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SkyMood
Overview
Design and implement an app-to-flight screen system that addresses flight anxiety through personalized, interactive features. By completing a pre-flight survey, passengers can customize real-time anxiety-reducing tools—such as weather updates, flight mechanics explanations, and emergency landing maps—giving them a sense of control and comfort during turbulent conditions. This system aims to provide active reassurance and psychological support for diverse passenger needs.
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TIME SPAN
August 2024 - December 2024
TOOLS
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
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Figma
Photoshop
Key Design Features
Personal Survey Integration
The survey screens ask direct questions about flight anxiety levels and flying frequency, offering easy-to-select options in a clear hierarchy with step-by-step guidance to keep the process manageable. By gathering essential data before the flight, the system tailors in-flight anxiety-management tools and content to each passenger’s needs, creating a sense of understanding and providing effective support during moments of turbulence or stress.
AI Infotainment Screen
After completing the personal survey, the app uses AI to generate tailored recommendations based on the collected data, including the user’s flight mood, top concerns, and entertainment interests. The system identifies specific games and activities aligned with the user’s input, calculating the most effective options to address their anxieties, stressors, or need for distraction, ensuring a more accommodating and enjoyable in-flight experience.
Flight Information Screen
Flight info tab on the in-flight screen shows critical information about a passengers flight. It provides a turbulence forecast for passengers to prepare better for upcoming turbulence and to understand what is going on in the sky around them. There is a flight tracker and cockpit camera so a passenger can see what a pilot would see. Finally, there are aircraft components that a passenger can see to better understand the airplane they are on for reduced anxiety measures.
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Process Overview
1. Research
USER INTERVIEWS
We interviewed 8 people with the goal of understanding their emotions when flying and what contributes to hightened anxiety. My focus was to identify what key aspects would impact a passengers mood and anxiety.
Motivation
User Pains
Primary Goals
(WHEN & WHY)
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To help make flight experiences more personalized to each passenger's unique needs
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​To offer each passenger virtual tools that will make flying more comfortable
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To improve current designs of in-flight entertainment
(WHY NOT?)
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If app doesn't offer enough variety to cater to each passenger
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If users prefer the previous designs and content of in-flight entertainment systems
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If passengers use an airline that does not have an in-flight screen
(LIST OF GOALS)
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​Create a personalized flight experience
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Reduce flight anxiety
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Cater to passengers who have different needs
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Connect passengers to cabin crew and other people in the flight
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Prepare passengers for un-predicted events like turbulence
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Allow passengers to understand their state-of-mind when flying
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COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Panasonic Avionics
Safran Passenger Innovations
JetBlue Airways
Panasonic Avionics
1/3
2. Define
Through our research, we identified passengers' needs, motivations, and challenges. This insight enabled us to develop user personas, giving our users a relatable identity.
KEY FEATURES
Needs
Motivation
Pains
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Real-time reassurance during turbulence (e.g., updates and visual indicators of flight stability).
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Accessible and engaging safety and flight information.
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Distractions for anxiety, such as in-flight entertainment or calming apps.
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Desire for reassurance and control over the flying experience.
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Need for comfort and distraction to manage anxiety effectively.
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Trust in competent and calm crew members for a sense of safety.
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Preference for personalization to make coping tools more relevant.
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Anxiety triggered by turbulence, takeoff, and landing
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Sensory overstimulation from noise, motion, or disturbances.
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Lack of real-time updates about flight status or turbulence.
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Insufficiently calming or engaging safety presentations.
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PERSONA
Based on out findings through the interviews, I created a person of a teenager who would fit the issue we are trying to fix.
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3. Ideate
STRUCTURING OUR NEW PRODUCT
Our team created a user flow map to sketch out how a user would navigate through the new product made to help personalize the flight experience. This user map connects an app to the in-flight screen.
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The main idea was to allow a user to have a connection to their in-flight screen through a phone app. From this app, they are able to have a curated in-flight screen with different features that appear based on user preferences. We want the user to be able to personalize their experiences with the tap of their phone and feel prepared for the flight.
SKETCHES
I drew out sketches based on the ideas presented above to help the team visualize possibilities of how we could deliver this new product.
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4. Prototype
LO-FI PROTOYPE
SkyMood App: Pre-Boarding
The SkyMood app was designed to allow users to take the flight preference survey through their phone. We also thought it was essential that a user sees other important flying information such as previous flights. The survey asks questions that will help curate apps on their in-flight screen and provide a code to connect their data to the screen.​
SkyMood In-Flight Screen
The SkyMood in-flight screen opens with a "Welcome Aboard!" message where a passenger can easily enter in their flight code. When a user enters the system, the data from their pre-boarding survey curates apps and content that the user would find beneficial in their flight. This is to ensure personalization of the flight experience and make the passenger equip with content that will help passengers during moments of need.​
SkyMood App: Post-Flight
The SkyMood app provides a user with a post-flight survey so that the next time a user takes a flight, the in-flight screen will be better curated to their needs. ​
5. Test
STYLE GUIDE
We created this style guide in mind of theme and feelings on a flight. We decided to go with a simple font to be readable and colors that are not too bright to relax the passenger. The colors also reflect the colors present in the sky at dusk and dawn.
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HI-FI PROTOTYPE
After testing with four candidates, we identified key changes needed to be made to increase the efficiency and usability of SkyMood in effectively delivering flight information to passengers.
SkyMood App: Pre-Boarding
The final design of the SkyMood app expanded on the lo-fi version with key updates. A major addition is flight crew information, allowing users to familiarize themselves with the crew before the flight, as interviews showed this increased comfort. The home page now features updated flight information, including current flight status, past flight experiences (based on survey results), and a tracking map. Additionally, we introduced a fun interactive element—a "spirit animal" that passengers are matched with based on their survey preferences.
SkyMood Inflight Screen
The inflight screen allows for easy and seamless connection to your SkyMood survey through a code provided to you on the app which you type in on the screen. ​
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On the homepage of the screen, we updated it by giving the passenger their user profile and survey personality/trait scores. This is so users can understand why they given certain apps/games to help them during the flight and what the survey gathered.
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Interviews revealed that solo travelers seek bonding during flights to reduce anxiety. Our app allows them to play multiplayer games and connect with others through the "People" tab. We also found a strong need for turbulence prediction, so we introduced a weather turbulence tracker to help passengers prepare. Key features like flight trackers were kept, as participants highlighted their importance. Additionally, we offer informational content about how aircraft components work to help passengers feel more comfortable and less fearful of flying.
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SkyMood App: Post-Flight
The main change of the post-flight survey is that a user is alerted there is a survey on the homepage of the app. The survey asks questions about the flying experience and is used to improve future flying experiences.
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