Newark Liberty International
Hassle-free travel at Newark Liberty International Airport
Team
3 Designers Total
Conceptual Project Design Sprint
Context
Timeline
2 Weeks
Figma Maze
Tools
UX Research UI Designer Usability Testing
My Role
Overview
Context
Design an iOS mobile app to assist travelers for Newark Liberty International Airport
In this case study, we explore the frustrations travelers feel when transiting through airports and share a design solution to assist in resolving those issues.
Background
Offer digital solutions that facilitate the physical process at an airports
Our given design challenge was interesting. The overall goal was to offer digital solutions that facilitate the physical process that occurs at an airport. The context of our design challenge was, “It is in the airport’s financial interest to expedite passengers through security. The more efficiently passengers move through security, the more time they’ll have to shop and dine.” Other challenges they face include long lines, crowded restaurants and retail spaces, gate changes, and general navigation typical of an airport.
Traveler’s Problem
Security, long lines, crowded establishments, & gate changes
Travelers go through many challenges before arriving at their destinations. Challenges include security, long lines, crowded establishments, gate changes & navigation. The experience often leaves people dreading going there & is especially difficult for parents traveling with children.
Desired App Functions
Design Solution
Create an all-in-one app for Newark Liberty International Airport that allows people to access what they need with ease.
Process
Understanding Our Users
Empathizing with various travelers
Our team was familiar with the struggles of transiting through an airport. Some experiences may have left a negative impression more than others. Parents often struggle more than most when traveling with their children. If travelers are unfamiliar with an airport, they may struggle to navigate where they need to go.
Needless to say, with thousands of people coming in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport every day, things can get hectic.
User Research
Understanding users past experiences when traveling
In the research phase of this project, we gathered and conducted a wide range of research, but we’ll focus on the user interviews & affinity mapping for the most revealing insights. We decided to have 9 user interviews with our target users to understand their past experiences when going to an airport. We carefully crafted questions to extract as much data as possible to create a thoughtful design.
Discoveries
Key Findings
Our Goals
Focusing in on four aspects when designing the app
Competitive Analysis
Analyzing other international airports
We analyzed other international airports such as DFW, LAX, and Austin Bergstrom to understand what features their apps offer. App features include how passengers arrive and depart from the airport, shops & amenities, and security.
Task Analysis on DFW Airport
Task Analysis Insights
First impression discoveries when navigating through competitors app
Not all of the restaurants within the airport have the option to order online.
Restaurants offering “order food now” are highlighted throughout the map.
Noted there was no option for food, just coffee or bars.
Went through the process of ordering food only to notice the restaurant was located in Terminal E (even though Terminal A was selected on the map, selecting a certain option from the list superseded the map selection)
Not all restaurants have the order ahead option, so it may have been lucky the first spot selected had the option.
Second attempt at navigating through competitors app
Discovered the “order food now” button
This had the option to filter by terminals
Once Terminal A was selected, you could then press
After pressing a button labeled, “5 minutes from your gate,” you could select your gate, and the restaurants closest to you would appear. However, depending on your gate, a restaurant offering the option of ordering food online may not be available.
Ideate
Sketch
As we got to the visual design stage of the project, my team and I quickly got to work on sketching. This was the initial digitized sketch we developed for the payment screen. We knew a payment screen required basic personal information from the user, such as their name and card information for purchases.
Wireframe
Then I began building from there. After our sketches were complete, I eagerly began wireframes & prototyping. A few changes to note since the digitized sketch include: The payment screen is now aligned and given appropriate padding, & the size hierarchy has been adjusted.
High-Fidelity
When working in high fidelity, I altered the hues to appear brighter & more vibrant, contrasting the original selection. The increased saturation will engage more users to take action. A progress bar was also included to indicate how far along users are throughout the process.
Measuring Impact
Usability Testing: Round 1
Round 1 Takeaways:
Usability testing areas in need of improvement
TSA Virtual Line: Include the letters “TSA” on the button so users know what “virtual line” means on the first screen.
Flight Alerts: Make the call to action button larger to emphasize its importance and inform users of the feature on the first screen. Allow interaction all throughout the buttons, not just text on screen 2.
Order Food: Rename the “Terminal” button on the top navigation to “Location,” then present terminal selections on screen 2. Emphasize the “Order” button on screen 5.
Usability Testing: Round 2
Round 2 Takeaways:
Successfully iterated design for impact
Within the second round of usability testing, we discovered that our misclick rate had gone down by 13.5% for the Virtual line flow, the bounce had gone down 40% for the flight changes, and the misclick rate went down by 4.5% on the order food flow.
MCR 13.5 %
Bounce 40 %
MCR 4.5 %
Next Steps
Future iterations
Working with this team was an amazing experience, and if the opportunity presented itself, I would love to work with them again. In the future, we hope to build out the map & navigation feature. Given the time constraints & scope of the project, we couldn’t see it all the way through. Also, looking back at this project helped me realize how much progress I’ve made with UI design. I now have more knowledge and skill than my past self. I’m looking forward to redesigning the app with what I’ve now learned.