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FLY UX
The aim of this project was to design an app for 'Fly UX', a fictitious airline start-up company.
The company specified that they wanted a fast, easy and intuitive process based on a deep understanding of their target users.
Problem
After conducting research it became apparent that users faced numerous problems throughout the flight booking process. Key pieces of information were unclear leading to abandonment of bookings.
The process was confusing and frustrating. Users were unsure if prices displayed were per person or multiple. There was unnecessary content displayed and duplicate 'Call to Action' (CTA) buttons, leading to the same destination, this left interfaces cluttered and caused users to feel overwhelmed.
Research
Competitive Benchmarking
To gain a better understanding of the usability of airline apps, I conducted a review and comparison of 2 prominent apps, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. I also reviewed an aggregator app Skyscanner.
The objectives of this research project were as follows:
1. Analyze the strategies employed by industry-leading airlines to address the challenges we aim to overcome.
2. Identify the established conventions.
3. Highlight best practices that we should emulate.
Online survey
Next I conducted an online survey to better understand users behaviours, needs and goals. Gathering quantitive and qualitive data allowed me to determine:
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The goals of airline websites and app users
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What users are trying to achieve during their browsing sessions
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If there are any potential features users would like to see in future updates
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If there are any pain points for users
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How users are browsing airline pages.
Findings
The majority of users do not enjoy searching for or booking flights.
Some of the common reasons were due to the process being tedious, confusing, poorly designed and prices often fluctuated during the information gathering stages.
Usability Test
Fly UX is a fictitious app and was to be built from scratch, so in this instance we tested competitor apps.
I conducted my own usability test on Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. I also reviewed two other usability tests conducted prior to my research; airlines tested here were Aer Lingus and Eurowings. In total 3 participants were used and 4 airlines tested.
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The usability tests allowed me to observe the user interacting with the app's and note their mental models, behavior and their pain points with the booking process in general.
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The usability test involved an in-depth interview prior to the test to help gain insight to the users goals, their previous booking experiences and their usual pain points, if any.
Analysis
Following the research phase, the next step involved gathering the data from the competitive benchmarking, online surveys, and usability tests.
Given the qualitative nature of the majority of this data, it was imperative to establish a logical way of organising it, hence the utilization of an affinity diagram.
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I wrote out the key findings and observations onto sticky notes and arranged them into distinct groups.
The groups that emerged:
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User behaviors
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Pain points
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Positives
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User suggestions
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Homepage
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Date selection
Throughout this process, patterns and potential solutions became apparent, many of which could be readily incorporated during the design phase.
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​​Fare selection
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Seat selection
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Flight summary
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Review
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Pay
Conclusion
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Structure and flow needs to be streamline
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Only relevant and important information should be displayed to users
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If features or add on's are to be included they need to be explained well
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Design should reflect simplicity and minimalism
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There should be no ambiguity around the cost of the journey.
Customer journey map
At this stage I evaluated each step in the users journey. I collated my findings from the data collected and identified which areas user's were experiencing the most pain points. I also used quotes from the usability tests which gave me deep, rich insights.
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The stages focused on​
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Users mental models
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Goals
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Behaviors
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Positive interactions
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Pain point in the process
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Findings
This technique highlighted that users found issues across the whole booking journey, however the most problematic areas were searching for flights and fare selection.
Design
User flow
Next stage in the process was to design the user experience.
I looked closely at the users flow through the booking process and mapped out the steps from the homepage to the checkout page. My aim was to simplify the user flow and address any pain points found at the research stage.
Sketch
After determining the flow of the mobile app it was time to sketch out how the interface would look and feel at each step of the process.
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Like the user flow diagram, the sketches were designed to consider the user goals, behaviors and pain points that were discovered during the research and analysis phase.
High fidelity prototype
After I was happy with the sketches it was time to build a high fidelity prototype so that users testing them could have a realistic experience. High fidelity prototypes are key in testing and validating individual design decisions.
Solution
It was evident, based on the research, that the structure needed to be minimal and clear, leading users effortlessly as they continued through the flow. There needed to be no ambiguity around any important information for example the cost of the journey or the number of stops (if any). I created the solution based on the research conducted leading me to my final prototype.
This project was created solo, however if I had been collaborating as part of a team I would have included Engineers, Quality Assurance and Target User stakeholders throughout the project journey, to ensure a diverse approach to the solution.
The final stage of the UX process was to produce an annotated, high fidelity prototype to open a dialogue with the developer in order to create a successful product.
All pages, components, states and interactions need to be explained and made clear as to avoid any guess work.
Below you can see my final wireframes for Fly UX.
