Task: Create a better flow for the booking process of the imaginay airline "Airux". Concentrate on the process from searching flights throught to seat selection.
Goal: Get well acquainted with the methods and artifacts most commonly used in UX Design processes, and learn from the experience.
I compared the booking processes from Norwegian, SAS, Wizzair and SJ- competitors in the same and in similar industries.
Goals:
- Learn industry standards and conventions.
- Compare the funtion of various flows and features.
- Learn from pain points and gain inspiration.
Research:
The research evaluates the booking process of a one-way flight for desktop sites.The following are evaluated:
- Home
- Search and selection flight
- Payment
Positive or Negative points were highlighted using these colors:
Creating an affinity diagram is an intense experience. I reviewed the data with a friend, noted down every aspect of the research data that stood out, structured the notes, found patterns, and restructured. We grouped issues and challenges creating categories based on most frequent user flow.
Since I had a lot of data and limited wall space, I quickly switched to creating it digitally on Miro. There I was able to quickly create sets of colour coordinated sticky notes, and re-arrange them into different groupings.
Goals:
- Learn how to put structure on qualitative research data.
- Learn the power of collaborative analysis.
Based on the research and affinity map I created a customer journey map. First defining high-level steps, then documenting goals, behaviours, pain points and positive aspects.
Goals:
- Learn how to translate research data into a structured document.
Before designing the screens, I needed to consider the structure of the website, and how the user should flow through it.
Using the Customer Journey Map, I set out to define the high-level flow that would address the issues highlighted by my research.
I began by mapping out the steps using pen and paper, focusing on how I could improve their journey (particularly in the problem areas as highlighted in the Customer Journey Map), as well as simplifying it. Once I was satisfied with this, I created it digitally in draw.io.
Building on the flow diagram I sketched the screens and screen states for users flowing through the Airux desktop website.
Goals:
- Address all the issues and user goals identified.
- Use sketching as a tool for problem solving, before prototyping or digital wireframing.
- Sketching is a tool for problem solving, not for showing off one's drawing skills. Nice-looking sketches are great (I tried to do them in the best possible way anyway) , but it is the quality of the solutions that counts.
Once I was satisfied with the sketches, the next step was to create the different screens and screen states digitally to produce a medium-fidelity prototype in Figma.
Goals:
- Create a medium fidelity prototype for the desktop application.
- Add detail in the form of interactivity.
- Learn powerful design tools along the way.
This was the most challenging part of the course. I used Figma for the first time and I enjoyed learning and use it. I saw slowly born my prototype and I was happy with the results.
The final stage of the UX process was to communicate clearly what exactly is to be built. To do this, I created a document containing the wireframes for each screen and screen state of the flight booking process. Alongside each wireframe, I included annotated notes along with the rules, controls, and feedback.
It was essential to include as much detail as possible, as this served as a blueprint that would be handed over to the developers to build.
Goals:
- Create wireframes for the prototype from the homepage up and to payment.
- Make sure the wireframes contain all the necessary detail a developer would need to build the application accurately.
Since this was a conceptual case study, there are no real metrics or results to show. Instead, I will share what I've learned.
As a result of working on this project, I've gained a lot of insight into the whole UX process. I've learned the importance of research, especially usability testing. What people say and do, are two different things, so to observe people using the product, is truly valuable as you can find out where the friction and problem areas are.
I've also learned that we are not designing for ourselves.
Instead of being seduced by my assumptions, I learned to be guided by the research data and findings.
Trusting the whole process is the final lesson I have learned.
Each stage of the UX design life cycle is equally important. While it may be tempting to skip steps and create a prototype or sketch ideas, without research or analysis you are essentially creating a product with no real market.
I have now control of different digital tools: Miro, Figma, draw.io and Uxpressia.
