YVR
DIGITAL TWIN
The YVR Digital Twin project is a real time interactive alert system designed for the Vancouver Airport members of staff to help with the efficiency of the airport flow. It includes historical data to predict high traffic alerts, real time data to show which areas need attention and using 2D and 3D elements to help make decision making more collaborative and efficient.
LEAD UX DESIGNER
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Vancouver International Airport (YVR) was facing operational challenges related to managing passenger flow and resource allocation in real time. Current systems lacked the ability to consolidate historical traffic data and real-time insights, leading to delays in identifying high-traffic areas and inefficient deployment of staff resources.
The objective of the YVR Digital Twin project was to develop a robust, interactive alert system that leveraged real-time and historical data, providing airport staff with actionable insights into airport operations. This system aims to predict potential bottlenecks in passenger flow, facilitate efficient resource management, and enhance collaborative decision-making processes using 2D and 3D visualizations.
DESIGN PROCESS
Upon joining the project as the sole UX designer, I began by reviewing the previous designer's work and the existing project timeline. I analyzed the earlier concepts and identified areas that needed revisions based on client feedback and current user needs. I then engaged directly with the client with the project team to understand their vision for the Digital Twin, clarifying requirements and expectations. This collaboration was vital to ensure that my design approach aligned with their goals.
To ensure consistency across the application, I developed a navigational framework which took into account the requested alert types: CATSA, Customs, Car and Occupancy. I documented all design decisions, user flows, and interaction guidelines for each use case requested to ensure that the development team could implement within the strict timelines required for the project. Additionally, I ensured that future developers and designers could easily understand and build upon the work completed.
This project required an agile approach, as the user requirements changed as the project progressed and needed user experience diligence for the application to run smoothly despite the changing requests.
IMPACT
The results of our efforts as a team created a comprehensive system which fulfilled the needs of our client and inspired future feature ideas from the YVR staff. During the final presentation the YVR team was delighted to see their vision come to life and following that meeting, we were requested again to expand upon the project.
Our efforts as a team created an effective application, allowing the YVR staff to better handle high volume traffic at the airport. Due to great collaboration between client and design and development team we had an extremely successful outcome to this project which resulted in more work for the team and a more robust application for YVR.