Designing an app to book sleeping pods at Airports in India: UI/UX case study
Have a long layover before your next flight? Lazeover offers sleeping pod facilities at affordable prices at airports in India
(This is a personal project)
Introduction
In recent years, the surge in air travel’s affordability and accessibility has led to a growing number of daily airport passengers. However, extended layovers and flight delays pose challenges for travelers seeking rest without access to comfortable sleeping arrangements. Consequently, the popularity of sleeping pods at airports has soared, providing a secure and private space for travelers to recharge during their stay.
These pods have gained traction among those desiring rest during layovers or delays. While the concept has been present for some time, technological and design advancements have enhanced their appeal and accessibility. Sleeping pods now offer a cozy and private resting space, complete with amenities like charging points, Wi-Fi, and, in some instances, entertainment options. Affordability and flexibility contribute to their popularity, allowing users to rent them for short durations and pay only for the time they use.
Research Insights
The question begs to be answered:
Why would people use sleeping pods when they could sleep for free at the gates or pay for a lounge?
Here’s why:
- According to a survey conducted by SleepingInAirports.net, a website dedicated to airport travel, over 60% of travelers have spent the night at an airport, either by choice or due to an unexpected flight delay or cancellation.
- The same survey found that almost 90% of travelers wished there were better options for sleeping at airports.
- In a survey conducted by Airfarewatchdog, 61% of respondents said they would be willing to pay for access to airport sleeping pods.
- The global market for airport sleeping pods is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 47.2 million by 2022.
Competitive analysis
Some examples of services:
- SAMS Snooze at my Space, Plaza Premium Lounge — Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
- Snooze Lounge — Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
- Snooze at My Space — Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore
- Nap & Shower, Sleepin Lounge — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai
Problems with existing services:
- Most don’t have a proper functional app or website and rely on third parties or calls for reservation
- No pan-India presence
- Lengthy procedure of booking
Understanding the Problem
From the gathered research insights, it is clear that there is a demand for sleeping pod facilities that are cheap and easily accessible.
Create an app that makes it easy for travelers to book, pay for, and use a sleeping pod facility at an airport
Assumptions
In order to work on this app, I felt it was necessary to make a few assumptions and set a few constraints:
- The service is currently active only for pods at Indian airports
- The service has set up sleeping pod facilities at all major airports in India
Introducing Lazeover
Lazeover offers affordable sleeping pod facilities on a rental basis for airport travelers to catch a wink before their next flight.
How does it work?
The pod service at the airport terminal will be easily accessible to all passengers. A check-in kiosk set up next to the pods will be visible to all oncoming travelers. The dedicated app for booking pods is an easy and convenient option for passengers. The user can access their respective Pod with an access code provide on their app or at the check-in counter in the case of an offline booking. In addition to the secure storage of traveler’s luggage, each pod is equipped with charging ports and comfortable seating. The availability of these features will allow passengers to relax and recharge before their flight, making their travel experience more enjoyable. Furthermore, the pods are regularly cleaned to ensure that they meet the highest standards of hygiene.
Types of Pods:
- Standard Pod: Offers a comfortable bed air conditioning, charging points, USB cables, ambient lights and blower control.
- Premium Pod: Offers everything the basic pod offers plus an entertainment console, body massage, ventilated bedding, and Oxygen therapy.
Target Users
- Long-distance travelers: These users may have long connecting flights or overnight layovers, making it difficult to stay awake and alert without a proper rest.
- Budget-conscious travelers: They may not want to spend money on a traditional hotel room or may not be able to find one due to high demand. A sleeping pod rental app provides a more affordable alternative for these users.
- Travelers who have delayed/ miss flights: These users would want a place to rest and kill time that is a cheaper alternative to a hotel.
- Families with young children: They may find it difficult to manage during a long layover, but a sleeping pod can provide a comfortable place to rest or nap. The pods are designed to accommodate an adult and a young child under the age of 5.
Edge case users:
Travelers who arrive much earlier or leave the airport much later than scheduled flight time due to secondary travel arrangements.
User flow
There are two ways by which a traveler can book a pod:
- Online using the app
- Offline at the check in kiosk
Happy flow and edge cases
The flow begins with the traveler searching for available pods within the app. It is completed when the traveler successfully completes their booking. Various edge cases may arise at each step of the process.
Possible solutions to edge cases
Information architecture
Here’s a visual representation of the IA that I came up with:
I dived deep into Storyboarding, Journey Maps, competitive audit, HMWs and prepared a user flow.
To view the Figjam File: Click here
Booking flow
The flow requires the user to input data to find a suitable pod such as date and time, airport, type of pod, etc. It’s important to not make the user feel overwhelmed by the number of inputs. To avoid this, the input fields are filled in stages:
Home screen
When designing the home screen, it was important for me to understand that users land on this page with only one intention, to book a sleeping pod. So it was essential that the design allows to perform this task efficiently and easily without unnecessary distractions. Hence, the input fields for booking are the first thing the user sees.
The home screen is split into 4 divisions:
- Booking details: The traveler has to input data of the Layover Airport’s name, Check-in time and number of hours they want to use the pod for.
- Explore facilities: A carousel of featured Lazeover pod facilities present at different airports in India. The user can then tap on a card to view more detailed information about a facility and the services they provide. Discounts on a facility will also be mentioned on the card.
- Upcoming/Recent bookings: This section will only be present for returning users who have an upcoming booking. The user can tap on ‘View all’ to see the list of all past bookings.
- Learn more: It is normal for a new user to have questions about the service. So the app has a learn more section which educates the user about the authenticity of the app, how to make bookings, information on bookings, refund policy, etc.
Choosing type of pod and picking a slot
After the user has filled out the input fields in the home screen, there are only two more inputs required to book a pod: type of pod and time slot.
Type of pod: Upon selecting the ‘Search Pods’ CTA on the home screen, a bottom sheet appears, presenting users with two options: Standard and Premium. Each option showcases its respective price and amenities through clear icons, facilitating an informed decision-making process for the user.
Picking a time slot: Time slots, organized chronologically, exclude booked slots from the list. Categorized into morning, noon, and night, this division helps users navigate available options more easily, reducing decision fatigue for a more informed choice.
Add preferences: This service caters to people of all ages and backgrounds, thus it is essential to provide special care for customers who need it the most. This can be in the form of special assistance or booking a lower berth so that an elderly person does not have to climb to access a pod on the upper berth, etc. There is a also a text box for a customer to type out a specific concern so that the staff are aware of it.
Tips are present throughout the app to help users make the best decision.
Confirmation and payment
This the last step in the booking flow. Users are presented with a detailed summary of their booking and a breakdown of the pricing details. Users can read about the cancellation policy which allows them to make a free cancellation until 24 hours before the check-in time. Tap the ‘i’ button for more information next to the subheadings for more information.
Rescheduling and cancellation flow
Users can reschedule a booking up to 8 hours before and cancel a booking up to 24 hours their check-in time. After which, they will not be able to get a refund for their payment.
Bookings tab
The bookings tab has a log of both upcoming and past bookings and the ability to toggle between both. It can be accessed either through the bottom navigation bar or the recent bookings section on the home screen.
Rescheduling a booking
To reschedule, click on the booking you wish to edit and press the ‘Reschedule’ button at the bottom of the screen. Then, in the following screen, choose an available time slot to which you would like to reschedule your booking.
If the user is still eligible for a reschedule or cancellation the buttons will be in active state. If not, the text callout says that their time for rescheduling and cancellation has passed and the buttons will be in a disabled state.
The reschedule button is filled and the cancel button has only an outline to encourage the user to reschedule rather than cancel if possible. Notice how the primary action is not only stronger in color and contrast, but also is on the right hand side of the dialog.
Booking cancellation
To cancel, click on the booking you wish to edit and press the ‘Cancel’ button at the bottom of the screen. In the following screen the user has two options for receiving a refund:
- Refund to source: The refund will be credited to the original source of payment and may take up to an hour.
- Refund to Lazeover wallet: This method is instantaneous. The refunded amount will be stored on the app in a wallet and the entire amount can be used to pay for a future booking.
The link to read the cancellation policy is present on all screens involving payment in order to keep the user in the loop.
What if the user is not eligible for rescheduling/cancellation:
- Case 1: User can still reschedule, but can’t cancel with refund
The Text callout mentions that the user is past the allowed refund upon cancellation time but can still reschedule the booking
- Case 2: User can neither reschedule, nor receive refund upon cancellation
The Text callout mentions that the user will not receive a refund upon cancellation and is past the allowed time for rescheduling. The ‘Reschedule’ button is in a disabled state.
Dynamic island and live activities
Dynamic island and live activities on iOS 16 and the latest iPhones have opened up a myriad of possibilities. I decided to take advantage of this feature by providing users with useful and timely information when they are using the pods.
Dynamic island: During a booking, the most useful information for a user that can be highlighted with dynamic island is the time left on the booking.
Live activities: Note that the user only consumes information from the lock screen at a glance so it is essential to design in a way that is clear and crisp. The most important data points are:
- Booking timings
- Time left on current booking
- Pod Number
- Password to access Pod
User acquisition techniques
- To encourage and promote the business of Lazeover to travelers, we can tie up with travel apps and websites, airlines to provide coupons along with flight, train and bus ticket bookings
- Collaborate with social media influencers to promote our business
- Place advertisement billboards and posters inside the airport terminal to attract travelers.
- Tie up with other retail stores inside the airport to provide coupons when people buy products from them.
- Personalized content wins the user’s heart. So we should use relatable advertisement and promotional content.
Font
The font family used is Plus Jakarta Sans. The font size used is not smaller than 12px. A wide range of font sizes have been used to establish a good hierarchy between content.
Colour
Greys and Blues were the only two palettes used. Greys were used to achieve visual hierarchy between text and blues were used as the primary colour scheme.
Components
I wanted to use rounded components as I felt it would resonate with the rounded form factor of the sleeping pods.
Key takeaways
- I dissected the design from two lenses-that of customer experience & business goals.
- Less is more, but not always.
- I designed all screens for iOS & had to get accustomed to HIG
- It was hard to design with no many references of similar apps. So I had to draw inspiration from a lot of different apps, not necessarily in the same domain.
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