The Airline Partnership Tool is a platform designed for an airline’s Partnership & Alliances team and top-level executives to analyze their existing partnerships and explore potential new ones. Previously reliant on spreadsheets and multiple external tools for data visualization, airlines needed a faster and more intuitive solution. This tool centralizes data, providing a single-screen view for streamlined decision-making.
Role:
Lead Designer
Industry:
Airline Industry
Duration:
3 weeks
People Involved:
2 Designers
Problem Statement
Before this tool, airlines managed partnership data manually—using spreadsheets, external visualization tools, and manual calculations to extract insights. This process was:
• Time-consuming – Visualizing data and generating insights required specialists and manual effort.
• Fragmented – Multiple tools were needed to interpret partnership data.
• Inaccessible to decision-makers – High-level executives who needed quick insights couldn’t navigate complex spreadsheets.
Goals & Objectives
The MVP was designed to:
1. Provide a single-screen dashboard where the Partnership & Alliances team could access all key insights at a glance.
2. Create an engaging, cinematic experience that visually maps demand at various airports worldwide.
3. Automate data processing to reduce reliance on manual spreadsheets and external visualization tools.
4. Validate the tool’s usefulness before expanding it with more features.
Research
Given the tight 3-week timeline and limited access to end-users, traditional user research methods like interviews and usability testing were not feasible. Instead, the research approach focused on:
Domain Research:
Since this was my first project in the airline industry, I had to quickly understand key partnership dynamics and how airlines evaluate their networks.
Studied existing airline partnership models, including codeshare agreements, interline agreements, and joint ventures.
Analyzed how airlines currently evaluate new partnerships and track existing ones using a mix of spreadsheets, data visualization tools, and industry reports.
Client Knowledge & Inputs:
The client provided a preliminary wireframe for the Partner IQ screen, based on their expertise in the domain.
Their insights on how partnerships are assessed and what metrics matter most helped shape the feature set.
Competitive Analysis & UI Inspiration:
Since this tool aimed to replace spreadsheets, I researched data-heavy dashboard designs and visualization techniques that could present complex data in an intuitive manner.
Explored best practices for map-based analytics tools to create a cinematic experience for the homepage.
Research Takeaway: While user research was not possible for this MVP, the combination of domain research, client input, and competitive analysis enabled us to build a tool that met the industry’s needs within the given constraints.
Approach
Given the constraints of an MVP with a tight deadline, the approach was pragmatic and execution-focused:
Started with UI inspiration – Collected references of dashboards with map-based analytics to ensure an engaging visual experience.
Leveraged client expertise – Used their initial wireframe as a baseline and refined it for a more intuitive experience.
Designed for efficiency – Chose dark mode to reduce eye strain for users who would work with the tool for long hours.
Adhered to branding – The client had a brand guideline document, which dictated UI elements, colors, and typography.
Unlike a typical design process with wireframing, testing, and iteration, this project required rapid execution. However, we prioritized usability based on industry research and expert inputs.
Design Solution
Cinematic Data Visualization (Homepage)
A global map displaying route demand across airports.
Geographical statistics about partnership coverage, route strengths, and potential expansion areas.
A comparative bar chart showing current and potential routes for each partner airline.
Partner IQ (Core Analysis Screen)
A comprehensive dashboard providing:
Route visualization on a map – Displays own routes and partner routes.
Data insights – Key metrics on route distribution, demand, and potential growth.
Dual x-axis bar chart – Showing Industry Demand vs. Routing Count for different city pairs.
Partnership evaluation tables – Categorizing sectors based on No Agreement, Codeshare, and Interline agreements.
Partnership Management Module
A mechanism to track and manage existing and potential partners, giving decision-makers a centralized way to evaluate relationships.
Why This Matters: The tool eliminated manual spreadsheet processing, made data instantly accessible, and ensured that decision-makers at all levels could understand insights without needing specialists.
Results & Future Scope
Impact of the MVP:
Reduced manual effort – Automated data visualization, eliminating the need for external tools.
Faster decision-making – Provided a real-time view of partnerships, replacing static spreadsheets.
Accessibility for executives – Insights were now available in an intuitive dashboard instead of raw data files.
Future Scope:
Since the project is under NDA, the specific next steps cannot be disclosed. However, we had a planned year-long engagement with additional modules and deeper analytics in the pipeline. The success of the MVP would determine the next phase of development.
Key Learnings & Growth
Domain Knowledge: This was my first project in the airline industry, and I gained a strong understanding of how partnerships work in aviation.
Building Custom Map Visualizations: Since developers lacked an eye for visual polish, I learned Mapbox Studio to design a visually cinematic map, enhancing the data storytelling experience.
MVP Execution & Rapid Problem-Solving: With no time for traditional UX processes, I learned how to work within constraints and balance usability with speed.
Biggest Takeaway: This project reinforced the importance of adapting to industry-specific needs quickly and taking on non-traditional design challenges like building custom maps to elevate the user experience.
Final Thoughts
Designing the Airline Partnership Tool was a unique challenge due to time constraints, the lack of direct user access, and the need to build an intuitive tool for complex airline partnerships. Despite these constraints, we successfully built an engaging and data-rich platform that streamlined decision-making for airlines.
This project emphasized the importance of designing for efficiency, ensuring that data-heavy platforms remain intuitive and visually compelling. The experience I gained—from navigating airline partnerships to mastering Mapbox Studio—will continue to shape my approach in future projects.
