Role:
UX Designer & UX Researcher
Time:
Dec.2023 - Apr. 2024
Team:
Yidi Lin, Siddhi More, Clarissa Diaz, Angelica Wang, Ge Zheng
Skills:
IoT, Pervasive Computing, UX Design, Product Design, UX Research, Prototyping
AirPorter Final Product
AirPorter is an all-in-one IoT solution for everyday problems passengers face in airports, including the stress of navigation, being late for boarding, missing flight announcements, and long-standing time in queue.
My team and I designed the color-coded time management system using a comprehensive beacon network, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), and in-door GPS. According to users’ timing situations, AirPorter provides corresponding services using near-field communication, including restaurant, TSA fast pass, real-time flight info updating, and autopilot vehicles for quick transportation to the boarding gate
Problem Statement
How can we use technologies to make the in-airport experiences less stressful and solve passengers’ major problems?
Contextual Inquiry
During our interviews, we learned:
Travel needs vary: Frequent flyers prioritize timely information to manage potential delays, while international travelers face language barriers impacting navigation. Nervous travelers struggle with unfamiliar airports and past negative experiences.
Unfamiliarity and language barriers create anxiety: Both new airports and language difficulties significantly increase anxiety levels for all travelers, potentially leading them to miss flights or crucial information.
Everyone needs clear communication: Regardless of experience level, clear and timely information is essential for a smooth travel experience.
Formative Study & Result
Culture Probe
Goal: Collect qualitative data on that focuses on understanding people’s overall behaviors, emotions, and values.
Logistics: Participants received either a digital or physical sample of the cultural probe. Sessions were conducted primarily unmoderated or moderated virtually. This approach allowed participants the flexibility to complete the digital or physical probe at their convenience.
Participants: We recruited 14 participants from our university through various channels, including Slack, email, and Discord groups. We also leveraged our personal networks to recruit. Our participants fell into one of three categories: - Frequent Flyers - International Flyers - Inexperienced Flyers
Session Duration: Each participant session lasted ~30 mins
“I hate the waiting line at TSA and check-in. You never know how long they take”
“I am so afraid of missing flights, I would pay to skip the lines and navigate to the gate quickly””
“Navigation in a random airport and looking for gate changes is so painful!”
Survey
Goal: Collect quantitative data to supplement the qualitative data from the cultural probe.
Logistics: Leverage Qualtrics to deploy the survey
Participants: We received 120 responses. The survey was circulated through university Slack channels, personal networks, and social media. Screener questions were used at the beginning of the survey in order to parse out responses that didn’t fall into our target audience. Our participants fell into one of three categories: Frequent Flyers, International Flyers, Inexperienced Flyers
Navigations + Exploration
Entertainment features give early birds more options to explore in the airport during the waiting time. And provide real-time flight info updates to ensure they don’t miss anything while not waiting at the gate
Key Product Fetures
For Early Arrivals:
+
For Late Arrivals:
Fast Pass + Autopilot Car
Travelers can expedite their journey with Fast Pass+ and Smart Car integration. In situations where time is of the essence, passengers can utilize Fast Pass to navigate swiftly through security checkpoints, minimizing delays.
Smart Cars are available to transport them directly to the gate after security checks. Through automatic connectivity to gate agents, the Smart Car alerts staff of the traveler's status and imminent arrival.
For General Passengers:
Navigation + Real-time Updates
Receive instant visual and audio notifications on flight statuses, gate changes, security wait times, and more, ensuring you're always in the loop and equipped to make informed decisions for a smoother travel experience.
Accessible right on your phone, our intuitive navigation system utilizes GPS to pinpoint your location within the airport. Travelers can navigate terminals, gates, amenities, and services with ease.
🏆 AirPorter was recognized as the idea Most likely to attract investors and our team won the Most Innovative Product among our peers. We are proud to have won these awards!
More project information and research can be found here