Gate Modernization
Creating the future of airline travel between intentional friction and frictionless
Modern Travel: It’s not just about where you’re going, it’s now about how you get there.
Frictionless versus intentional friction points…
Over 60 %
of consumers look for self-service first, instead of contacting an agent.
The Challenge
Envision the future of travel at the gate while reducing the footprint of the agent podium pragmatically over the next seven years. As agent toolsets continue to migrate towards mobile, we need to empower agents to approach customers proactively without customer barriers and queues symptomatic of legacy podiums. This is a profound shift in the agent experience as podiums are perceived as a place of work. The new experience that is currently in beta at some airports includes work and lifestyle experiences where agents would be free of physical constraints.
What People Are Saying About The Modernization
“This is going to change our business for the better”
— United Director
“We will be able to accelerate our gate modernization with the foundation of this work”
— IT Managing Director, United Airlines
CX Innovation Process
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Researched it.
We visited three airports across the country (ORD, DEN, LAS) and observed 27 United gates. We also observed 13 Competitor gates.
We interviewed 24 United agents with airport team workshops and 10 customer intercepts.
We researched 28 (Dscout) traveller missions.
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Analyzed it.
We took extensive qualitative field research from agents and customers and evaluated it into key themes that we could discuss with leadership. We identified five key themes that emerged to discuss the best applications and priorities for the project moving forward.
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Concepted it.
We created dozens and dozens of concepts in sketches and process ideation and actively discussed them with key leadership that naturally evolved over time. We tracked feedback and measured it against our goals to nuance improvements and practicality in usage and scale.
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Designed it.
Our concepts and research themes matured our thinking over time to better understand the application toward what we wanted to achieve. We knew the design needed to evolve as tools and equipment (such as legacy dot matrix printers) would be reduced or ultimately sunset over the next five years.
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Prototyped it.
Once we arrived on three key design themes and the designs, we began simplifying the designs into some key 3D modeled prototypes we could interact with. We walked around them, touched them, and did some role playing to understand how they might serve in the future.
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Evaluated it.
We invted key leadership across all disciplines to walk around the prototypes with demonstrations of what could be possible. Asked them to collaborate and score each physical prototype on boards by raising key opportunities they thought it would provide as well as concerns they had on implementation (system, training, process or support).
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Augmented it.
After we identified feedback from the prototypes, we created augmented experiences that agent and technical teams could evaluate themselves both at the airport and through immersive VR/metaverse experiences.
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Tested it.
After much consideration and evaluation, we began rolling out these concepts into a few gates and asked our customers for their feedback by visiting a dedicated site to capture their sentiments.
Approach:
During the review of several agencies, I was asked to quietly sketch refined concepts into an augmented reality experience that evolved into two podium designs that would be further tested at airport hubs. The goal was to phase out support of legacy gate equipment such as printers and desktop computers. This was never shared with the agency we used (Fjord) to model prototypes due to communication factors with their work. United asked me to monitor their work daily, providing status reports on progress and assisting when necessary to evolve the design into the work presented for feasible and aligned corporate IT strategy.
Below are the final designs presented after Fjord presented completed prototyping. Although the RFP originally included an augmented reality delivery, this was never realized by the agency. My work included 3D deliverables with an augmented reality experience that could be shared at the airport with front line teams for feedback research to be conducted before prototype models were to be constructed.
Pragmatic Discovery:
Define the goals of the project
SOW draft and finalization
Review RFPs with candidates
Begin internal concept designs aligned to business
Finalize design agency candidate
On-board agency on airport knowledge, business objectives
Begin Research of customers and front-line teams
Agency begins concept sketches
Review of agency sketches with front-line teams
Present findings with leadership pivot points
Finalize sketches
Leadership Science fair with 3D prototypes of models. //Agency relationship ends
Begin rapid refinement of experiences using augmented reality tools
Researching the challenge.
Research Summary
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Airports visited: ORD, DEN, LAS
24
United agents interviewed
28
Dscout Traveller missions
27
United gates observed
13
Competitor gates observed
10
Airport Customer intercepts
5 Research Themes = Project Principles
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A Place & Calm
Counter disorientation, chaos and sensory overload in airports with ideas that serve travelers’ basic human need for consistent points of orientation and reassurance.
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Connect the Dots
Create ways for travelers to actively engage, so they feel recognized and in control – enabling and inspiring them to find information, solve problems and feel assured.
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Agents as Hosts
Shift focus from menial task management and system work-arounds to positive customer engagement – enabling and empowering them to function as brand ambassadors.
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Augmented Agent
We may not always know where and how people prefer getting service so let’s give them augment tools that provide access to agents anywhere in the airport.
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Be Flex-Forward
Design solutions that are flexible and adaptable to different working conditions, airport environments, gate layouts, technology and working styles.
Analyzing the challenge.
Designing the opportunity.
Prototyping, Evaluating the opportunity.
Early (Agency) Prototypes
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CONCEPT 1: "ELEVATE"
Drawing inspiration from the hospitality industry, this idea focuses on elevating our customer service ability. Using tools, technology and different use of space to complement the way agents work and to facilitate division of customer service and operating tasks. Bringing info and customer service forward to create a stronger feeling of hospitality.
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CONCEPT 2: "MOD"
The core of this concept is a dynamic workforce; it is agile and flexible to address different departure operations. Before boarding, gate agents work together as a team at centralized customer service pods. Pods are distributed in multiple locations across concourses and able to serve multiple gates. When it is time to start boarding, agents will move to their assigned gates. This flexible design system can be reconfigured for different needs and is adaptable over time.
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CONCEPT 3: "NOMAD"
In the future, much of the problem resolution in the physical gate area can be addressed virtually. Agents have everything they need to operate a flight through their MAP devices. In this podium-less world, agents can roam around the gate area assisting passengers who may need last-minute help. When necessary, they have the option to dock their MAP devices for a full scale monitor behind the secured area.
Reviewing the opportunity.
What I delivered at the end of the concept and early prototype walk-throughs was an augmented experience leadership could “virtually” walk through with a tablet at the gate or at headquarters. We took the agency work further as they were distanced from the complexity of the organizational/employee and operational processes and impacts.
The new mobile podium experience allowed for flexibility in technology evolution and power requirements.
The new podium design was modular in that it allowed legacy printers to eventually be removed with the base, allowing the “tulip” design to move where customers where.
The Final Report
What came later…
Although I left United in late 2018, the foundation of the innovation continued on. Below are articles and prototypes based on the designs and customer experience strategy delivered.
2019 Update
United’s Cleveland Airport (CLE) was designated as their innovation test site at Gates 17, 18 or 23. They tested various prototypes developed to create a more relaxed, modern and personalized experience that evolves with our customers’ needs.
This continued over the summer and invited customer feedback on the prototyped experiences.
2019 Prototyping at CLE Terminal
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![Refreshed Gate Amenities]()
Refreshed Gate Amenities
For more comfort and productivity, we’ve added new chairs, benches, stools, and sofas to the gate area, featuring sustainable materials and built-in power outlets.
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![Dynamic Information displays]()
Dynamic Displays
New digital displays will deliver relevant information where and when you need it, such as a countdown clock to your boarding time and more visible flight status information.
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![Self-service Tablets]()
Self-service Tablets
We want you to be able to choose the kind of interaction that best fits your needs: getting help from a gate agent or making small changes on your own. You can now make changes or updates to your reservation, such as choosing seats or adding your known traveler ID, using tablets we’ve installed at the gates.
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![Agent CX Mobility]()
Agent CX Mobility
We’ve provided gate agents with mobile devices so they can assist you throughout the gate area as well as from a podium. We’ve also moved our boarding lanes along the windows — hello, runway views! — allowing for the gate area to remain quieter and less congested during the boarding process.
2020 Update
United was testing for concept for evaluations in:
Biometrics for automated gate boarding
Remote agent displays
Mobile self-help tools
Improved gate designs at Cleveland, Chicago
On-demand agent support
United testing new gate layout at Chicago O'Hare
2020 ORD Gates Redesign
“This is about enhancing the customer experience wherever and however we can and about giving our customers more options.”
2022 Update
United is currently testing for release biometrics, remote agent displays, mobile self-help tools and on-demand agent support.
2022 ORD Gates Redesign
United testing new gate layout at Chicago O'Hare
Note: The Fjord / Matter Design team was selected as the agency to support (our) United Airlines’ vision. I was the business team liaison to Fjord as project oversight. Some of their designs are reflected in this project. These were speculative designs and prototypes and not final considerations. I provided United Airlines a more comprehensive report that was connected to our IT department’s needs to have phased, adaptive designs with a fully immersive, augmented experience.