“Ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the flight Below.
You may enjoy the scenery under your feet and experience different cultures. We hope to provide an immersive exploration for you to reap unexpected surprising moments. "
Crew member | Wendy, Kit, Annie
My role | User research, Interface design, Video editing
The challenge
With the improvement of people's living quality, the flight has become one of the main travel tools. Passenger volume is expected to reach 7.2 billion by 2023. However, the general attitude of most people towards inflight experience is not impressive. Trips by flight emphasize the destination over the journey with a dreaded long T minus countdown
How might we create an inflight space where passengers can explore their curiosities and feel immersed in the flight journey?
Research
Literature review
Why Roadtrips over Flights?
Discover photo opportunities + The journey is as important as the destination
Most people prefer road trips over flights when they choose a way to travel because of its flexibility, opportunity to explore scenic views, unexpected surprise along the road, etc.
A study of 2,000 Americans found that between planes, trains, and automobiles, Americans prefer traveling by plane least. Scenic views and the freedom to stop whenever are topped two reasons.
Interview
Our target user is tourists who took the airplane. We interviewed 8 experienced tourists who usually take flights to learn about their past flight experiences and their understanding of the meaning of tourism.
Attitude towards current inflight experience
What journeys do people prefer?
User Journey
We studied the behavior trajectory of passengers from boarding to landing and tried to find the pain point and opportunity point at each behavior node.
Takeaways + Shape design goals
Brainstorm
Define the key mission:
Only on a flight are you going above so many countries and cities at once, this special occurrence creates a unique opportunity.
How might we create a journey where you feel connected to the land below as if you are actually there experiencing it?
Participatory workshop
We organized a 75-minute group workshop to understand the user needs through participants’ vision of an ideal inflight experience.
Insights from the workshop
Sketch, storytelling, ideation
Narrow down to 3 initial variations
Design iteration
Voting+ feedback
We presented our three design variations to the class and received feedback from the guests and professors. We also received feedback from our peers in the form of voting dots.
Final Concept
When you are thousands of miles above the ground,
do you ever wonder what is below?
Experience the gradual changes in geography and culture Below. Get to know the city below by viewing its highlighted preview. Tune into the live plane cam when the window isn’t accessible. If you see something outside that interests you, switch to satellite view to view the details. Pick your favorite or try them all, there is a view for everyone.
Experience Like Never Before
Manifest curiosity by exploring the location pins on the map. Scroll through a rich variety of experiences. If a featured experience catches your interest, try it, and a flight attendant will assist you with the experience. Experiences may include food, beverages, inflight activities, souvenirs, music, and more. With Below, passengers will feel that their time flying was well spent.
Final product prototype video
