Visa - Revamp Airport Companion app, Asia-Pacific

In 2016, when I joined DragonPass, I was in charge of enhancing the existing Visa Airport Companion app in UX and UI. It was designed by China designer initially before I joined DragonPass. From 2016 to 2018, we made several updates to improve the app.

My Role

I evaluated the user experience and redesigned the UX & UI. I also worked closely with the product manager (Singapore) and the front-end and back-end developers (China) for app development.

Goals

To optimize the user experience and user interface of the existing app. Also, it aims to onboard more Asia-Pacific banks to use this app to enable their Visa cardholders can enjoy airport services via the app, such as airport lounges, airport dining discounts, and etc.

Challenge

Due to the company's limited resources, I am the only UX & UI designer responsible for all work processes. The designated functions of the project have a very tight deadline, so I have to allocate time well to ensure that I can complete it on time to proceed to development works and go online.

Understanding the Problem

I conducted a UX heuristic evaluation and found some UX problems. I found that the existing user experiences and user interfaces are more towards the China user behavior, given China designer designed them. As this product’s target audience is APAC users, which excludes China users, it is vital to change it to suit APAC users instead of China users.

Target Audiences

All Asian Visa cardholders

Age：Above 18 years old
Feature：Travelers who go abroad once a year
Entitlement：Cardholders can enjoy different levels of benefits based on the various cards types, for example:

• Visa Infinite cardholders - Eligible for unlimited access to global airport lounges, 1-10 Free airport transfer, benefits vary on each bank
• Visa Signature cardholders - Eligible for 1-10 times access to global airport lounges, book airport transfer with discount, benefits vary on each bank

Research

I have researched multiple apps to ensure the simplicity and effectiveness of the app so that users can get used to it. For example, I researched TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Priority Pass, etc.

User Journey Map

Information Architecture

Design Process

Due to limited time, I skipped the low-fidelity wireframe and directly used the paper wireframe as a reference to design the user interface. After I completed the design, I conducted 3 user tests, collected feedback, and made the changes. Then I sent it to stakeholders for feedback and changes.

Opening Page and Intro Page

Display Different Languages

Different mobile phone country settings display other languages.

Sign Up

Users only need to enter their own Visa card and verify, and then they can register and get benefits and entitlement.

Email

Home Page

After successfully registering, users can see the available services and offers on the homepage, encouraging users to use them. For example, users can search for airports, and it displays related services based on the airport, such as lounges and airport restaurants, etc.

Bank Logo Display

The app can display the logo of banks based on the user’s Visa card.

Membership Page

Display the user’s entitlement details on the membership page.

Access lounge

Choose the lounge and show the membership card to lounge staff to access the lounge.

Dining Discount

Choose dining outlets and show a membership card to the counter to enjoy the discount.

Booking Limousine

Book limousine in-app and able to pay by entitlement, voucher or Visa card.

Switch Membership Card

Users can change their membership and enjoy different benefits based on the program.

Flight Recommendation

After users enter their flight number in-app, they can see related airport recommendations services, such as nearby airport lounges.

Profile Page

Display other information on the Profile page.

Impact

The app was first released in ASEAN, with a registration rate of 50%. The customer complaint rate is less than 1%. Over 10 banks in the APAC region are using it in 2019.

In terms of bank promotion, the respective banks carry out the advertising themselves. We can only give recommendations and out of our control. Therefore, the registration rate is different in various national banks.

After the success of this project, our team successfully promoted it to Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Russia to make individual Visa white-label apps. It increased company revenue and profit. Due to different regions, products and needs are also different. I am also responsible for the UX UI design work.

What I Learned

• Research can bring in new insights and perspectives.
• The company's resources are limited; we have to use them smartly and effectively, choose the proper functions, and make rewarding functions and user experiences.
• A designer needs to understand which country, culture, background, and usage habits the user comes from, or he will design a product that does not fit the market. This wastes company resources.
• Design an adequate user flow to increase the registration rate and usage rate. And it can reduce user complaints and reduce the burden of customer service.