contributions
User Flow Design
Information Architecture
Wireframes
UX and UI Design
Interactive Prototype
System Creation
Agile Workflow and Design Coordination
Design & Iterate
From One-Time Purchase to a Scalable System
Renewal of Membership
Before: One-Time Membership Purchase Flow
The challenge
How might we enable members to renew their memberships and update profiles digitally, reducing friction and improving satisfaction?
Initially, the membership portal only supported one-time purchase of membership. There was no support for renewals, family account variations, or promotional pricing.
After: Self-Managed Membership Renewal
Working closely with developers and the business unit, I designed and introduced the membership renewal flow, enabling users to:
Handle renewals in family accounts
Apply Seasonal Promotion
Support in-park verification and physical card logistics pre-digitisation
Addition of Caretaker pass
Booking of Presentation Seats
Before: Call-Zee-Maybe
The challenge
How might we make ticket booking effortless for members, so they can secure their slots without in-park queues?
Before digital booking became prevalent, Night Safari tickets and presentation seats were booked through physical counters or over the phone. Guests would need to visit the park or call to secure their entry and presentation timeslots.
After: Click, Book, Go
Made it easy for members to book special event tickets anytime, anywhere, using familiar patterns that met business goals and worked within technical limits.
Selection of Event to book
Select Date
Select time
Easy access to passes
Impact
Reflection
This project reinforced the importance of designing user experiences that balance complex business needs with clear and intuitive interfaces. Working closely with Project Manager and Developers taught me how to turn operational challenges into user-friendly solutions that build trust and transparency.
I really enjoyed the challenge of understanding many moving parts such as technical constraints, business goals, and user needs, and distilling them into simple screens. This experience helped me grow as a designer who navigates complexity to create solutions that truly help users complete their tasks with ease.