Outcome
Reimagined the United Airlines app around the day-of-travel—bringing context to every moment, simplifying navigation, and introducing smarter upsells.
#
Travel app ranking
Following the app update across iOS and Android
Webby Award
People's Voice Award winner
#
#
Travel app ranking
Following the app update across iOS and Android
Webby Award
People's Voice Award winner
Outcome
Reimagined the United Airlines app around the day-of-travel—bringing context to every moment, simplifying navigation, and introducing smarter upsells.
#
Travel app ranking
Following the app update across iOS and Android
Webby Award
People's Voice Award winner
#
Travel app ranking
Following the app update across iOS and Android
Webby Award
People's Voice Award winner
North star
North star
North star
Principles
Design for the moment
Principle 1
Clarity beats everything
Principle 2
Accessibility is non-negotiable
Principle 3
Support the journey, don’t interrupt it
Principle 4
Due Dilligence
Due Dilligence
Due Dilligence
Journey & research
Outcome
Research and testing confirmed our gut—keep it simple and let the UI flex. We tailored the experience to journey stage, location, and flight context to surface what mattered, when it mattered.
Outcome
Research and testing confirmed our gut—keep it simple and let the UI flex. We tailored the experience to journey stage, location, and flight context to surface what mattered, when it mattered.
Creating frameworks
Creating frameworks
Creating frameworks
Concepting & beta
Outcome
After locking in accessibility standards and pressure-testing interaction patterns across contexts, it was clear we needed more real-world signal before a full rollout. We launched an internal beta to learn fast, de-risk the experience, and refine contextual moments at scale.
Outcome
After locking in accessibility standards and pressure-testing interaction patterns across contexts, it was clear we needed more real-world signal before a full rollout. We launched an internal beta to learn fast, de-risk the experience, and refine contextual moments at scale.
Updating the structure
Updating the structure
Updating the structure
Architecture
Outcome
Once the key travel moments were defined, I reworked the app’s information architecture around them—surfacing gaps, clarifying priorities, and unlocking new features across the business.
Outcome
Once the key travel moments were defined, I reworked the app’s information architecture around them—surfacing gaps, clarifying priorities, and unlocking new features across the business.
Going live
Going live
Going live
Launch
Outcome
After a year of building, testing, and re-routing, the app launched globally—becoming the #1 most-downloaded travel app, improving user sentiment, and sustaining a perfect NPS for years.
Outcome
After a year of building, testing, and re-routing, the app launched globally—becoming the #1 most-downloaded travel app, improving user sentiment, and sustaining a perfect NPS for years.
Takeaways
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Proactively manage stakeholders
With over 10+ product owners and leadership leaning in close to our work, it was key to include the right stakeholders at the right momemts to stay aligned and agile.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Proactively manage stakeholders
With over 10+ product owners and leadership leaning in close to our work, it was key to include the right stakeholders at the right momemts to stay aligned and agile.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Proactively manage stakeholders
With over 10+ product owners and leadership leaning in close to our work, it was key to include the right stakeholders at the right momemts to stay aligned and agile.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Takeaways
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Proactively manage stakeholders
With over 10+ product owners and leadership leaning in close to our work, it was key to include the right stakeholders at the right momemts to stay aligned and agile.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.
Developer collaboration is key
A lot of time was saved by sitting in a room with engineers and engineering leaders to understand how to make a fully contextual app experience work.
Proactively manage stakeholders
With over 10+ product owners and leadership leaning in close to our work, it was key to include the right stakeholders at the right momemts to stay aligned and agile.
Prioritize external feedback
Internal testing was helpful for bugs and to test physical hardware (Eg airport beacons), but employees could only give us a percentage of the feedback needed to be successful globally.
Avoid analysis paralysis
With a full app redesign, there was a lot to fix and lots of stakeholders to keep happy. Staying focused on priorities and principles were key to not getting stuck in the weeds.