WINGS is a groundbreaking platform changing how travel services work. It lets travel agents and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) access airlines' products directly, without any middlemen. This means airlines can offer their services directly to users, making the process smoother and more efficient.

WINGS breaks from the norm by bypassing middlemen like Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). This allows airlines to offer their services directly without extra layers of involvement. By using the New Distribution Capability (NDC), WINGS aligns with the vision of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), revolutionizing how airlines distribute their services.

I joined WINGS as the founding product designer and worked closely with the founding team to create a disruptive platform for travel agents. We began by talking to users and exploring rival products to understand the challenge. There was equal interest from the airline community in this product, as they saw it as an opportunity to expand their avenues for ancillary revenue by bringing in third-party players.

After careful design and testing, we launched a global MVP of WINGS, introducing travel agents to its potential. Their feedback was crucial and helped us improve the platform over time. This iterative process ensured that WINGS remained up-to-date with changes in the travel industry.

WINGS is a testament to teamwork, innovation, and a focus on users' needs. It's a game-changing solution that makes airline distribution more efficient and empowers users.

Project Brief

Our project aimed to enhance the airline e-commerce experience by addressing the limitations of existing GDS products. These systems, including Amadeus, Sabre, and Galileo, were outdated and hindered airline branding and shopping experiences. Our goal was to bridge this gap and provide a more seamless and personalized experience.

Stakeholder Interviews

I had in-depth conversations with the founders to grasp the business side of the project. The core team brought over 50 years of combined experience in the airline industry, software development, and product management, including expertise in airline reservation systems and IT innovation. I leveraged their extensive knowledge to understand the product's vision. It was crucial for me to learn about the history and evolution of airline ticketing and the current market competitors.

Competitive Analysis

I analyzed industry leaders like Amadeus, Sabre, and Galileo, identifying their shortcomings and areas where our platform could innovate. The biggest issue I noticed was that all these tools were command-based and shared similar drawbacks.

User Interviews and Surveys

I engaged with travel agents in India and delegates from Japan to gather insights. They shared their experiences with GDS tools and highlighted pain points and areas for improvement. This feedback underscored the need for better technology and more engaging shopping experiences. The main concerns included command-based UX, lack of personalization, no rich content display, poor keyboard navigation, and no real-time comparison.

Personas & Scenarios

I developed personas that captured the challenges travel agents face in planning, shopping, and booking travel. These personas guided my design process, ensuring that key pain points were addressed. In creating these personas, I made sure to encompass all types of users and their unique challenges.

Customer Experience Maps

I then created experience maps to highlight the disconnects in current GDS systems and identify opportunities for a more seamless and engaging experience. These maps visualized the travel agents' current experiences, allowing me to effectively pinpoint areas for improvement.

Task Flows and User Flows

Reviewing multiple personas and stages in the customer journey helped refine our task flows and user flows. We began by structuring the information to ensure a logical user flow with appropriate steps. We identified flows like onboarding, booking, post-booking, and cancellation, ensuring a seamless user experience for each stage.

Wireframes

We began by structuring the information architecture to ensure a logical and user-friendly layout for our platform.

Visual Design

We selected Roboto as our typeface for its versatility and designed a color palette featuring sky blue and light crimson red. The design was adaptable to different screen sizes, ensuring flexibility and maintaining fluidity for travel agents working on smaller monitors.

Prototype

A prototype was launched, allowing stakeholders, partners, and clients to interact with a realistic version of the product. This helped identify and address issues with interactions like error messages and pop-ups.

Usability Test Reports

Once the MVP was developed and launched, I revisited the travel agents for usability testing. The feedback was positive, confirming our strategy of third-party merchandising and validating our design choices. During testing, we discovered new insights into the product flow, prompting us to refine some features and functionalities. This helped improve the product's usability. We measured factors like Task Completion, Learnability, Efficiency, User Satisfaction, Error Tracking, and Task Success Criteria.

Continuous Improvement Plans

As development progressed, we quickly made necessary changes based on ongoing feedback. The prototype continued to be a valuable tool during front-end development, helping maintain clarity and consistency.