Case study: Redesigning the Ryan air App

In this case study, we will explore the process of redesigning a few screens of the Ryanair app to enhance user experience and address usability issues. The primary focus was to simplify the interface, increase trustworthiness, and make the flight booking process more user friendly. The decision to redesign the Ryanair app was motivated by my personal experience, which highlighted issues of confusion due to excessive and unnecessary information.

Challenge:

The challenge was to transform the Ryanair app’s usability while maintaining brand recognition and authenticity. I identified pain points such as inconvenient placement of the return flight toggle, unclear buttons, and information overload, as seen on the second screen below. The main goal was to create a more intuitive, user-friendly, and visually appealing design that resonates with the target audience which, as I learned later on in my research, are of the younger generation.

Research:

I started by thoroughly examining the existing app and noted down the negative aspects that disrupted the user experience. To gain insight, I conducted a comparative analysis of other airline apps like EasyJet, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines. This step involved identifying areas where these apps excelled and/or addressing similar issues like in the Ryanair app. By interacting with the application first, I can also create several scenarios for Usability Testing that will be carried out at a later stage.

Design Iterations

Low-Fidelity Prototypes: I started by sketching out low-fidelity prototypes to visualize potential design improvements. This served as a foundation to explore layout changes and better placements of essential features.

Mid-Fidelity Prototypes: Using Figma, I transformed the low-fidelity sketches into mid-fidelity prototypes. This allowed for more detailed representation of the proposed changes, enabling a clearer visualisation of the redesigned screens.

Usability testing:

I engaged classmates to test my mid-fidelity prototype. Feedback was collected to assess the effectiveness of the changes. Overall, the impressions were positive. A critique that came up was a need to improve the clarity for input fields and buttons. Some users were confused by the purpose of certain buttons, particularly the large airplane one, since they didn’t understood where it takes them to.

Refinements and Iterations:

Based on the feedback received, I refined the design by addressing these specific aspects. Notably, changes were made to clarify the functionality of the large airplane button, aiming to provide users with a clear understanding of its purpose and next steps.

High fidelity Prototype:

With the refined changes, the mid-fidelity prototype was elevated to a high-fidelity version. This involved incorporating design elements such as rounded edges to appeal to a younger audience, introducing a light blue color for contrast, and maintaining the main brand colors for recognition.

Results:

The redesigned Ryanair app screens present a more intuitive and modern interface. By focusing on the user’s perspective and considering finger distance on the phone, the design caters to a younger audience. The removal of distractions and unnecessary information has enhanced the app’s usability and trustworthiness.

Thank you for your time and attention to read.

Nalani :)