Project Overview
A seamless air travel app for first-time flyers.
A mobile application that transforms the Star Alliance platform into a seamless, end-to-end travel companion. It integrates flight booking, airport navigation, baggage tracking and post-trip reflection into one unified experience. It is designed to simplify air travel and make international journeys more accessible and less stressful for first-time and inexperienced travellers.
The Client
Star Alliance is the world's largest airline alliance, founded in 1997 with a brand mission of enabling seamless world travel. The alliance connects 26 member airlines across 1,290 airports in 195 countries - a network footprint no individual airline or third-party app can replicate.
Problem Statement
How might we reduce the stress and uncertainty that prevents people from travelling by providing a seamless, guided, all-in-one air travel experience?
Research Methodology
Research was conducted through surveys, interviews and desk research to understand the pain points of new and inexperienced travellers across the full travel journey.
Primary Survey
Conducted a survey with 38 travellers who had flown within the past year to capture key pain points, stress triggers and overall travel experiences.
Secondary Research
Synthesized insights from over 30 sources, including industry reports, large-scale airline reviews and global travel studies to identify patterns in traveller behaviour and stress factors.
Competitive Analysis
Evaluated airline apps, third-party tools (e.g., FlightAware, TripIt), and online travel agencies to identify market gaps like the absence of a unified platform integrating flight tracking, baggage information, loyalty programs and destination guidance.
Industry & Academic Insights
Reviewed academic and industry research on travel anxiety, airport stress and behavioural patterns to inform a deeper understanding of traveller psychology and decision-making.
Key Findings & Insights
Four distinct stress categories emerged consistently across both secondary sources and primary survey responses, each pointing to a specific design requirement.
Pre-trip preparation is the biggest stressor
The volume of research required - packing rules, documentation, itinerary planning, airline-specific policies - overwhelms new travellers before they even reach the airport. No single source consolidates this information.
"I'm nervous about forgetting something important when heading somewhere new." — survey respondent
Based on a 2024 survey of 2,409 Americans conducted by CivicScience.
Airport procedures create acute anxiety
Check-in queues, security, gate changes, and connecting flight navigation are the highest-stakes moments for inexperienced travellers. The physical environment is confusing and information is scattered across signage, apps and screens.
"The most annoying part is missed connecting flights and subsequent inappropriate arrangements by the airline." — survey respondent
Based on a 2024 survey of 2,409 Americans conducted by CivicScience.
Baggage rules are opaque and inconsistent
Allowances vary by airline, route and cabin class - making packing feel like guesswork. Travellers also feel helpless once bags are checked, with no visibility into where their luggage is.
"Sometimes I can bring items and sometimes I can't — I literally won't know till I try." — survey respondent
Based on a 2019 analysis of 15,000 reviews of 12 major airlines conducted by TNMT.
Flight irregularities are the most stressful part of air travel
Cancellations and delays leave travellers feeling powerless. Airline rebooking processes are confusing and slow, especially for those on multi-leg itineraries across different carriers where no single party takes ownership.
Based on a 2019 analysis of 15,000 reviews of 12 major airlines conducted by TNMT.
Design Process
With weekly group meetings and teaching team feedback sessions, three iterations refined the scope and focus of the solution throughout the project.
Online Feedback Session
Group Brainstorming Session
Design Process Overview
First Iteration
Second Iteration
Final Iteration of Star Alliance Mobile Application
Design Solution
One app. Every step of the journey.
End-to-end User Experience
Unified Preparation
- Create an account.
- Flight integration through dashboard access.
- Preparation checklist.
- Baggage guidance with AR measurement.
- Destination itinerary suggestions.
Live Guidance
- Trip timeline with live flight updates.
- Airport discovery and rewards.
- Baggage tracking across airlines.
- Flight irregularity rescheduling.
- Guided connections and support.
Travel Logging
- Points progress towards membership and rewards.
- Travel statistics and shareable flight map.
Pre-Trip
To address preparation time and research stress, travel preparation logistics are unified in one timeline. Airline-specific baggage guidance is provided through AR measurement and destination itinerary suggestions with nearby attractions and restaurants are included to jumpstart trip planning.
Star Alliance Entry
Create an Account
Boarding Pass Context
Boarding Pass on Dashboard
Baggage Information
Document Preparation Checklist
Destination Information
Destination Itinerary Suggestions
During-Trip
Travellers get a live updating timeline of events to prepare them for the next steps. Missed or cancelled flights can be rescheduled from the app, giving travellers agency over their schedule. Unique airport sights, lounges and restaurants are highlighted to make airports a memorable experience.
Timeline Update Notification
Live Trip Timeline
Explore Airport Amenities
Lounge Collectible Cards
Baggage Tracking Across Airlines
Support During Flight Irregularity
Post-Trip
Completed flights are displayed on a shareable flight map along with lifetime travel stats. Points are presented as free flight offers and progress towards membership, encouraging continued trip booking.
Past Flights and Travel Log
Travel Statistics and Social Exchange Cards
Airline Progress and Loyalty Points
Airline Rewards System
Design System
A blue gradient sets a calm tone for trusted air travel and subtle animated illustrations guide attention and reduce cognitive load. Green colour on time indicators reinforces a sense of calm and timeliness. Standard airport wayfinding signs are adopted to minimize cognitive load by matching familiar visual patterns.
Travel is stressful and overwhelming, so subtle, responsive animations are used to create a calm interface, allowing travellers to focus on their journey.
Star Alliance Design System
My Reflection
This project challenged me to think beyond individual flights and design for the full emotional arc of travel. By grounding design decisions in real traveller insights and iterating through three distinct scopes, our team was able to arrive at a solution that meaningfully addresses the anxiety new travellers often experience.
I learned to balance ideas with real-world limits. Not every problem can be solved through design. Things like long wait times, unpredictable queues, and security procedures were outside our control. Understanding this helped me see where design can truly make an impact and where bigger system changes are needed.
Overall, this project improved my ability to work within constraints, focus on user needs and keep refining ideas. It was a valuable learning experience that strengthened both my design thinking and problem-solving skills.
Final Presentation Day