Professional Diploma in UX Design
Improving flight booking experience
School
UX Design Institute
Year
2020-21, 6 months
My role
Product Designer
The Problem
Usability issues that are present in most airlines apps on the market.
The Goal
Create a better flight booking experience - from search to seat selection based on findings from the research.
Design process
01 / Research
I conducted a comparative usability test of 2 airline mobile apps with interview as part of the same session. This helped me empathise with the users and understand the context of use, the goals and behaviour of airline customers when booking flights.
Methodologies:
- Usability testing
- Interview
- Supporting existing surveys and records of usability tests and interviews
Tools:
- Camtasia
- Reflector
“If I had not chosen the seats and noticed that it was a connected flight, I would have bought a connected flight instead of direct, without even knowing it.”
User 3
about Eurowings app
“I expected to change fare by clicking on fare label - it doesn't work.”
User 2
about Aer Lingus app
“I would expect to have more info about flights availability at the beginning, not by scrolling through the dates.”
User 1
about Aer Lingus app
02 / Define
I’ve analysed the insights gathered from the research phase - first I reviewed important insights by note taking and categorized them, then organized them in affinity diagram which was a base for a new customer journey map.
Methodologies:
- Note taking
- Affinity diagram
- Customer journey map
Tools:
- Notion
- Miro
- Sketch
03 / Design
Based on insights and discovered patterns from Customer journey map I could easily address users goals and issues with booking process in User flow diagram. This was a base for the next step - medium fidelity mockups.
Methodologies:
- User Flow diagram
- Interaction design - sketches and mockups
Tools:
- Pen & paper
- Miro
- Sketch
Examples of some key findings and my solutions:
Search a flight
Users are confused with choosing Outbound and Return date, would like to have a low fare calendar combined with the date picker, expect to have info about availability of the flight in the date picker, are confused about naming convention and which date is an Outbound and Return flight.
“I would expect to have more info about flights availability at the beginning, not by scrolling through the dates.”
“Low fare calendar could be later - combined with searching flight screens, (now it's too many back and forth).”
“Didn't notice return date picker below, had to scroll.”
“When calendar is clear and shows which flights are not available I don't waste my time.“
Flight search results
Users expect to have a visible price for the whole trip not divided for Outbound and Return, don't notice that flight is connected instead of direct which makes booking flight very frustrating. Users expect to have filter by flight time and selecting direct flight only.
“If I had not chosen the seats and noticed that it was a connected flight, I would have bought a connected flight instead of direct, without even knowing it.”
“I want to know from the beginning the price for the whole trip.”
“ I expected to see a whole flight (departure and return) when searching for a flight, not only departure and then return.”
“I expect to have info about return flight time and date when checks/search for available departure flight.“
Fares, Flight summary
Users don't understand flow for choosing flight fare and don't see info about connection.
"That looks for me like a direct flight." (it's connected flight)
“ I expected to have info about fare after clicking on fare name box.”
User didn't notice that needs to tap and choose flight fare before booking.
“ I expected to have some info about fares underneath each fare.“
Expects to have info about stopover location, now it doesn’t say there’s stopover and where it is.
04 / Prototype
Methodologies:
- Mid-fidelity prototype
- Wireframes
Tools:
- Sketch
- InVision
Interactive prototype (click ;))
Wireframes - handover for developers with explanations
05 / Validate
Before designing the final UI I would validate the proposed solution for booking process in usability testing sessions using medium fidelity prototype. Based on findings I would adjusted the flow.
Then - iterate, iterate ;)
Methodology:
- Usability testing
- Note taking
Tools:
- Camtasia
- Reflector
- Notion
06 / User Interface Design
Thanks for scrolling
Feel free to contact me
© 2021 Magdalena Swiecka