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My Role
UI/UX Designer
The Team
1 Project Manager
2 UI/UX Designers
3 Software Developers
My Key Contributions
Competitor Research
User Research
User Testing
Interaction Design Interface Design Prototyping
Tools Used
Duration
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Figma
3 months
start: MARCH 2021
end: JUNE 2021
Process
Define
Learn
Ideate
Create
Verify
Understand Project
Specify Problems
Identify Goals
Background Research
Client Interviews
Competitor Research
Lo-fi Sketches​
Design ideation
User Testing
User Interviews
Pain-point analysis
Hi-fi Prototyping
User Testing
Hi-fi Testing
Finalization
HondaJet
Providing pilots with a seamless cockpit
experience - all in one iPad application
With the advent of digital technology, a pilot's cockpit has been fundamentally changed and progressed into the future.
HondaJet shares this same vision of technological advancement, and they came to us at CrossComm to create the best iPad cockpit application for its consumers and pilots.
To create this cockpit application, we interviewed several different HondaJet pilots and did competitor analysis to construct the most effective tool for in-flight functionality and efficiency, giving HondaJet pilots a safe and seamless experience.
STEP 1
DEFINE
Problem
HondaJet Problem
Why do we need an iPad application for HondaJet pilots?
traditional flight manuals, charts, and files were extremely bulky and heavy
the ability to connect to a wireless network, allows the files and information for pilots to stay up to date without excessive interference
the ability to conduct performance calculations with ease in one all-inclusive platform
to standardize the experience of all HondaJet pilots and provide a new layer of functionality and competitive advantage for consumers
Goals
HondaJet Goals
What would a successful iPad pilot cockpit application entail?
1
ability for HondaJet pilots to have easy and intuitive access to essential cockpit files and information
2
ability for HondaJet pilots to monitor and receive alerts on essential aircraft measurements and data
3
ability for pilots to be able to calculate and compute necessary aircraft data
4
ability to receive automatic updates on necessary HondaJet documentation, flight information, and other necessary alerts
STEP 2
LEARN
hondajet user research
User Research
Goals for User Research
Familiarize ourselves with the current workflow of a HondaJet pilot without an iPad during all stages of a flight and identify areas that could be improved with a dedicated application
Learn what flight and aircraft features and inputs are necessary to allow pilots to most effectively conduct their necessary operations ​
​Learn about existing actions and habits that pilots take when performing necessary functions and determine whether a cockpit application would interfere with or supplement that experience ​
​Learn about the utility of existing iPad cockpit applications and how other private jet pilots utilize them for their various necessary use cases
User Research Strategy
Interviews
-
​Conducting in-depth interviews with HondaJet pilots to gain further understanding of daily flight workflows and learn where pain points exist in current user task flows
​
-
Conducting in-depth interviews with private jet pilots that currently utilize other iPad cockpit applications to learn about the following:​
benefits in terms of improved efficiency, reduced user frustration, and time taken to conduct various user tasks​
shortcomings in terms of repeated pain points while conducting various necessary user flows
personal suggestions for overall application and experience improvement as well as potential feature additions or subtractions
Surveys
​
-
Sending surveys to HondaJet pilots to gain further data on the prevalence and importance of various pain points during the flight experience without the use of a cockpit application
​​
-
Sending surveys to private jet pilots to gain further data on the utility and shortcomings of these existing applications
Key Insights
HondaJet Key Insights
Insight
1
Most existing cockpit technology needs to be supplemented not replaced
During our user research, we learned that the HondaJet aircrafts come built in with very robust and capable Garmin instruments that take care of many necessary functions including weather mapping, airport communication/management, and route planning. These functionalities did not need to be included in the cockpit application, but a few pain points that we did observe came in terms of:
ability to easily view performance data during takeoff/landing and give immediate alerts when issues arise
conducting weight and balance calculations
reviewing necessary pdfs and files for in-flight functionality, planning, and referencing
reviewing necessary updates for changes to various relevant files, manuals, and maps
Recommendation
1
Our cockpit application must have dedicated sections for each of these main features:​
cockpit files (that must be easily navigable and automatically update when necessary)
weight and balance calculations
aircraft performance data during takeoff and landing
Insight
2
User interface must be easily navigable during stressful situations
During our user research, we learned that both HondaJet and other private jet pilots need to be able to quickly access various vital information and documents and this was done most successfully when they had instruments or applications that had an intuitive, familiar, and easy to understand interface. ​
Recommendation
2
the user experience of the cockpit application must be extremely intuitive with:​
clearly defined sections ​
straightforward navigation​
familiar layout and design to existing pilot applications and tools​
ability to switch between screens and sections with ease
Insight
3
HondaJet has specific requirements
During our user research, we learned that HondaJet pilots have very specific requirements that are specialized to their brand of aircraft. They need to receive specific information that pertains to the company as a whole and updates regarding various aircraft updates and changes.
Recommendation
3
We need to include a news section in the application to allow HondaJet pilots to keep up with relevant information about the company, their aircraft, and upcoming company changes.
Competitor Analysis
HondaJet Comp Analysis
When conducting user research with other private jet pilots, we found that the two most common cockpit applications were:​
Garmin pilot
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Foreflight by Boeing
In our interviews, we asked these pilots what they liked about each of these applications and what really stuck out in terms of the overall design and functionality.
We have listed the main findings below:
STEP 3
IDEATE
Outlining the solution
HondaJet Outline Solution
Based on our user research and competitor analysis, we identified 4 main functions for the HondaJet iPad cockpit application:​
ability to have a news feed for important HondaJet related updates and articles ​
a file explorer and document viewer to view various flight manuals, maps, and documentation
a weight and balance calculator to more easily conduct this crucial calculation for safe flight travel ​
a performance page to keep track of various important flight information (configuration, airport info, weather conditions, speed, etc. )
STEP 4
CREATE
Sketching Lo-Fi Wireframes
HondaJet Wireframes
Iteration #1
Post User Research
Utilizing our user research data and competitor analysis, we were able to create wireframes that would allow a user to be able to complete the 4 main functions outlined in our findings above
STEP 5
VERIFY
Creating Lo-Fi Prototypes
Iteration #2
Post User Testing
Utilizing the original wireframes, we conducted user testing with HondaJet pilots to determine what pain points they were able to find within the interface that we loosely mocked up. We took those findings and we thought through and designed new UI and UX elements to more closely match the needs of the pilot. We mocked up our second iteration of designs with Figma and created a more robust lo-fi prototype to share with HondaJet.
Finalizing Application Designs
HondaJet Final Designs
Iteration #3
Post Final Edits
After one final round of user testing, we took our lo-fi prototypes and really ensured that we had solved any user pain points and functionality shortcomings. Through various iterations, we were able to create a seamless, effective user interface and experience that perfectly aids a HondaJet pilot with all of the various tasks and functions that they would need during a routine flight. The final screen designs are shown below:
Fin.
You made it to the end! Thanks for reading and learning more about my journey with HondaJet and creating their iPad cockpit application. You just learned a lot and got some insight into my design process and thinking throughout a specific case client project. Make sure to check out my other projects by clicking here!
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