Project Phases: Modernizing Flight Planning

• Phase 1: Workflow Optimization focused on streamlining the user experience and improving efficiency.
• Phase 2: Enhanced Route Comparison built upon the optimized workflow, introducing a powerful route comparison tool and other user experience enhancements.

Phase 1: Workflow Optimization
To address user complaints about the complexity of the existing flight planning website, I conducted workshops with our flight services team. They provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by our customers, including the need for a more intuitive and efficient workflow.

Based on this feedback, we focused on the following improvements:

• Consolidated Interface: Combining related elements onto single pages for a more streamlined experience.
• Enhanced Map Visibility: Increasing the prominence of the map to improve route visualization.
• Logical Workflow: Reorganizing the workflow to create a more intuitive and efficient sequence.

Workflow Mindmap

Flight Planning Workflow

The designs for phase one were created to emulate the colors of the current website as much as possible. The same color scheme was used but the styling was slightly updated. Video walkthrough of the Axure prototype for phase 1.

Compare Routes Phase 1

Compare Routes Phase 2

 

 

Phase 2: Enhanced Route Comparison and User Experience
The second phase introduced significant improvements to the route comparison page, leveraging the capabilities of the new flight planning engine. This enabled us to:

• Optimize Route Selection: Provide a smaller number of higher-quality routes, organized into tabs based on specific criteria.
• Streamline Route Editing: Offer a cleaner and more intuitive route editing experience.
• Personalize Flight Planning: Allow users to save their favorite routes for future reference.

After completing the initial design phase, I transitioned to a product management role on another project. Another UX designer was brought on board to continue the development of the flight planning screens, adding further visual refinements and enhancements.

The video below showcases the current flight planning experience. You can see the initial steps I took to reorganize the workflow and the evolution of the design concepts that ultimately shaped the final product.