--- title: "Hostess.it: a design system and 360 redesign of a B2B2C platform" description: "Donux and Hostess.it worked on a 360 redesign of their platform, while building and documenting their design system. See how in this B2B design case study" url: "https://donux.com/case-studies/hostess" language: "en" --- ![Hostess.it logo](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/240x0/case-studies/hostess/logo.png) # How Hostess.it scaled their two-sided marketplace through 360° redesign and design system ![Hostess.it homepage for companies](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/hero-1.png) ![Milan hostesses search results page](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/hero-2.png) ![Hostess.it checkout and invoicing flow](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/hero-3.png) ![Explore Jobs page for promoters](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/hero-4.png) Industry Marketplace Services Design System, Product Discovery, UI Design 1/ ## About Hostess.it is a B2B2C marketplace platform that connects businesses with promoters and hostesses. Companies use the platform to find qualified event staff for fairs, events, and promotional activities, while workers use it to discover part-time or full-time job opportunities. The platform serves two distinct audiences with different needs, making design consistency and streamlined experiences critical to growth. ![Hostess.it mobile filters, city page and landing screens](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/about.png) 2/ ## Problem Hostess.it faced two core problems holding back growth. First, the onboarding experience for both companies and promoters was inefficient and unclear. Users dropped off before completing activation, limiting the platform's ability to grow its two-sided network. Second, the development team lacked shared design guidelines and patterns. Without a common visual language, prototyping and shipping new features was slow and inconsistent across the platform. ![Hostess.it checkout flow showing inconsistent friction points](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/problem.png) 3/ ## Goals — Improve the onboarding flow for companies and promoters to increase activation rates — Define a consistent design system with guidelines and patterns for the development team — Create a common visual language across the entire platform to ensure consistency ![Hostess.it promoter mobile flows: job details and Esplora Lavori](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/goals.png) 4/ ## Results Delivered a complete 360-degree platform redesign paired with a fully documented design system. The redesigned onboarding flows reduced friction for both companies and promoters, improving activation rates. The development team gained a shared reference with interactive documentation, enabling faster prototyping and more consistent feature delivery across the platform. 5/ ## Process **Flow mapping and audit** We started by mapping out all current flows for each user profile. Every step was reviewed to identify friction points and inefficiencies across the platform. **Onboarding redesign** We removed unnecessary steps from the onboarding process and updated unclear ones. The goal was to reduce friction and get users to their first value moment faster. **UI component inventory** In parallel with flow work, we inventoried all existing UI components and mapped each one to the sections of the platform where it appeared. This gave us a full picture of inconsistencies and redundancies. **Design system creation** We created a consistent visual language for the platform and built interactive documentation that includes all components, their properties, and usage guidelines. This gave the development team a shared reference for building new features. **Platform redesign** We applied the new design system across the entire platform. Every screen was redesigned to follow the updated visual language and improved user flows. ![Redesigned Milan hostesses search page for companies](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/process.png) 6/ ## Design assets **The project deliverables included:** — Complete flow maps for all user profiles — Redesigned onboarding flows for companies and promoters — UI component inventory — Design system with interactive documentation — Component library with properties and usage guidelines — Full platform UI redesign ![Hostess.it color palette: ArtyClick, Pink Lemonade, Midnight](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/design-assets-1.png) ![Hostess.it brand voice: Throughout Italy we find the right person](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/design-assets-2.png) ![Typography system based on Inter Regular and Inter Bold](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/design-assets-3.png) 7/ ## Challenges **Full platform redesign risk** Redesigning an entire platform at once is inherently risky. It required alignment across the whole team and careful planning to avoid breaking what already worked while improving the overall experience. **Two-sided marketplace complexity** Serving two distinct user types (companies and promoters) meant every decision impacted two different experiences. Balancing both sides added complexity to every design choice throughout the project. ![Explore Jobs page for promoters with filters and listings](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/challenges.png) 8/ ## Solution **Aligned stakeholders early** The Hostess.it team was fully aligned that a complete redesign was the best path forward. This shared conviction made it possible to move fast without constant re-negotiation of scope or direction. **Parallel workstreams** Running the flow redesign and component inventory in parallel saved time. It also ensured the design system was grounded in real platform needs rather than abstract patterns. **Data-driven iteration mindset** The redesign was positioned as a starting point, not a final destination. Continuous data analysis was built into the plan for ongoing improvement after launch. ![Angled mockups of redesigned Hostess.it dashboards and settings](https://images.app.donux.com/unsafe/fit-in/1440x0/case-studies/hostess/solution.png) ## Two-sided product, two very different sets of needs? We redesign platforms so every side finds what it came for, on a system that scales. [Let's talk](https://donux.com/contact-us) [Explore Design Systems](https://donux.com/use-cases/design-system)