Project Summary
Challenge
How might we help airlines and passengers to seamlessly manage their checked baggage during air travel?
Solution
A mobile Application that can easily track checked-in baggage
Additionally, provided a systems design update - an RFID tracking system to all the airports for supporting real-time baggage monitoring through the app.
MY ROLE
Lead Product Designer
DURATION
3 Months
October - December
MY TEAM
Lead Product Designer
University Mentor
Final Solution
Here's the final application design after employing all the insights gathered from research and User testing.
DIVING INTO THE PROCESS
Why Baggage Mishandling?Â
Imagine you're one of the 400,000 people flying within India every day, excited about your trip. By 2027, it's expected that 400 million travelers, including both domestic and international flyers, will take to the skies. As thrilling as air travel is, there's a common problem many of us face: mishandled baggage.
With so many people flying, airports and airlines work hard to keep everything running smoothly, including taking care of our luggage. But sometimes, things go wrong. Bags can get lost, sent on the wrong flight, or even come back damaged. It's surprising to learn that 40 bags are mishandled every minute at airports.
They are not "JUST BAGS"🧳
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It's more than just an inconvenience; it's about the trust we put in the system when we check in our bags, hoping they'll make the journey safely with us. As air travel grows, the challenge of keeping our luggage safe becomes even bigger. This issue isn't just about losing stuff; it's a reminder that as we fly more, we need to find better ways to ensure our belongings fly safely with us too.
Where to start?- Research Plan
To start with the problem, I started researching the airport system to understand all the stakeholders and plan research. Here are the research questions that I came up with to understand more about the problem:
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What are the primary causes of baggage mishandling at airports from the perspectives of stakeholders?
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What are the current processes in place for handling baggage mishandling complaints, and how effective are they from the perspective of passengers and staff?
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What role does technology play in baggage handling, and what are the gaps in current solutions?
Who are key stakeholders in Baggage Mishandling?
After understanding the airport system I found out that 3 main personas are involved in the process of Baggage handling and they are:
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Air Hostesses
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Passengers
Ground staff
PROBLEM EXPLORATION
Passenger Journey Map
We have all been through this process many time but in case you forgot, here is the general passenger's journey and steps for us to get acquainted.
RESEARCH
Existing Solution and process at airports- Technical stuff 📡
The existing system for baggage tracking primarily relies on
Barcoding or Optical character recognition, which requires individual scanning of tags. And no special tracking is provided by airlines.
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Challenges
Barcode and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Scanning:
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Integration issues with systems can cause misrouted baggage.
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Damaged barcodes or poor-quality prints affect tracking reliability.
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Infrastructure:
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Outdated systems struggle with baggage volume, causing mishandling.
UNDERSTANDING BAGGAGE FLOW IN DETAIL
How does Baggage system work? - Literature review
The chart beside explains how the baggage is checked-in.
Destination-coded vehicles (DCVs), unmanned carts propelled by linear induction motors mounted to the tracks, can load and unload bags without stopping.
Automatic scanners scan the labels on the luggage.
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The scanned information is processed by a central computer system that coordinates the movement of luggage within the airport. Based on the destination information obtained from the labels, the system determines the most efficient route for each bag to reach its respective departure gate.
Conveyors equipped with junctions and sorting machines automatically route the bags to the gate
RESEARCH
Baggage Transfer process
Transfer baggage mishandling in this criteria has become the major issue accounting for approximately 45% of overall mishandled baggage.
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Airport Apron: The Apron is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, boarded and maintained. The transfer process consists of two main parts, (i) The Incoming and (ii) The Outgoing transfer process.
Figure below shows a detailed view of the incoming transfer baggage process. After landing, the air- plane arrives at the aprons, where aircraft are parked, (un)loaded, refueled, or boarded. Apron Services begins unloading the baggage.
Click to view bigger image
USER INTERVIEWS
Identifying Problems
Then , I started with Participant Observation for about 8 hours to understand their daily work schedules, problems and journey. I also Interviewed 4 Air hostesses, 4 Ground staff and 6 Passengers to understand their cycle and experience with lost baggage in more detail.
Here are some important Insights from Interviews:
Identified Problems
Analyzing and identifying common problems and causes in the above system
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Baggage mishandling happens when there are communication differences in the management system
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Baggage handling system sector in airport has automated system but many errors occur as the existing system is not efficient.
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Passengers have often got damaged and dirty bags at the arrivals- low maintenance.
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The larger the airport, the more the lost baggages.
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Passengers have also encountered baggage being exchanged by other passenger.
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Airports find it hard to track the baggage when multiple airports are involved.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
Identified User Needs
Having gathered extensive insights through our survey, interviews, and personas exploring student needs balancing responsibilities, we uncovered several critical imperatives our solution directions must address.
REDEFINING
Design Question
After carefully identifying the patterns and answers from research, I redefined the design question to target the kind of system that can help this problem.
"How might we design an easily usable, reliable and a dependable tracking system of the baggage checked-in at the airport to the Baggage handling system?"
BRAINSTORMING
Ideations
Based on the insights from research keeping RFID Tags in mind I came up with about 10+ ideas and out of which these are strongest concepts.
#1 Bluetooth device attachment and track through Kiosk
FEATURES
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Personal Tracking Devices: Equip each bag with a Bluetooth tracking device, allowing real-time location tracking.
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Integration with Baggage Handling Systems (BHS): Ensure the tracking devices can communicate with the airport's BHS for seamless updates.
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Kiosk Enquiries: Provide kiosks at airports where passengers can get immediate updates about their luggage's location.
WHY THIS WORKS
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This system addresses passengers' concerns about luggage mishandling by offering a transparent and user-friendly way to monitor their bags' journey, significantly reducing anxiety and improving the travel experience.
#2 Installing RFID Scanners
FEATURES
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Advanced Scanners on Conveyor Belts: Position scanners along conveyor belts to track bags at various stages of handling.
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Real-time Passenger Updates: Passengers receive automatic updates about their luggage via mobile phone, linked to their PNR number and email ID.
WHY THIS WORKS
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This idea aims to streamline luggage tracking, providing passengers with peace of mind through continuous, real-time updates on their baggage, thereby improving overall customer satisfaction and trust in the airline's baggage handling process.
#3 RFID Tracker and Application
FEATURES
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RFID Trackers on Conveyor Ceilings: Install RFID trackers above conveyor belts for optimal bag scanning.
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Comprehensive Mobile Application: A multifunctional app for baggage tracking, direct communication with airport authorities, document storage, and live flight updates. Requires Aadhar ID for login, automatically links to PNR.
WHY THIS WORKS
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This approach not only improves baggage tracking precision but also centralizes travel-related information and services for passengers, offering a streamlined, stress-free travel experience.
CONCEPT DIRECTION
Final Concept - A Mobile Application with live updates about baggage
The two initial concepts show promise, but they fall short of meeting all user needs and design goals. Here's how the third concept fulfills these requirements:
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In addressing poor communication, the mobile app stands out by offering real-time updates on baggage location, effectively minimizing confusion and frustration among passengers.
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By incorporating RFID technology, the third concept significantly enhances baggage handling efficiency, mitigating errors often associated with manual or existing methods. This directly tackles the issue of inadequate training and coordination.
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Accurate baggage tracking not only improves operational efficiency but also has the potential to decrease the necessity for compensation. Additionally, the app streamlines the claims process, ensuring a more reliable and user-friendly experience for passengers.
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Providing passengers with the ability to track their luggage's precise location establishes and improves a sense of trust and satisfaction, as they remain informed throughout their journey.
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The app can elevate the overall passenger experience by consolidating other essential travel features as well.
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DESIGN
Information Architecture
After finalizing the idea and concept, I came up with a Information architecture to organize and visualize the expected features in the application.
Click to open a zoomed in view of the IA.
DESIGN
Proposed Feature ideas for uncovered problems
Here are the final features that have been decided based on the research and user needs,​
Tracking Features:
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PNR-based Bag Tracking:
Easily link your bag to the PNR number for one-tap tracking. -
Real-Time Location Updates:
Track your bag’s location as it moves through stages. -
Belt Number Notifications:
Receive notifications on the correct belt for bag pickup.
Damage & Safety Features:
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Report Damaged Bags:
Snap and upload photos to report any bag damage instantly. -
Dangerous Item Alerts:
Get notified if flagged items are found in your bag, with steps to resolve the issue.
Verification & Security:
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Green Checkmarks:
Get verification updates at each step of the process for peace of mind. -
Verification Photos:
Receive photos of your bag after each verification step for additional security.
Additional Features:
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Larger Baggage Tags:
Improved barcode readability with larger tags. -
Paid Add-Ons for Extra Protection:
Opt for additional security features at an extra cost. -
Kiosk Integration for Airlines:
Airlines can easily track bags through integrated kiosk systems.
WIREFRAMING
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Here are the mid-fidelity wireframes reflecting based on the Information Architecture. I have designed them based for Airport Authority of India to maintain equal access and features to when they are visiting multiple domestic airports in India.
DESIGN
Airport Authority of India Mobile Application
Here is the final design based on the mid-fidelity wireframes;
BAGGAGE TRACKING
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How long should I wait near the belt? or worse Is my bag going to be on Belt 2 or 6?
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Baggage tracking has feature has been put in main bottom navigation bar to give quick and easy access. There are several steps mention from check-in to airport loading and as soon as the step is done, you get a confirmation.
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In case of Advanced baggage tracking, the ground staff will take a photograph and will be uploaded for you to check.
How does this work?
A RFID Scanner is attached at every checkpoint making sure it catches and scans every bag accurately. The moment the it is scanned the data is updated on the server and the onto to the passenger interface. This way they can see the bag process easily on their phones.
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In case of Advanced tracking- A photo can be taken and uploaded onto server through PNR reference by a ground staff member at some key checkpoints.
Additional Features
HOME PAGE
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The Home page shows you your upcoming journeys and their details like airport names, Flight status, Flight number, PNR Number, Seat number , Gate number etc.
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This will give you a quick Look into your journey in absence of your physical boarding pass.
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You can also view your location, Weather, Insurance information, Travel guidelines and other important information about Airport Authority of India.
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QUICK NAVIGATION
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These features have put in easy reach to prompt quick reach and easy access.
The features include
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Baggage Packing: It tells you the estimated cost when you opt to get extra packaging to protect it from wear and tear.
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Advanced Baggage tracking: In advanced Baggage tracking you get a photo confirmation of your bag and its status at every checkpoint it passes through and Also estimated price for it.
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Restaurants: In this feature, you can see all the available restaurants and their details in the airport if you wish to have meal there.
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Lounge: Through this feature, you can see all the available lounges at the airport and their offerings in the application.
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Transportation: This feature is to see the types of transportation to and from the airport to leave or arrive. This includes bus numbers and timings, taxi services etc.
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Assistance: This option is for people who need assistance like wheel chair or companion to take care of them while they travel.
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TRAVEL CHECK-LIST
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Forgot to Pack your phone charger again?
Worry less, this feature provides you with a comprehensive editable checklist of the things you need before leaving your home to keep on track and help you carry all the essentials for your trip.
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There are multiple sections in this feature like Home, Airport, Departure etc. Telling you exact things in exact locations to keep in track and care of.
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LIVE FLIGHT STATUS
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Can't find the flight status screen?
No worries, here you can find the status of your flight status easily whether it is in check-in, security or boarding. You ca easily see the all the flights's status in the airport in a single page here.
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You can also find important announcements in notifications section on the top.
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PROFILE FEATURES
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In this section you can not only edit your details but also you can have access to digital copies of important travel documents like:
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Boarding pass
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Passport
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Aadhar Card (Indian Nationality Identity Card)
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Vaccine Certificate
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And access to Customer care in case of any queries or even emergencies.
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SIGN UP PROCESS
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Last but not least here is sign up and sign in flow with AAI's (Airport Authority of India) branding, leading to home page.
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Prototyping
Here is a link to the prototype of the above design after incorporating all the features from research analysis.
Reflections
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This was my first solo UX design project and it was a great learning experience.
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Regular consultations with a university mentor and an employee at airport provided expert insights that sharpened the application's design and functionality.
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Early research stages, including a thorough literature review, were key in setting a clear direction for the project's focus on improving baggage management.
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In future, I would conduct a more extensive outreach for user interviews to get a broader perspective beyond my immediate network.
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With additional time, the project could have used more advanced Usability testing methods for testing.
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A more targeted research approach focusing on the core issues of baggage management in airport system might streamline the process and results- maybe a service design blueprint.