Airport Buddy
Airports are an essential part of modern travel, serving as hubs that connect people to destinations around the world. However, despite the convenience they offer, airports can also present a range of challenges and issues for travelers. The design of airports has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of travelers and airlines. Modern airports feature a range of amenities, including shops, restaurants, and lounges, as well as high-tech security systems and advanced air traffic control technology. While airports offer convenience and access to travel, they also present a range of challenges and issues for travelers. From long lines and wait times to complex navigation and security procedures, travelers must be prepared to face a range of obstacles when traveling through airports. With the help of Airport Buddy, the airport experience can be relieved from these inconveniences.
Scope: UX/HCI Class Project
Role: UI/UX design, UX research
Duration: 2023
Tools: Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva
Airport Buddy is a response to the growing complexity of air travel. As more security, travel mobile applications, amenities, lounges, and shops are added to airports they will become increasingly difficult to navigate. As an exchange student to Sogang University, I had to travel through Incheon International Airport with minimal Korean experience. As I experienced, the issues above become more prominent with the language barrier. Airport buddy is a way to connect to your airport and provide all of the required information for the airport within one application.
Ideas for Discussion
We have analyzed different discussion topics to help understand the pain points associated with air travel:
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How can we improve access to flight information?
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How can flight schedules be shown more effectively at airports?
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How can the airport be made more accessible, particularly for the elderly and those with special needs?
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How can we make personalized travel information accessible on one platform?
Initial User Research Study
Comfort Related Pain Points:
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Limited access to airport lounges / lounges not easily found
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Inconsistent / inaudible PA system
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Not being able to find venues such as duty-free, restaurants, and shops
Time Related Pain Points:
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Kiosks and flight boards not always accessible
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Congestion in certain parts of the airport
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Not all important flight information can be easily found
User Interviews and Affinity Diagram:
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1. What are some specific pain points you've experienced while traveling through airports,and how could they be improved?
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2. what amenities or services do you think airports could otter to make your experience more eniovable and efficient?
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3. Have you noticed any particular airports that seem to do a better job than others in creating a positive airport experience? If so, what do they do differently?
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4. How do you typically navigate airports, and what challenges have you faced in doing so?Are there any improvements that could be made to signage or wayfinding?
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5. In your opinion, what could airlines or airport operators do to improve the overall airport experience for frequent travellers?
Analysis:
The data from the interviews is broken down into three main divisions via an affinity diagram: pain points, suggested solutions, and ideal airports.
The pain point division division provides a comprehensive view of the frustrations experienced during participants’ airport visits. Analyzing the pain points division allows us to identify recurring themes and patterns, providing a better understanding of the problems we need to address in our study.
The suggested solutions division contains recurring solutions and recommendations from the participants' individual interviews. By examining the solutions division, we can find the most effective solutions to address the pain points and improve the overall airport experience.
Lastly, the ideal airport division consists of the participants' descriptions of their ideal airport experience. Analyzing this division provides a clear understanding of their expectations and desires for an ideal airport.
User Personas, Storyboards, and Flow Charts:
Storyboards:
Flow Charts:
Initial Concepts and Ideas
High Fidelity Prototypes
Usability Testing
Through think aloud activities and interviews conducted with 20 participants, we were able to determine a few key features which needed to be improved for the final design:
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The icon size and text is small which make the interaction bubbles feel empty
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The back button is too small and feels hard to interact with
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A more diverse colour spectrum would make the app more visually appealing
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The connection between the map and the itinerary is not very clear
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The main page and itinerary feel redundant
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Add animations for visual cues
Final Design
Launch and Conclusion
Airport Buddy is a theoretical project, but it captures the importance of modernizing air travel so passengers may have all the services they need in their pocket. Regardless of what airport one might find themself in, what language they speak, or what airline they choose, one app will act as the central hub of information at their disposal. As an outbound international student, a product like Airport Buddy would have been very useful, as I found myself lost in Incheon Airport, South Korea. Information terminals were closed because of my late arrival, I had not yet started my Korean language classes so asking locals for help was impossible, and finding my way around the large multi-tiered semicircle airport was near impossible after 20 hours of travel. And that is where Airport Buddy would be ready for my assistance.