Design Challenge & Approach

I led a UX project exploring how user experience could be a competitive differentiator in the airline industry. The challenge was that commercial airline apps often have poor booking experiences, causing low conversion, funnel drop-off, and weak customer retention.

The goal was to apply the full UX lifecycle from research through to prototyping to design an experience that could outpace major airlines by delivering real value and exceptional usability.

Tools

Adobe XD, Sketch, Photoshop, iMovie, ScreenFlow, VySOR, Reflector App.

Research

Usability Testing (British Airways & EasyJet apps)

• Mapped typical user flows
  
  

• Identified confusion points and drop-off moments
  
  

• Documented emotional responses and pain points

Competitive Benchmarking

• Mapped typical user flows
  
  

• Analysed UX patterns from market leaders (Airbnb) and pitfalls to avoid (EasyJet Android app).

Questionnaire

• Gathered quantitative attitudinal insights using Likert scales and behaviour-focused questions

Outputs included detailed usability notes using colour-coded visual hierarchy for quick stakeholder digestion.

Analysis

• Affinity Diagramming - Grouped research insights into clear thematic areas
  
  

• Customer Journey Mapping - Visualised frustrations and opportunities across the booking experience

Design Process

• Mobile Flow Diagram - Streamlined the booking process to minimise steps and friction
  
  

• Interaction Design - Sketched low-fidelity interactions to refine flows before committing to UI decisions
  
  

• Medium-Fidelity Prototype - Built in Adobe XD, tested with users to validate flow and usability
  
  

• Wireframes - Fully annotated documentation covering states, interactions, and behaviours for developer handoff

The visual direction used neumorphism and soft UI for a clean, minimalist aesthetic, standing apart from cluttered competitor UIs.

The project demonstrated how a user-centred, research-driven approach could position a smaller airline (or new entrant) to compete with established players. Drawing parallels with Monzo’s disruption of banking, the concept showed that in a mature, saturated market, superior UX can still be a winning differentiator.