In 2014, United began WCAG 2.0 accessibility remediation of united.com and 20% of airport kiosks as described by the Department of Transportation's new Air Carrier Accessibility Act (ACAA).
My Account Activity
(Mobile web)
(Mobile web)
The Task
Design a new, responsive, "My Account" section for MileagePlus members to view and manage account activity on a mobile device without having to download an app.
The Challenge
The My Account section contains a large number of features that needed to be included without looking cluttered.
The Design Solution
Redesigning the navigation to increase usability and understanding was crucial to the success of this project. I added icons to highlight activity type on the Activity page. These icons were carried through to the Summary page for cohesion and to facilitate visual scanning. Creating a strong visual hierarchy of the information returned was a key to success with this project considering the abundance of information and excessive page length. Minimizing the per-page tasks lessens the cognitive load and simplifies the process. During user testing the design succeeded in helping users accomplish given tasks without feeling overwhelmed.
United.com (WCAG Remediation)
The Task
Changes in DOT regulations required all airline websites and kiosks in the U.S. to adhere to the standards set forth in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, Level AA.
The Challenge
United.com and all 3rd party sites, with page totals numbering in the thousands had to be remediated in a short amount of time to comply with web accessibility standards (known as WCAG 2.0.) or face stiff fines.
The Design Solution
After categorizing pages by level of difficulty, easier pages were handed-off to small teams of people that I had previously trained. The remaining pages were systematically redesigned or reworked to not only meet WCAG 2.0 standards, but to exceed them. In doing so, an enjoyable user experience was created for all visitors.
An interesting change in site feedback occurred after the accessibility update. Prior to the update, United had been receiving daily complaints from non-disabled customers who were struggling to read site text and find primary action buttons. And while the only visible change to the site was an increase in color contrast, the angry complaints stopped abruptly after the accessibility release!
Making united.com accessible created a more usable and enjoyable experience for everyone, which in turn lead to United winning the 2017 Access Award from the American Foundation for the Blind.