SwiftFly
SwiftFly, Optimising the Airline Booking Process
This work was part of the UX Certification by the UX Design Institute and Glasgow Caledonian University. The task was to create a simplified booking system for an airline, based off user research, competitive analysis and usability testing.
Users can find the flight booking process to be counterintuitive leaving many users frustrated while navigating through the screen to complete their goal. Some users don't persist through bad UX and would leave the website entirely. The causes of these problems can be from a lack of design conventions, unclear navigation and too many needless options. In short, a lack of considerations for UX laws and heuristics.
Problem
To simplify and create a more coherent website booking process by taking learnings from research (competitive analysis, surveys and user research) and understanding the user's pain points.
Solution
Role
UX Research | UX Design
Tools
Figma, Indesign, google forms, Miro
Year
2023
Initial Research
Initial research included competitive benchmarking, creating an online survey and conducting a usability test. The main goals for this research was the following;
Gain insight into industry best practise from competitive benchmarking.
Use surveys to learn people's goals when using an airline app.
Understand user pain points and behaviour by conducting a usability test
Competitive Benchmarking
Competitive benchmarking is a research technique that allows you to identify industry conventions, best practices and areas that could be improved. I analysed three airlines, Aer Lingus, British Airways and Delta Airways. I chose to look at Airbnb as well, to see how they present the booking process and gain insights from a different industry leader, to allow comparisons and broader insights.
Online Survey Highlights
The responses were from individuals with a mixture of travelling experience which provided insights into their pain points. The questions asked were both quantitive and qualitative. Participants (20 total) highlighted how price and flight options was an important factor to them and having an easy to use search engine. Respondents also stated that as there is many pages and options to click through when booking, it delays the overall process.
Usability Test
I conducted a 45-minute usability test with an end user to have them test two different competitor airline applications. I also took notes from two other usability tests provided by the UX Institute. This qualitative research provided further insights into users pain points, frustrations, needs and desires with the existing airline websites.
Anaylsis, Understanding the Product
After gathering information from competitive benchmarking, surveys and user interviews, all the research was analysed and separated into more logical, digestible and scannable data.
After reviewing the research the first step was to create an affinity diagram. Working with another person, notes are written on sticky notes and then with your partner, you gather similar notes together to create groups. The process had an initial grouping and naming stage which then had another stage of further refinement of grouping and naming. Affinity diagrams help place logic and organisation on collected research to better extract useful insights and findings.
Affinity Diagram
The customer journey map is a visualisation of the user's journey through the different stages of the booking process. The focus was on the user's general mood, goals, behaviours, pain points and positive experiences.
Customer Journey Mapping
A user persona was developed from collected data to build empathy and a deeper understanding of the end-users. This persona guided decision-making throughout the project, ensuring the product remained focused on addressing user pain points, frustrations, and goals.
Persona
A high-level user flow diagram was created to map out the flight booking process in the new airline mobile app, addressing key usability issues. The diagram presents a clear, linear flow that illustrates each screen state and the user actions required to progress through the booking journey.
Flow Diagram
Design a Simplified Airline Booking Experience
To initiate the design process, quick sketches were used to explore ideas and determine the essential elements for each screen. These were followed by medium to high-fidelity paper wireframes, which were tested to ensure the overall user flow was logical and intuitive. Initial low fidelity sketches were created to get my thoughts on paper. The designs were based on previous research & flow diagram.
After a few quick iterations, medium-high fidelity sketches were created with highlighted interactive elements.
Mid Fidelity Sketches
Designing a Simplified Airline Booking Experience
Based on insights from usability testing, competitive benchmarking, note-taking, and customer journey mapping, a mid to high-fidelity prototype was created to address key pain points identified in the earlier stages.
The main improvements focused on:
Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Buttons and key actions were made more prominent to guide users through the booking process with confidence.
Progress Indicator: A visible progress bar was added to clearly show users what stage they are at and how many steps remain in the booking journey, reducing uncertainty.
Flight Selection Improvements: The flights page was redesigned to provide clearer prompts, helping users easily understand how to select a flight and proceed to the next step.
Transparent Fare Breakdown: All fare options were displayed with a clear breakdown of what is included, allowing users to make informed decisions without confusion.
Reduced Distractions: Non-essential upsell options (e.g., car rentals, hotel add-ons) were minimized during the booking flow, keeping the user focused on completing their flight booking.
Price Filter during Flight Selection: Having a price filter, low to high etc. on the flight selection, meaning users can quickly view which flights are cheapest - as money is an important factor when choosing flights.
Mid to High Fidelity Prototype
Project Reflection
As this was a course-led, student project, it provided a valuable opportunity to practice applying the UX design process from research to prototyping. Through usability testing, benchmarking, and mapping the customer journey, I was able to identify key pain points and iterate on solutions that improved clarity, navigation, and reduced friction in the booking flow.
While the prototype successfully addressed many of the initial usability issues, I recognize that further testing would be essential to validate the effectiveness of the new flow. If this were a live project, I would conduct another round of usability testing with users to gather feedback on the updated design, refine pain points further, and iterate to reach a more polished final product.
Additionally, collaborating with developers and stakeholders in a real-world context would be valuable to understand technical constraints and ensure the design is both feasible and scalable.
This project has reinforced the importance of continuous iteration, user feedback, and keeping the design process user-focused throughout.