Making Google Flights user-friendly for frequent flyers and effortless for all
Course Project
Website
UX Research
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Take a Glance!
Discover the transformation of Google Flights on this platform, showcasing a redesigned interface aimed at optimizing user experience. The project highlights a shift towards a cleaner, more accessible layout that simplifies the process of finding and booking flights, emphasizing visual elements to assist users in making informed decisions. This initiative brings forth an elevated platform that marries functionality with a modern design ethos, enhancing the overall flight search and booking journey.
Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects
Team & Duration
1 student & 1 developer, 14 weeks
My Role
Design Research, Ideation & Concept Development, UX/UI Lead, Wireframing & Prototyping
How might we refine the Google Flights search interface to empower general users with advanced booking capabilities of frequent flyers, thereby enhancing the travel planning experience for all?
Challenge
In our effort to uncover areas for improvement, we conducted interviews with Google Flights users. Our goal was to pinpoint challenges and desires specific to different types of travelers. Through these conversations, we identified key features that could enhance the flight-booking process.
Interviews
The outcome is a redesigned Google Flights interface that offers intuitive search filters, clear navigation, and alerts for fare changes, making it more aligned with the needs of both frequent and occasional flyers.
Age: 35
Infrequent traveler
MATT SIMPSON
Frequency of Travel:
Flies less frequently, possibly once a year or for specific occasions.
Challenges:
Difficulty understanding the myriad of flight deals and navigating through the options.
Ease of Use:
Needs a more simplified and guided experience when booking flights.
Booking Habits:
May use a mix of travel comparison sites and direct airline websites, but lacks a consistent preference due to infrequent travel.
Desired Features:
Clear information on the best value deals, with alerts for price drops or special offers.
Age: 32
Seasoned frequent flyer
AIKO KRISHNA
Frequency of Travel:
Flies every 2-3 months, for personal or business travel, sometimes with a guest.
Challenges:
Finding balance between cost and convenience, understanding flight options, and using mileage.
Ease of Use:
Prefers looking up available options regardless of price.
Booking Habits:
Uses Google Flights and books directly with airlines to optimize loyalty benefits.
Desired Features:
A system to consolidate deals and miles for the best booking options across airlines.
Mid 20s
Frequent flyer
NACK CHOON JUNG
Frequency of Travel:
Travels every 1-2 months, primarily for personal reasons.
Challenges:
Difficulty in finding flights that balance cost and convenience, specifically aiming to minimize layovers.
Struggles with reading flight schedules and finding options that include desired layover strategies.
Ease of Use:
Prefers straightforward navigation and clear scheduling for selecting flights.
Booking Habits:
Utilizes Google Flights for exploration and books directly with airlines to benefit from loyalty incentives.
Desired Features:
A more intuitive multi-date search function with specific filters and enhanced visual aids for rate comparison.
"I want to find balance between price and convenience."
"I struggled to use my miles/points."
"The visual display for rate comparison needs improvement."
"I want to understand what flight options are available to me."
Interviews Summarized
In the United States, just 12 percent of people take 66 percent of all flights. That trend is also evident in other developed countries, such as the United Kingdom where 15 percent of people fly 70 percent of the time.
Small number of frequent flyers dominate air travel.
Why frequent flyers?
Research
Loyalty program benefits.
52% of active travelers are members of at least one hotel loyalty program, and 48% have joined at least one airline loyalty program (MMGY)
What do frequent flyers want ?
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Currently, Google Flights displays too much text.
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Existing flight search engines lack features for frequent flyers.
Discovery
User Workflow & Opportunity
In the current user workflow, multiple iterations are necessary to reach the end goal.
A user will need to compare tickets in a difficult to navigate screen, followed by additional add-ons and information that frequent travellers want, which will ultimately lead to more comparisons. This cyclical back and forth step can be minimized with a reimagined user journey map.
The new user workflow will showcase all the add-ons and frequent flyer information directly into the flight results page, that is visually stunning for easy comparisons between different flight options. Information such as frequent flyer benefits, prices in dollars as well as miles, and visually intuitive flight displays in one single page removes the back and forth interactions.
User Workflow & Opportunity
In the current user workflow, multiple iterations are necessary to reach the end goal.
A user will need to compare tickets in a difficult to navigate screen, followed by additional add-ons and information that frequent travellers want, which will ultimately lead to more comparisons. This cyclical back and forth step can be minimized with a reimagined user journey map.
In order to simplify the text content, a timebar is added with all information elements, creating a clearer view. This makes it easier to understand the layover times and the total flight duration at a glance.
New Feature (Time Bar)
To tailor the booking experience to individual rewards profiles, the system is designed to filter the tiers of frequent flyer programs a customer participates in. By entering credit card information into US Reward Program filter, the system can determine which credit card points can be redeemed for purchase, thereby simplifying the process of utilizing travel rewards.
New Feature (Info Input)
At-a-glance information, frequent flyer program benefit info, mileage amount indication should be displayed from within the new feature time bar and info input field.
Comparison
1. There is too much text on Google Flights.
2. Existing flight search engines don’t have features tailor made for frequent flyers.
Current
User Testing + Iteration
During the transition from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes, I spearheaded a usability testing session with classmates and interviewers. The objective was to evaluate whether the prototypes aligned with user needs, particularly focusing on critical features like the visualization of the timebar and the input of personal information.
Iterations
During the iteration process, user feedback regarding flight information was taken into consideration, resulting in a series of four iterations that progressively refined the final version.
Style Guide & Simple Design System
In the Simple Design System, it's possible to modify and adjust all designs because they are created as components, allowing for every possible variation.
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Age:35
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Work: Software Engineer
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Location: SF
Matthew
Personal
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Frequent flyer, typically reimbursed by employer.
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He travels frequently on business trips.
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Most of the time, he gets a free flight on a business trip
Key Traits
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Knowing when to use my mileage effectively
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Long "daisy chained" itineraries conflict with international airline policies.
Goal
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Wants and needs the best options
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Needs easy comparison shopping at a glance
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He wants to compare the executive benefits of ever airline.
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Wants: comfort, free upgrades, lounge access, private workspace.
Motivation &Needs
Using the information obtained from interviews with Resurge, we have created the optimal persona. This fictional character will appear in the user story video.
Promotion Video (with sound)
This video was created for my graduation exhibition to help people quickly and easily understand my project and was displayed at the graduation exhibition.
User Story
User Case Flow
Compare
Confirm
Search
Enter destination and date.
Including frequent flyer status and a U.S. reward program provides access to the most suitable results.
Search Page
01. Search
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Enter destination and date.
Including frequent flyer status and a U.S. reward program provides access to the most suitable results.
Search Page
01. Search
02. Compare (1)
Scrolling the chart horizontally allows for comparing departure times, arrival times, and flight durations at a glance.
An icon will appear on the side of the chart to indicate which flights have the benefit of your frequent flyer status, and a U.S. reward program provides access to the most suitable results.
Results Page (Chart)
Scrolling the chart horizontally allows for comparing departure times, arrival times, and flight durations at a glance.
An icon will appear on the side of the chart to indicate which flights have the benefit of your frequent flyer status, and a U.S. reward program provides access to the most suitable results.
02. Compare (1)
Results Page (Chart)
02. Compare (2)
Clicking on the timeline enables comparison of airport information, frequent flyer program benefits, prices, and mileage prices.
Results Page (Dropdown)
02. Compare (2)
Results Page (Dropdown)
Clicking on the timeline enables comparison of airport information, frequent flyer program benefits, prices, and mileage prices.
03.Confirm
Provides outbound and return flight schedule information, along with details on pricing, benefits, and mileage ticket purchasing methods via step-by-step guidance.
Summary Page
Provides outbound and return flight schedule information, along with details on pricing, benefits, and mileage ticket purchasing methods via step-by-step guidance.
03.Confirm
Summary Page
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Knowing when to use my mileage effectively
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Long "daisy chained" itineraries conflict with international airline policies.
What is the most important thing when buying a plane ticket?
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Looking up what's available (if price is not an object)
What is the most difficult part of buying a plane ticket?
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Google Flights to look up options, and then usually purchase through airline directly
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Has used TripActions B2B employee travel manager for business trips.
Are there any features you want?
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Google Flights, Amex Travel, Expedia, Orbitz
What website do you use to buy plane tickets?
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Award Hacker and Google Flights
Do you have a favorite website or app?
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Flies personal and business, every 2-3 months, sometimes with a guest.
AIKO KRISHNA
Interviews
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Seeking balance between price and convenience. Strongly wants to avoid long layovers.
What is the most important thing when buying a plane ticket?
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Understanding what flight options are available. (Example: hard to read schedules for finding "red eye flights")
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Most sites don't offer options with "legs"--deliberately planning transfers and layovers to lower overall price. (LAX>LaGuardia>Heathrow vs LAX>Heathrow)
What is the most difficult part of buying a plane ticket?
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Ability to search multiple dates with specific filters.
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Improved visual aids for comparing rates.
Are there any features you want?
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Google Flights, Amex Travel, Expedia, Orbitz
What website do you use to buy plane tickets?
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Doesn't typically use any one app for purchases. Uses Google Flights search engines to see options. Buys tickets directly from airlines in order to collect loyalty incentives or flier miles.
Do you have a favorite website or app?
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Mid 20s, avg salary:
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Flies every 1-2 months, for personal travel
NACK CHOON JUNG
You can filter the levels of frequent flyer programs you've signed up for. By inputting the credit cards you possess into the U.S. Reward program list, you can determine which credit card points can be used to purchase plane tickets.
New
2. Existing flight search engines don’t have features for Frequent flyer.
Current
