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Project Information

General Prompt
I worked on this project as part of the HCI foundations course at Georgia Tech. The goal of this project was to give us experience working on a project from beginning to end while going through the User Centered Design Process. The general theme we had to work within was “On the Go.”
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Collaboration: A (diverse, amazing, and fun) team of 5
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Duration: 3 Months

Team Member Roles
We each knew what roles and responsibilities we wanted to focus on during this project but we were open to exploring outside our comfort zone
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‍Roles:
‍2x UX Designers
2x UX Researchers
1x Project Manager

Defining the Context

The Problem Space

How did we get here?

To fit the “On the Go” theme we chose to explore potential areas to improve in the airport setting
We sent out a general survey to scope out potential pain points
We conducted a few interviews and decided to narrow our focus on airport layovers
One interviewee claiming that she is “just go, go, go in an airport!”, when trying to find her gate
We have observed that a major driver of anxiety is when travelers don’t know specific information about their gate
Including how to get there, how long it will take for them to reach, if the number has changed
People “feel trapped in the airport” because they “have no place to go, and airports are usually built far from cities”.

Describing the User

Considering potential needs who should we focus on?

Needs like:

Physiological (food + rest)
Safety (knowing where everything is, schedule, location)
Love + Belonging (traveling in a group vs alone, social interaction)

Groups We Considered

They need to attend to their kids’ needs, control their behaviors and usually are very stressed about missing flights

They are usually open to explore and talk to strangers, sensitive to prices, and at the peak of their cognitive and physical abilities

We decided to focus on Young Solo Travelers

This is user group is

often traveling alone
usually on a budget
particularly open to knowledge or cultural exchanges

Needs & Task Analysis

Further Scoping out the Space

Considering emotions surround long layover
What do people want to do?
What can they do?
What do they need?
What are some limitations?

We sent out a survey to gather information about how users tend to spend their time during their layovers

Typical Layover Tasks:
Finding their next gate
Checking the flight time
Getting their boarding pass
Keeping track of their luggage

Long Layover Specific Tasks:
Eating
Reading
Working
Sleeping
Shopping
Exploring the airport

We also did a task analysis to map out the progression of the user while traveling

We conducted 5 more interviews to learn more about the socializing aspect in airports

Using convenience sampling we interview peers that traveled often
To keep it casual and open we simply asked them to share a recent layover experience where they had a social interaction.

Our Findings

In terms of socializing these factors were common themes:

Proximity
Others Initiate
Similar interests
Open to connect
Knowledge sharing
Beyond the airport
Safety
Everything still depends

Ideation

How Might We

Based on our preliminary research

...help people make connections at the airport?
...promote social interactions during the entire layover journey?
...leverage existing social networks to create more networks?
...create an airport community of travelers across the globe?

Brainstorming

We did crazy 8 brainstorming exercises as a team

Typical Layover Tasks:
Finding their next gate
Checking the flight time
Getting their boarding pass
Keeping track of their luggage

Long Layover Specific Tasks:
Eating
Reading
Working
Sleeping
Shopping
Exploring the airport

Grouping Themes & Ideas

Grouping ideas with similar traits together and voted on them as a team

Not considering practicality or feasibility

What would be the best solution?
We wanted to choose ideas that were in different themes
We converged on 3 themes

A Game
Knowledge Exchange
Physical Space

Idea Exploration

Coming Up With Design Alternatives

Design Alternative #1

Design Alternative #2

Design Alternative #3

Converging on One Solution

Mockups & Prototypes

Design Objectives

Onboarding

Starting the Plane

Creating the Plane

Throwing the Plane

Creation to Release

Reading Stories

Reacting

Finding Planes

Saving A plane

Design Evaluation

Participatory Design/Focus Group

The goal of this method was to quickly figure out how users generally felt about the prototype’s concept and features such as various introductions to getting exposed to the app, writing and reading a story, their motivations (if any) for using the app including any incentives or gamification, and their overall impressions.

Expert Evaluation

We talked with two experts, one to evaluate the overall concept and provide general feedback on the solution, and one more focused on the usability aspect of the solution.

The goal of this method was to get a deeper understanding and perspective into the design of online communities, to further validate our design features, and to uncover any major issues upfront before starting the usability tests.

Usability Test

The main goal here was to uncover any usability issues within the prototype interactions themselves and less focused on the design contexts and concepts

We recruited five classmates to participate in these tests. We had one facilitator and up to two observers taking notes during each session.

Moving Foward

Modify the Design & Validate

Based on the results of the Discount Design Evaluations we conducted, We would go back and clarify the purpose of the application as well as specific features and functions.

The focus group gave so many good insights into various directions the application could take in the future.

Reflection

Teamwork makes the dream work

As a team we learned from and motivated each other by working on a project that challenged us.

Don’t get me wrong, there were times where it was a struggle.

But in the end, I learned so much about design, research, and project management.

Introduction

Define the Context

Describe the User

Needs & Task Analysis