AirNav: Airport Navigation System
Overview
Have you ever been in an airport and had issues navigating it? Whether it is a new airport or you have 10 minutes to find your gate, airports can be stressful. AirNav is an app that automatically downloads a live map view of the interior space of major international airports. The app will lead the user through the airport according to their travel itinerary, from checking in to boarding the plane. The app has a user-friendly checklist of the travel process to assist travellers to every step of the airport journey.
Role
Product Designer
AirNav is a solo project in which I was responsible for the following:
Conduct Primary and Secondary research to detect pain points of the travel experience.
Present the problem area to a design team and conduct a crazy eight-game to brainstorm ideas collectively.
Narrow down brainstorming ideas by sketching more solidified concepts of the solution to problem
Develop a mid-fidelity clickable prototype and conducting user testing with 5 participants
Analyze raw data from user testing and recording results on a rainbow sheet to find correlated behavioural patterns
Summarize raw data and list action items needed to improve the model.
Create Pixel sharp high-fidelity prototype with adjustments from raw data.
Testing of the final prototype to ensure that the model is of high quality
Problem Area
The following is the problem statement for this project: how can we remove the stress of navigating through an airport from the start of the airport journey to boarding the plane?
The Research
To find a solution to the problem statement, the following research methods were used: Collaborative brainstorming and user testing.
A crazy eight-game was played with five UX Designers who assisted my project by giving me ideas for solutions behind the problem statement. The following image is an example of one of the sketches from the game.
Crazy eight-game
Two user tests were conducted throughout this project, with five participants who have different travel experiences. The first user testing was performed with a mid-fidelity prototype and the second was performed with a high fidelity prototype. The same 5 participants were involved in both user tests.
User testing
The Rainbow sheets
Rainbow sheets were used to assess raw observational data from the user tests. The data detected patterns of behaviours that participants experienced during the test. These patterns revealed areas that were successful in the app and the areas that needed improvements.
Action Items
Action items were created based on the rainbow sheets. These action items are adjustments that need to be made for the app These improvements were adjusted in the final model.
Concepts and exploration
Throughout the research phase, sketches were developed to test out different concepts.
Sketches
A mid-fidelity prototype was created to bring the best ideas from the team collaboration game and from the concept sketches. The app was then tested by the 5 participants.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
A user flow was created to further analyze the airport travel journey. Each user flow was created to simulate different functions of the app and how it would be used in a real life scenario.
User Flow
Results and Takeaways
The result of this project is a progressive app that can reduce stress and anxiety when navigating airports. The app guides the traveler through all the stages of airport navigation, starting from check-in. The app also allows the user to get more information about every step of the airport experience. There is a chat feature where users can see live feedback from other travelers.
Final High-Fidelity Model
The final model received positive reviews from user testing. All users valued the app and noted how helpful it would be to their travel journey. The map feature is especially praised for its UI elements and ability to guide users to needed destinations.
Final user testing and Feedback
A style guide was created to keep a consistent design theme for the final model. The chosen ambiance portrays a minimal, colorful, and lively feeling. The aim is to make the user feel that the app resembles a game where they go through each airport navigation level to reach the ultimate goal (boarding the flight).airport navigation level to get to the ultimate goal (boarding the flight).
Style Guide
Key takeaways from this project are the following:
Novel ideas require more time to develop: Currently, an app like this does not exist in the market. The participants frequently needed help understanding how to use many aspects of the app during the user testing phase. It can be challenging to introduce a new concept to the mass public. You can only anticipate the product use once you perform multiple user testing and interviews.
Novel ideas require a more significant trial and error period: Introducing a new concept requires greater trial and error periods. You can get surprised by the range of acceptance/non-acceptance of the idea from the mass public. Some people love trying something new, while others oppose it. There are people with greater technological awareness than others. Hence, finding a system with a common ground level of understanding can be challenging. However, the best combination to tackle this issue is through research, trial and error, and user feedback. It’s also important to keep in mind who your target market is.