PROJECT OVERVIEW
GreenVoyager: Tackling the environmental impact of air travel by empowering passengers with eco-conscious flight options and accessible carbon offset solutions
GreenVoyager is a studio project I completed in the summer of 2024. Working under the guidance of two professors and a UX motion designer, I designed a digital service aimed at promoting sustainable air travel through eco-conscious flight options and carbon offsetting. My focus was to create a familiar yet innovative flight booking experience that educated and encouraged users to travel more sustainably.
MY ROLE
UX Designer
TIME FRAME
6 weeks
TOOLS
Figma, Figjam
PROBLEM
Air travel contributes 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, yet many travelers are unaware of sustainable options. Limited accessibility and lack of integration in booking processes make eco-conscious decisions more challenging.
SOLUTION
A seamless, user-friendly flight booking platform that integrates carbon offsetting and sustainability insights to promote eco-conscious travel decisions.
DISCOVERY
A look into the current flight booking journey and its users
Conducting a "how might we" ideation session
To integrate sustainability into the flight booking journey, I developed four key guiding statements. These helped identify opportunities to enhance user engagement with carbon offsetting while making sustainable choices more seamless, transparent, and rewarding.
01
Integrate sustainability initiatives seamlessly into the flight booking process to encourage eco-conscious decisions.
02
Simplify the presentation of carbon offsetting options to make them more accessible and understandable for users.
03
Enhance user awareness of their environmental impact through transparent and engaging information during booking.
04
Incentivize and reward users for traveling sustainably and purchasing carbon offsets.
Getting to know air travelers
I interviewed a total of 8 different participants who booked their trips primarily online and flew anywhere from 1 to over 10 times a year. These interviews were conducted both remote and in person.
Expected Outcomes
Understand users' habits when researching and booking flights, including the factors that influence their choices (cost, convenience, environmental impact, etc).
Identify the level of awareness and interest users have in traveling sustainably.
Determine the pain points users experience in the current flight booking process, particularly regarding sustainable travel options.
Identify features or design elements that could motivate users to choose eco-conscious flight options.
Affinity Map
Affinity Map of the user interview notes
Key Insights
Travelers prioritize cost and affordability over additional features like sustainability.
Travelers are motivated by tangible rewards and incentives such as discounts or benefits for choosing sustainable options.
Travelers prefer accessible and trustworthy information about sustainability practices, costs, and their impact.
Performing a competitive audit
To understand the travel booking landscape, I conducted a competitive analysis to evaluate existing solutions and identify innovation opportunities. Many platforms lack sustainable initiatives or treat them as an afterthought. I aimed to differentiate my solution by making sustainability a core part of the booking experience rather than a secondary option.
Understanding the user journey
This journey map highlights user frustrations with sustainable booking. Travelers start excited but struggle to find integrated carbon offset options, relying on third-party services. This extra effort discourages future sustainable choices, underscoring the need for a seamless built-in offsetting experience.
How can we make air travel more sustainable as a consumer?
While corporate efforts drive sustainability in air travel, consumers can help by purchasing carbon offsets, supporting initiatives like reforestation and renewable energy to reduce their impact.
What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting compensates for CO₂ emissions by funding projects like reforestation and renewable energy projects. For this project, I partnered with Gold Standard, using their verified carbon credits to calculate offsets.
DEVELOP
Early Ideation
User Flow of Booking a Flight
I began my ideation process by first looking into the flow a user would take to book a flight with the purchase of carbon offsets. My goal was to limit the amount of steps required to prevent a tedious and frustrating process.
Starting the ideation process
I carried out sketch wireframe explorations as to how I could add carbon offsetting features to be seamlessly integrated into an intuitive and cohesive flight booking experience.
Developing different mid-fidelity flows for user testing
After ideation, I designed two flows integrating carbon offset purchases differently within the booking process. The goal was to test which flow was more intuitive and user-friendly.
Results from user testing
User testing favored the second flow for its seamless integration, detailed offset info, and faster booking. However, participants also valued the first flow's carbon offset price adjustability.
2nd Iterations
Based on user testing, I combined the most desired features into a streamlined design that maintains a fast booking process, ensures transparency in carbon offset purchases, and allows users to adjust their offset amount.
DELIVER
Final Designs
Final Designs: Seamless & Sustainable Flight Booking
The final design seamlessly integrated carbon offsets into the flight booking experience while providing a familiar and intuitive user interface.
A familiar flight booking experience
The design retains the simplicity of a familiar booking app while seamlessly integrating carbon offset options. Users can search, and book flights intuitively, making eco-conscious choices without disrupting their workflow.
Effortless Carbon Offsetting Integrated into the Booking Process
These designs ensure transparency and flexibility in reducing emissions. Users can adjust offsets, track fund allocation, and opt out without disrupting the booking flow.
Full Transparency and Credibility for your Carbon Offset Contribution
Users can adjust their carbon offset contribution, view project details, and verify offsets through Gold Standard—all within the booking flow for full transparency.
Incentives and rewards for traveling sustainably
Users earn reward points for carbon offsets, which can be redeemed for discounts, travel perks, and exclusive offers, making sustainable travel more rewarding and accessible.
REFLECT