A 24-hour Hackathon in collaboration with Software Engineers, Data Scientists, and UX Designers to develop solutions for a problem presented by British Airways. The solutions were pitched to a panel of 5 BA representatives and other participants.
My Role
UX / UI Designer
Approach
Agile Methodology, Human Centered design, Design Thinking, Crazy Eight
Duration
24 hours
The Team
UX Designers
Anna Radetskaya
Clara Botet
Kyle Kung
Data Scientists
Henry Nurick
Ahmad Gailani
Software Engineers
Abi Carson
Harry Gale
Roy Doak
Problem Space
British Airways customers whose flights or holidays were delayed or cancelled in 2020-2021 could exchange their payment for a voucher to use at a later time.
Since 2020, many travel vouchers issued have gone unused.
Approach
The UX team took on project management, structuring and guiding the group effort. Data scientists researched customer data to inform our solution, while software engineers handled building out the concept.
The UX team looked into BA's current process of exchanging flight vouchers and made a competitor analysis to see their methodology.
Employing the “crazy 8” technique, we quickly ideated numerous potential solutions as a team. We then used dot voting to narrow down to 2 unique, original solutions that could realistically be built within the hackathon timeframe.
The combination of rapid ideation and dot voting enabled us to hone in on innovative yet achievable options.
Secondary Research
-
British Airways website displays flight vouchers when reviewing flight information.
-
The vouchers lack visibility and contrast, causing them to be easily overlooked.
-
Our analysis uncovered pain points and possible improvements, including the voucher placement being disconnected from the payment page, and difficulty filling out the voucher application form.
-
Competitors display a different set-up
-
On Icelandair, the user is walked through a separate payment page and clearly indicates the option of using the vouchers.
Primary Research
We asked several questions to users with pending vouchers from BA as to why these were not used yet.
-
Some forgot, as they are in an email and did not track it.
-
Others had no plans to fly anytime soon and felt overwhelmed by having to book something to use.
-
Some preferred to book roundtrips with budget airlines, rather than use the voucher.
Our research revealed opportunities for improvements. However, we took an innovative approach, thinking outside the box to develop a unique new voucher usage and management system.
Key Insights
British Airways provides options to use vouchers on their website.
However, this is not given prominent visibility in the flight booking process and users tend to forget they have a pending voucher
Persona
HMW
How Might We encourage customers to book flights using their travel voucher?
Solution
After rapid ideation using the crazy 8s method and collaborative brainstorming, we pursued these three solutions:
1
E-Card
Turn vouchers into E-cards, located in your E-wallet as your credit cards. This keeps them close to the user by reminding them when they open the E-wallet while increasing relevance in users’ minds.
2
Flight Generator using Voucher
Display to users a personalised map of where they can fly with their voucher money, reducing the mental load to complete the transaction.
​
​
​
3
Customization
Place the E-card image in the Review Booking and Payment section of the website. Users then have a more visual way to use their vouchers and less likely to be missed.
The UX team rapidly sketched wireframes centered on British Airways users. Overnight, we developed the visual design including images, text, typography and colors.
Due to the tight timeframe, these assets were handed off to developers to incrementally construct the final product ensuring its readiness for presentation. The UX team assisted with questions and created the presentation.
The solution was then presented in front of a British Airways jury consisting of 5 employees from different areas.
E-Card
1
Customisable and tailored to customers &
More meaningful than an email
Users receive an email with their Voucher as well as an E-Voucher, personalised with their names to be added to their E-wallet.
They will be prompted they still have money to spend in BA, as soon as they access the E-wallet in their phones or watches.
Flight Generator using Voucher
2
Provide available destinations with voucher balance, highlighting selected countries
The home page of BAs website was modified to add a red banner informing users about their expiring eVoucher and guiding them to another page.
Selecting the banner brings the users to a page informing them of the total balance they have left as well as a button indicating them to see what can they do with the money they have.
Users are prompted into this interactive map, where they can see flights can be bought with the money they have left in the voucher.
This simplifies voucher usage for customers, preventing overwhelm by eliminating the need to find items within a specific price range. It offers users a visual and stress-free experience.
3
Customisation
The E-Vouchers will be displayed in the Review booking and Payment method when purchasing a flight in the BAs website.
When displayed, users will be more inclined to use them, they will also be personalised with the customer's name, balance left and the expiring date, to provide a more clear look
Feedback from BA jury
The results where presented to a panel of judges of 5 members from British Airways.
Clear User Flow and UX Research
" The user flow was deemed clear, and UX research on key competitors was acknowledged as a strong point"
Successful POC
" The proof of concept (POC) demonstrated smooth execution, showcasing that the proposed solutions were viable and functional"
Positive Team Dynamics
" The team demonstrated strong collaboration, with clear roles and contributions from each member. The energy and engagement during the presentation were commendable"
Takeaways
This 24-hour hackathon was a valuable experience that I will look back on with pride. It helped me showcase my organisational, leadership, and presentation abilities.
Working cross-functionally provided insights into how UX design can collaborate with other disciplines. I applied my skills in a fast-paced setting with constant, clear communication among groups. We designed an innovative solution while considering skills and tight time constraints. The experience exceeded my expectations.
Our team learned a lot and achieved impressive results in a short timeframe. I'm proud of our collaboration and final product.
