Redesign the airport check-in experience

What They’re Really Asking

Can you systematically tackle a complex, high-friction service design problem and deliver measurable business and user value?

Strong Sample Answer

I would start by empathizing with travelers through contextual inquiry at three major airports, observing pain points like long queues, confusing kiosk flows, and anxiety over bag drop. Using affinity mapping in FigJam, I’d define core problems: excessive wait times (often 20+ minutes) and lack of real-time status feedback. Ideating with the team, we’d explore solutions like a proactive mobile check-in that uses geofencing to prompt users 2 hours before departure, integration with airline apps for digital bag tags, and express lanes for app-checked passengers. I’d prototype a high-fidelity mobile flow in Figma and run unmoderated usability tests on UserTesting with 30 frequent flyers. Iterating on feedback that users wanted clear countdown timers and bag tag instructions, we reduced confusion by 40%. We also created a low-fidelity airport kiosk interface with a simplified state machine, tested via Maze tasks measuring task completion rate. Outcomes: mobile check-in adoption increased 25%, queue times dropped 15% (A/B tested), and passenger satisfaction scores rose 12%. I’d then partner with engineering to validate the kiosk UI accessibility using Axe DevTools, ensuring WCAG 2.1 compliance before rollout.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Company-Specific Variants