Cut N' Run
During COVID, barbershops closed and people still needed haircuts. I designed an on-demand platform to connect users with professional barbers for home visits — built around the trust and safety concerns that made this different from a typical booking app.
Project Overview
Cut N' Run is an on-demand barber service that connects users with professional barbers for home visits. Designed during COVID when traditional barbershops were closed, the core challenge wasn't just booking — it was building enough trust that someone would invite a stranger into their home for a haircut.
My Role
Lead UX/UI Designer responsible for end-to-end design & research.
Timeline
4 Weeks
(Research to Hi-Fi)
The Problem
When COVID closed barbershops, people didn't stop needing haircuts — they just had nowhere to go. Survey responses showed a strong willingness to pay for home visits, but two things stood in the way: not knowing if a barber was qualified, and not feeling safe letting someone unfamiliar into their home.
Cut N' Run needed to solve booking and trust simultaneously. A clean booking flow meant nothing if users weren't confident in who was showing up.
"Connecting skilled barbers with clients, anywhere, anytime."
What the Research Showed
I surveyed 50 participants on their grooming habits, scheduling pain points, and attitudes toward home service during COVID restrictions.
42%
Prefer on-demand over appointments
of survey respondents said they'd choose an on-demand home visit over a traditional barbershop if the barber was vetted and verified.
3.5h
Lost per month to barbershop visits
Average time respondents reported spending on travel and waiting — not including the haircut itself.
8/10
Said safety ratings were non-negotiable
Hygiene verification and barber ratings were the top decision factor — more than price or availability. This shaped the trust layer in the design.
"I just want a haircut without spending half my Saturday sitting in a waiting room. If the barber could come to me, I'd pay a premium."— Research Participant
How trust became the core design problem
The 8/10 safety finding changed the design direction completely. A standard booking flow — search, select, confirm — wasn't enough when users were letting someone into their home. Every screen needed to answer an unspoken question: can I trust this person?
Barber profiles as trust anchors
Each barber card led with verified credentials, hygiene rating, and photo — not price or distance. Price came after trust was established. This was a deliberate IA decision based on what research showed users cared about first.
Real-time availability over browse-first
Showing live availability upfront — rather than making users select a time before seeing who's free — reduced the back-and-forth that frustrated participants in testing. You pick the barber first, then their open slots appear.
Confirmation screen as safety net
The booking confirmation included the barber's photo, name, verified badge, arrival window, and a direct contact option. This addressed the anxiety of waiting for an unfamiliar person — users knew exactly who was coming and when.
What we kept simple on purpose
Scheduling and payment were kept to the minimum number of steps. Since trust was already the cognitive load, the transactional steps needed to feel effortless — not add more decisions.
90%
task success rate across 30 usability tests
Participants were asked to find a barber, check availability, and complete a booking from scratch. 27 of 30 completed the full flow without hitting a blocker or needing assistance.
Fast end-to-end booking
Participants consistently described the booking process as quick — most completed it in a single short session with no backtracking. The trust-first IA didn't add friction; it reduced hesitation before the final confirm step.
No reported hurdles at checkout
Post-session feedback showed near-universal satisfaction with the flow. The account-free booking and upfront barber verification — the two design bets from research — were the most positively mentioned features.
Final Designs
Barber discovery and booking flow — trust signals (credentials, hygiene rating, verified badge) foregrounded at every step before price or scheduling.