Project Summary
I led the Product Design/User Experience (UX) & User Interface Design (UI) of this project. From User & Market Research to Brainstorming, User Insights & Ideation; I built the project vision, planning & defining the scope of the User Interface & User Experience through exploration & creation of the Information Architecture, Visual Design, Interaction Design & Motion Design. UX testing methods were implemented at every stage of the user-centered design process to ensure users are the focal point for the output of the User Experience.
Design Toolkit
User Centered Design Process
UX RESEARCH
- User Research
- Market Research
UX DESIGN
- User Flow
- Navigation
- Medium Fidelity Wireframes
UI DESIGN
- Visual Design
- Style Guide
- High Fidelity Prototype
- Interaction Design
- Motion Design
UX TESTING
- Usability Testing
UX RESEARCH
User Research
Market Research
We used a mix of brainstorming, quantitative insights & qualitative research to uncover key challenges, define target audiences, analyse competitors & clarify strategic goals.
USER INTERVIEWS, USER PERSONAS & USER JOURNEY MAP
User interviews were conducted to identify features that can be improved upon in a users travel experience. Following the interview; personas & journey maps were created to outline user characteristics, pain points & needs during their entire travel experience.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Competitor analysis was conducted to determine if solutions existed for users problems. The available solutions screened of various airline & travel apps focused on improving the users experience in flight but there wasn’t any viable end to end solutions.
57
of users worry about missing the flight boarding time
61
of users worry about losing their baggage at the airport
38
of users feel stressed finding their way to the boarding gate
47
of users are stressed the flight will be delayed
PROBLEM
A 2011 study by CPP reports that 42% of people find the airport experience stressful. 37% reported being stressed by running late and/or missing the flight. 29% reported being stressed at mislaying documents & belongings. 9% now avoid flying altogether as they consider it too stressful. A 2019 study by Priority Pass reports the concerns of people before they travel & the stresses they face during their whole travel experience. The results indicate that many people are stressed before even setting foot in the airport.
SOLUTION
As a result of the UX Research conducted, avenues to simplifying the travel experience & integration of technology such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Automation were identified. The proposed solution would drastically improve travel for users; enhancing the users experience before boarding an aircraft, while at the airport, in-flight & after deplaning. Thus reducing stress & anxiety of getting to gates on time, the need to constantly check information boards & losing baggage.
UX DESIGN
User Flow
The Information Architecture for TWIM was explored through the creation of a User Flow.
UX DESIGN
Navigation
The tab bar layout was thoughtfully structured during the information architecture phase to minimise cognitive load & ensure intuitive navigation across the app’s core screens.
Discover the World
Realtime voice notifications about your trip & changes in schedule (even in airplane mode)
Explore What’s Nearby
Find your way around airports & destination points using GPS, AR & AI Voice Navigation
Immersive Experience
A quick access AR/VR menu to explore new worlds, enhance your journey & much more
Communicate Natively
Translate text, voice & objects easily in any corner of the world using AR & AI innovation
Click, Book, Pay
Everything you need for your trip in one place, Your own personal concierge in your pocket
UX DESIGN
Medium Fidelity Wireframes
As a result of hypothesis testing gained during the IA process, Medium Fidelity Wireframes were created to reflect these results.
Over 50+ Unique Medium Fidelity Mobile Application Wireframes
UI DESIGN
Visual Design
Style Guide
The branding assets, guidelines & visual elements of the application are modern, minimalistic & bold; conveying transparency and futurism, the core values of TWIM. The guidelines used throughout the application were inspired by the Material Design & Human Interface Design Guidelines for developers published by Google & Apple.
UI DESIGN
High Fidelity Prototype
Interaction Design
Motion Design
App Features & Technology
AUGMENTED & VIRTUAL REALITY
Discover your surroundings, find what’s nearby & stay connected, anywhere in the world.
AI VOICE ASSISTANT
Stay informed with real-time voice alerts for schedule changes, trip updates & timely reminders.
AI AUTOMATION
Your personal travel assistant, seamlessly automating your journey from departure to arrival.
GAMIFICATION
Elevate your journey with rewarding stories & insights about the places beneath your feet.
Before Boarding
Welcome & On-Boarding
TWIM greets users with an animated splash screen which follow onboarding screens that inform about features & capabilities. Users are then asked to scan their ticket to retrieve flight information.
Automation & AI Voice Assistance
Never miss a flight again, the AI assistant ensures a reminder is automatically set upon retrieval of flight information & users are welcomed with a voice notification that reminds them of how long they have to check-in before flight departure. Notifications are also sent to users when TWIM is not active.
Scan Bag
Users can avoid bag-checking charges for oversized luggage by utilising the Augmented Reality (AR) feature of TWIM which allows passengers to scan their luggage before travelling to see if it fits within the airline’s maximum dimensions.
While At The Airport
Explore
With the aid of Augmented Reality, users can find gates, restrooms & nearby shops all in time to board the flight.
Airport Directions
The AI assistant ensures users are notified close to departure & navigated to gates with the aid of Augmented Reality & Voice Assistance, all in time to check-in.
In-Flight
Find seat & Explore cabin
Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) enhances the in-flight experience by allowing users to find seats & explore the cabin while in flight or before boarding.
Improvement
Mixed Reality (MR) can also be introduced by implementing smart glass displays on aircraft windows, allowing flight information to be rendered & interacted with, offering users an even more immersive in-flight experience.
Flight Location
Users can find out information & take AR tours of their current location by pointing their device at the window.
Gamification
This gamification feature was introduced as part of the solution of reducing stress for users. By gamifying the experience of travelling this brings excitement & reduces the anxiety of flying.
After Deplaning
Never lose your bag again
Augmented Reality makes luggage identification intuitive by showing users exactly where their bags are. RFID bag-tracking captures highly accurate data stored on a special chip embedded in a luggage tag. Users can see their bags going on & off the plane via push notifications from TWIM.
Taxi Autobooked
Once a user has collected their bags, the AI assistant will automatically book a Taxi & direct the user to the airport exit using Augmented Reality & Voice Navigation.
Find Taxi
Augmented Reality makes finding your Taxi in a busy foreign street city very easy by showing you exactly where your taxi is & the AI voice assistant directs you to your drivers location
UX TESTING
Usability Testing
After the completion of the high fidelity prototype, the users that were interviewed at the beginning of the project were asked to evaluate the application. The recommendations highlighted by the users were implemented to the final prototype to reflect the results of the testing.
Conclusion
Following the user centered design process, a high fidelity mobile application prototype was created to illustrate how technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Automation can be used to simplify & enhance the user experience before boarding an aircraft, while at the airport in-flight & after deplaning, thus reducing the stress & anxiety of travelling. This proposed solution can also be applied to other sectors in the travel industry such as rail transport. An improvement to TWIM could be an in-flight web dashboard that extends on the user experience of the mobile app by showcasing flight & booking information of users trip directly in front of them without the need to check their devices. TWIM is yet to be available on the Apple App Store & Google Play Store.
