Primary traveller
Simplifying booking details sharing with a star icon
Freeway
Re-imagining flight bookings at Cleartrip by prioritizing speed, ease of use, and user delight.
Introduction: Riding the wave of travel revival
In 2022, as the world rebounded from the pandemic, India witnessed a surge in travel known as "revenge travel," where eager travelers sought to reclaim lost time and missed adventures. This surge reshaped the airline market, yet the online booking sector remained stagnant, trapped in a cycle of price-based competition.
At Cleartrip, India's second-largest OTA, innovation is in our DNA. Strengthened by our partnership with Flipkart, we saw a chance to revolutionize travel booking. Our aim? To harness this renewed travel enthusiasm and introduce user-focused innovations. We didn't just want to offer deals; we aimed to become the go-to platform for an unparalleled booking experience.
Spotting hurdles in flight reservations
Expanding Cleartrip’s user base
Following Flipkart's acquisition of Cleartrip, we shifted our focus to target a broader audience, including budget-conscious travelers. Through thorough research, we identified two primary personas reflecting Cleartrip's new target demographic:
Defining the challenge with a design sprint
With everyone in the company having different visions for this "solve everything" project, aligning our goals was our first challenge.
I teamed up with Swati, a fellow designer, to embark on a Google GV design sprint. Our journey began with a thorough discussion on the week's objectives. We aimed to address two overarching questions:
With our goals in sight, we dove into expert interviews and how might we sessions to gather insights from diverse perspectives. While we encountered initial hurdles, the Crazy 8’s sketching session provided a platform for creative exploration. Subsequently, lightning demos offered a glimpse into both practical and aspirational industry practices, shaping our strategy moving forward.
Crafting concepts from chaos
Ideation was a cycle of divergence and convergence. We'd sketch out ideas, gather to discuss, then iterate and refine. From user flows to UI concepts, we explored a spectrum of possibilities. By the end of the week, we distilled our efforts into a handful of promising concepts—those that were feasible, testable, and impactful.
Our goal was clear: Pursue novelty and explore extensively
Testing & concept validation
After sketching out concepts and crafting a prototype with paper cut-outs for rapid iteration, it was time to validate these ideas with real users. This approach not only sped up the testing process but also received nods of approval for its efficiency across the board.
We conducted over 15 in-person usability tests across the 18-40 age spectrum, tapping into a diverse pool of individuals, including IT professionals, college juniors, friends' parents, and volunteers from online platforms, ensuring a balanced mix of gender, qualifications, and tech proficiency.
With multiple concepts in hand, some quite novel and fresh, our aim with testing was to see what resonated with users and if any patterns or insights emerged.
Test, Iterate, Repeat.
The task was simple: booking a flight from Bangalore to Kolkata. This evaluated the prototype's intuitiveness, spanning various touchpoints from search to selection to booking.
After each round of testing, I refined the prototype based on feedback, honing our concept with real-world insights. We iterated tirelessly, polishing the design until the feedback became consistent. At that point, we knew the design had reached a stage where it resonated with everyone involved.
Flight Details · Concept 1.3 (Paper)
Search Results · Concept 1.4 (Digital)
Search Results · Concept 5 (Digital)
Mobile dominance
Users favored mobile apps for convenience and easy payments.
Demographic trends
Weekends were preferred by working professionals, while weekdays were favored by students for cheaper flights.
The birth of Clear Design System
Embarking on a journey to refresh Cleartrip's outdated and inconsistent mobile design, I saw the perfect moment to craft a unified visual language. This vision birthed the Clear Design System (CDS), a keystone for design coherence across the board.
Driven by a blend of necessity and passion, I took it upon myself to develop the CDS alongside my work on the Freeway project—a self-initiated endeavor to infuse Cleartrip with a new sense of vibrancy. For an in-depth look at how this project unfolded, click the button below.
A home page designed for you
Say goodbye to typing your origin city—auto-detect makes it effortless. Get to your favorite places faster with personalized suggestions.
Search results tailored for you
A no-nonsense Details page
New Details,
new features
Fare options
Get all the details you need to make informed decisions
Coupons
Improved visibility, a bold and engaging upgrade
Enhanced add-ons experience
Payment was never so seamless
Know what you're booking, always.
Seamlessly integrated into the payment page, the boarding pass ensures clarity and alleviates booking stress.
Use Flipkart SuperCoins & Gift Cards
Favourites up top
Easily access all preferred payment methods upfront for seamless transactions.
