Immersive Research and Human-Centered Design for Enhanced Travel Support

The Challenge

The Managing Director of Airport Customer Experience contacted me with a challenge: Reimagine the airport Help Center experience. In its current state, outdated processes and legacy systems hindered customer service in an already high-stress environment, leading to poor customer experience and low employee morale. Help Center agents often avoided the shifts due to the added stress— a sure sign of a clear and urgent need for transformation.

My Role

I led research and design for this initiative as part of a nimble, cross-functional team of three. To guide our efforts, I introduced a custom tool I developed, the Research Matrix, to systematically organize and synthesize insights. Our research methods included surveys, stakeholder interviews, on-site observations, comparative analysis, and exploration of emerging technologies. From this, we surfaced four core themes to anchor the design phase.

Our Process

We began by mapping the current-state user journey, identifying pain points and systemic inefficiencies across the help center experience. I then facilitated a cross-disciplinary ideation workshop to co-create a future-state journey. Together, we imagined an experience that was intuitive, efficient, and empowering for both customers and agents.

From there, I led concept development, transforming raw ideas into tangible prototypes. We produced compelling artifacts, like architectural renderings and interactive UX wireframes in Figma, that brought the vision to life and generated excitement among stakeholders.

The Vision

Our vision reimagined the Help Center as a digital-first, customer-centric environment. Key innovations included:

• AI-Powered Virtual Support: Automated responses and smart queuing to streamline common requests and enable self-service

• Mobile-Enabled Roaming Agents: Staff equipped with mobile devices to assist travelers on the move.

• Immersive, Brand-Elevating Design: A reimagined help center that functions as both support station and visual brand beacon during off-peak times.

These enhancements empowered travelers with self-service tools, elevated agent roles, and transformed an underperforming space into a high-impact brand and service touchpoint.

The Results

We secured executive alignment through strategic storytelling and visual design, positioning the help desk transformation as a scalable model for high-traffic support environments. The project set a new benchmark for customer service—demonstrating how human-centered design, paired with digital innovation, can drive efficiency, elevate experience, and inspire cultural change.