Emirates Web & App

Let’s start with some App work - ICE

The Emirates app team were assigned the challenge of redesigning the ICE section within the app. With the existing experience being a simple flat PDF download, it was time to bring their key airline entertainment experience over to the mobile product in a capacity which the complex technical landscape would allow and would also enrich the users’ preflight experience.  

The main problem being solved here was, how could we delight the users with a video/entertainment experience (ICE) within the realms of the legacy code. Additionally, how would we also retain consistency to the MyTrips redesign style while also maximising the visual design opportunity of the rich media content available. Success factors included increases in user engagement and viewing time, obviously, however, we also wanted users to create preflight playlists which they could use during their future travel. This feature was assessed as being a key success factor in its uptake. 

Discovery

Workshops

We conducted workshops to discover all the requirements, surfaced assumptions and to flash out ideas with the PO and other key stakeholders. What was clear from the early session was the high level of misalignment between the client stakeholders, their expectations of ICE and how it could be delivered in their busy product roadmap. A beneficial output of the early workshops was surfacing these multiple directions so they could be consolidated into a more focused one. With technical feasibility and politics aside, the UX requirements became progressively clearer with each workshop activity undertaken. 

Catalyst

Catalyst is Tigerspike's problem-solving practice, aligning business priorities around measurable goals. Teams require focus, alignment, understanding of why they're making the decisions. Tigerspike's methods and mindsets kick-start the change by defining the problem, aligning success factors, harnessing assumptions and carrying out the right validation activities to boost product confidence. We used the Catalyst board to surface low, medium and high confidence-rated assumptions to the client at multiple points throughout the process, ensuring maximal exposure to both risks and opportunities but also raising the client's accountability for them. This helped speed up decision-making on product strategy at all levels. 

Ideate

Co-created sketches, wireframes and user-flow collaboration

Through our secondary workshops which included members from UX, UI, PO and Devs, we co-created our collective vision of the product. This led to a solid UX proposal which was validated during the workshops and activities undertaken afterwards to increase assumption confidence (Catalyst). A high degree of votes went towards the patterns you would find in Netflix and products of this nature. The 'wow' factor for Emirates was in this realm. 

Refine

Native app design

I designed the UI of the app with regular check-ins with Emirates and carried out internal testing, validating assumptions to minimise their risks or boost confidence. The first designs explored a light UI skin which matched MyTrips, a little bit more, however, the dark-themed UI lent itself to the rich content far better. There was scope here to drift slightly off the branded course and explore the ICE experience as a separate micro app, which was a pivoted product plan as an outcome of our discovery work. The results satisfied all of the requirements and then some with the visual design. The business, right from the top boardroom level, was delighted and is driving its build forward in the road map.

Other work