THE PROCESS

The aim of this challenge was to apply the Design Thinking methodology to solve a given complex problem.

Due to the post-pandemic situation in which the work was carried out and given the educational nature of the project, the problem definition phase was based on the analysis of online interviews linked to key figures at the airport and on the reviews left by the various users of the station.

On the basis of the information collected, a series of pain points were then identified with which it was possible to build different personas (divided between those leaving, those arriving and those in transit).

Subsequently, through a Crazy8 session, different solutions were proposed for each aspect considered. 

Once the sketches had been collected, a Design Space was created where the ideas that emerged were discussed.

Finally, using the guidelines provided by Material Design, a Low Fidelity (LoFi) and subsequently High Fidelity (HiFi) model was created to create the solution designed.

THE STAKEHOLDERS 

• Primary users: travelers and travellers' companions;

• Secondary users: airport management, ground staff and sales points located at the airport;

• Tertiary users: Save S.p.A group and il Milione S.p.A.

Only primary users will be briefly reviewed below.

DOMAIN ANALYSIS

Through the information retrieved, a set of actors, events and interactions was outlined, orbiting around a focal point: "airport transit".

Specifically in two distinct moments: one of PLANNING (PIANIFICAZIONE) and one of EXECUTION (ESECUZIONE) of what was planned.

The PLANNING moment in which the traveler prepares himself for what he will need to know before embarking on the trip:

1. Trip planning: that is, the collection of all the necessary or useful elements before leaving;

2. Effective travel management: the use of the elements presented previously. From this topic we reflected on all the essential aspects involved, managing to find six;

3. Access services present in the structure;

4. Waiting time

5. Purchase a ticket;

6. Check deadlines;

Next comes the moment of EXECUTION:

7. Taking the plane;

8. Travel;

In all of this, the role of AIRPORT BOARDS is particularly relevant to allow travelers to manage both moments.

PAIN POINTS 

Given the reference domain, the main factors related to travel in an airport facility were taken into consideration, from the identification of the fundamental touch points, to the use of services and the information needs of users

The reviews considered proved to be particularly useful in understanding what were some of the elements that could be addressed with a potential solution.

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION: EASYFLY

EasyFly is a downloadable tool whose purpose is to guarantee more immediate access to the main services of Venice Marco Polo airport directly from your smartphone.

The application also acts as a support tool with which you can consult flight boards, deadlines, check-in times and your reservations without having to rely exclusively on the not always visible panels present at the airport.

Below are some of the hypothesized user flows with EasyFly

PURCHASE OR SCAN A TICKET

By purchasing or scanning the user has the opportunity to read and deadlines associated with it and subsequently set reminders to arrive on time.

When purchasing the ticket you are offered the possibility of booking a parking space within the structure or using a discount code on the final price.

LOCATE AIRPORT SERVICES

A common characteristic of many pain points detected was the need to find something, for this reason it was decided to add an integrated map within the app which allows the user to find specific services such as relaxation rooms, refreshment points or bathrooms in the structure and follow the appropriate directions to reach the place.

Furthermore, through the information provided, the staff can warn of certain disabled services or occupied corridors before the user can even get there.

Given the importance of orientation within an airport, accessibility to the map on each screen is guaranteed via the bottom bar.

DESIGN SYSTEM 

The HiFi model was created according to the guidelines proposed by Material Design 2, to speed up development the same components offered by the relevant graphics library were used.

The primary and secondary colors derive from those used on the official page of Venice Marco Polo airport:

• Primary color: #008def; 

• Secondary color #ffd200; 

Three specific shades were chosen for each color: Light - Medium - Dark.

The icons comes from FreePik

CONCLUSION

EasyFly is a project born, developed and completed for a university exam during the COVID19 period, but if it had really been a proposal for the Venetian airport company then the design of a solution capable of satisfying the customer would have required decidedly more time and research.

The development of the solution proved to be an excellent collaborative exercise between multiple designers, where knowing how to question oneself and manage unexpected problems proved fundamental to the success of the product.

In the future I hope to be able to work on this type of application again, this time with greater experience and attention to detail.

Team members and supervisors

Elisa Vaccari | majoring in HCI | UI UX Designer

Patrick Lasta | majoring in HCI | UI UX designer

Massimo Zancanaro | Professor at the department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences