Airline Innovation

For my M.S. Design Innovation capstone project, I worked with an international airline to research user needs and develop a new business travel experience.

Research Phase

My team and I conducted six different forms of research to gain insights on what people want from their work and travel experiences:

Flight experience video diaries
One-on-one customer interviews
Midway Airport observation
Customer survey
Travel & hospitality expert interviews
Online forum scraping

Our time at Midway Airport was productive and insightful!

Design Phase

Once we translated our observations into actionable insights and opportunities, we dived into ideation, brainstorming solutions to attract, grow, and retain customers across a variety of customer segments, from small business owners to school and sports groups.!

Each idea tied back to one or more opportunity area identified in the Research phase.

Build Phase

After finalizing our concept details, we built an immersive prototype to simulate our solution in action. Our prototype included:

Digital wireframes of booking screens and seat back screens
In-flight amenities
“Employee”/”Customer” interactions

We took testers through a simulated booking and in-flight experience, using their feedback to iterate on and finalize our solution.

Skills Applied

Insight Development

I consolidated observations from multiple research methods into a structured insights framework, categorizing insights as either "evergreen" or "everchanging." This approach allowed the team to distinguish between consistent, enduring trends and those that have evolved over the past few years, providing a nuanced understanding of the airline industry's dynamics.

Prototyping

Using tables, chairs, foam boards, and basic materials, the team transformed a conference room into a solution prototype, simulating the journey from booking to landing. Team members took on various roles, from booking agents to flight attendants, to create a realistic and engaging experience. The result was a highly immersive experience that garnered positive feedback.