Project Role |
I was the only Reserach and interaction designer throughout this project. Initially, I worked with a product manager to lay down the goals. Later on, I conceptualized the flows, created visual designs, and communicated the interactions to developers. |
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Project Overview - Digital Transformation Through Mobile |
- Experience a new way of travelling through an mobile App to, book your Airlines flight, check-in or manage your reservation, all in a single application designed for all your needs.
- A key focus for Airlines was to modernize their digital travel strategy by developing a more customer centric approach. With a particular emphasis on ease of use the apps incoporate comprehensive functionality and high-end UX and design to create a more interactive, user-friendly mobile travel experience.
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Business Goals : |
- Flight search and tickets purchase
- Check-in
- Track the flight schedule and flight status
- Book hotels and excursions between flights
- Take advantage of the loyalty program
- Receive notifications of promotions and changes in the schedule
- Users say that Airlines notifications are either too late (ie they’re already on the plane) or are sent via email instead of the app, with no alert appearing in the app.
- Explore Airlines goal: “Minimize confusion around check in and boarding
- Offline in-flight entertainment
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Problem |
The main aspects focused on during the project include: |
- Find out current pain points for airline travelers
- Improve upon existing features and aspects of the app
- Learn about unmet needs airline travelers have that enhancements of the app could help
- Audit and amend the flow and visual design to improve experience
- Minimize confusion about boarding time and location
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Additional considerations: |
- Confirming functionalities app users like that should remain the same or get minimal improvement
- Prioritizing customer needs within the list of business goals, based on pain points from interview participants
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Solution - UX strategy |
Combined elements of the existing Airlines interface and looked to other travel app functionalities to improve the searching process and increase the ease of booking trips within the app. |
The addition of the default low fare calendar was universally appreciated by users, increasing feelings of control and transparency. |
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UX Research and Design process |
The Process
From the problem I experienced, I saw an opportunity here to improve the travel experience for other travelers. I used the Double Diamond Approach to ideate, refine, and create solution. Before beginning the divergent thinking—the first half of the Discover phase, I outlined the problems as: |
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Empathize with Users-Interviews |
Research
Baseline Convertion
Comparative Analysis
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I have intended to have a discussion with about four travelers validating the app. |
Initial Research and Market Research |
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Phase 1: Discovery I compared major airlines and read user reviews to identify user delights and pain points. |
Process: We reached out to users, both frequent and firstime travellers for reviews, issues about usability or functionalities on the existing product. I’ve categorised the complaints into 5 key pain points . |
- Part 1: Unstructured conversations with app users
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- Part 2: Evaluation of app reviews in Apple store
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- Part 3: Competitive analysis with other flight apps
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- Part 4: Comparative analysis with other travel apps
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Based on the research, seat comfort, destination information, customer service, ease of check-in/boarding, and low fares were important to passengers when traveling for vacation and leisure. All would be recommended to be incorporated in a new airline product. |
BASELINE CONVERSATIONS |
I spoke with travelers at the airport about if/how they had used the Airlines app for the trip they were taking that day. Here's what I heard: |
- “I don’t trust an app to keep my credit card information, but it should remember me when I log in.”
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- We conducted initial research to audit the Alaska app, compare it to other apps, and establish a baseline for comparison.
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- “I want the option to have a credit card saved, but it shouldn't be the default option”
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“I booked my flight on my phone but it took forever. I probably won’t do that again.” |
“I use the Airlines app for my boarding pass only.” |
"I spelled my name wrong when I booked my ticket, which isn't Airlines fault, but I was already logged into the app so it would've been prevented if they had just auto-loaded my information. I had to go to the desk to try and fix it at the airport, and they said 'it should be fine' but that TSA would have the final say." |
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