Project made on the UX Design course
in Projector school
THE PROBLEM
The company objective was to attract more customers to its own sales channels (website and mobile application), as this would allow UIA to contact directly with the market and save money on distribution.
As we were told by the company representatives, people prefer to use aggregator sites to buy tickets. This prevents the company from direct communication with the customers.
Why do people avoid using the airline's website? One of the main reasons is that both, the site and mobile app, have a lot of bugs and deficiencies, affecting badly the user experience.
HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE
We had a month forthis project
MAKE OF THE TEAM
Our group consisted of about 10 people, but each did their own research and prototype
KEY GOAL
Engage customers to interact with the company directly, improve their experience of using the company's products
MY ROLE
I have done many studies and used certain methods, including business model canvas, targeting, “How might we?”, heuristic analysis, in-depth interviews, Kano competitor analysis, value proposition canvas, and user testing.
In our group we studied new research methods and worked in group. But everyone did the main task independently. The whole group was divided into those who worked on website and those who worked on mobile application. I worked on the application.
I prepared the questionnaire, conducted heuristic analysis, found respondents for interviews and people available to participate in user testing sessions.
In the group, we conducted tests. We developed the simple script and invited participants gradually. During the testing process, we split ourselves into facilitators and observers. We filmed entire testing process. After finishing, we found many errors in the interfaces of UIA products.
Finally, I designed a prototype, taking into account all problems and making necessary updates.
PROTOTYPE
DESIGN QUESTION
To find the problem and understand what solution can be found, I used the Design Question method or "How might we?"
I made a table with columns: Impact, Possible solution, Context limitations. Last column contains an answer to question "How might we?", which leads to resolution of the problem.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS.
KANO MODEL
For competitor analysis, I selected four airlines. The Kano Model is a theory that classifies customer preferences into categories
I divided main airlines functions into three groups: Must have (standard), Nice to have (enjoyable) and Delights (something extra, as a pleasant surprise). Availability of function meant 1 point, while its absence - 0 points.
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
It is a visual chart with elements describing a company or product value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances.
VALUE PROPOSITION
A value proposition is a simple, but clear statement that summarizes why the customer would choose your product or service.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER.
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
Among the project activities I conducted in-depth interviews to find out more details about the experience of people who used the airlines online services.
Interviews helped me to understand what kind of problems users face during the flights search and tickets purchase. People told me what they are not satisfied with dealing with airlines and what they would like to be improved.
In our group, everyone did own research. I prepared a survey questionnaire and involved people for interviews by myself. This in-depth interview method allows clarifying the needs and motives that define user behavior. Also it's a way to understand the principles on which people's choice is based. Of course you must ensure that the respondent is sincere and trusts you. You also should make the respondent feel comfortable and open for communication. That is why, choice of appropriate location for the interview is important.
I tried to involve previously unknown people, who would express their opinion independently and regardless of our relationship. At the same time, it must be people who travel a lot and use the airline services frequently.
While interviewing person I tried to create informal and friendly atmosphere. Knowledge of body language helped me a lot, as I always paid attention to respondent’s gestures. When they saw me sitting calmly, they also felt more relaxed.
MAJOR LEARNINGS FROM IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS AND USER TESTING SESSIONS
There are inconsistencies between user actions and system operation
Users testing confirmed that the application is not reliable and contains a lot of bugs, preventing a person of successful operation. For example, the user selected the city of Barcelona (Spain), but application showed that Almaty (Kazakhstan) was selected.
There are difficulties while filling registration data
Heuristic analysis and testing have shown that the registration form is complicated and the sequence of fields is not logical. There are not enough useful tips, such as: "Use English and fill in the data as in the passport”
Cancellation procedure is too complicated
During the testing only one user out of four was able to cancel a ticket booking. This statistic suggests that cancellation procedure should be simplified. It would be better to let users manage reservations through their personal account.
People avoid using UIA due to poor service
My interviewers mentioned number of unpleasant situations happened with UIA tickets booking and during the flights. For example, sometimes UIA staff behaved impolitely or demonstrated indifference to the passenger’s needs.
The Panorama Club Bonus Program is very unfriendly in use
It is not possible to manage bonus miles through the user account. In order to manage bonuses the user must always call the support number. In addition, the miles usage rules are very complex and not applicable to all flights.
USER TESTING SESSIONS
After a heuristic analysis, it was necessary to find out what problems users face when booking tickets. To do this, we conducted testing on three scenarios
According to the first scenario, the tester had to buy one-way ticket “Kyiv-London”, book extra luggage option and select a seat by the window. Second one had to book the return flight "Kyiv-Sydney-Kyiv", select aisle seat and order special menu food (vegetarian). Third participant had to buy a ticket for the local return flight "Kyiv-Lviv-Kyiv”.
THESE ARE THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM USER TESTING SESSIONS
LESSONS LEARNED
Conducting such researches, it is important not to focus only on the product, but to pay much attention to the user experience and needs.
Since Fly UIA is considered as Ukrainian national airline, it is important to maintain and improve the company's prestige level. Many foreigners flying UIA start evaluating our country through the quality of national airline service. Thus, just improving the company's website and mobile application is not enough, because general image matter even much and require complex approach. Although we had quite short time for such a project, we managed to do a lot. My conclusions and recommendations were comprehensive and related to the whole range of UIA company services.
Considering the tough international and domestic competition, UIA should offer the customer good service and position itself as a modern reliable airline. It would be good for the company to remember that they are Ukrainian national operator and make travelling with them prestigious, pleasant and patriotic.