Aerflo
Interaction Design
experiences
sleep better,
wherever you fly.
Elevating in-flight
Role: UX Researcher, UX designer, UI designer
Duration: 16 weeks
Industry: Infotainment
Tools: Figma, Usertesting.com, Miro, Slack, Google Forms, Adobe creative suite, Zoom
Why I started this project?
"I’ve never been comfortable on a long-haul flight."
My eyes were dry. My sleep was interrupted by overhead lights, and meal trays arrived just as I finally began to relax. Meanwhile, the in-flight entertainment(IFE) system was barely responsive and deeply frustrating to navigate. Somewhere between time zones, I found myself wondering:
Why hasn’t this gotten better?
Goal
To create an in-flight entertainment system centered on comfort, wellness, and agency—not just passive content.
As a frequent traveler, I’ve taken more than 40 flights in the past five years, and each one reinforced the same frustration: air travel may be functional, but it isn’t designed for comfort.
The moment of clarity came when I sat next to a first-time flyer who couldn’t figure out how to dim her screen. Watching her struggle made me realize this wasn’t just an interface problem—it was a systems problem.
This project draws from these key concepts:
Calm computing: reducing cognitive overload during stressful transitions.
Environmental UX: designing for dynamic, constrained environments like aircraft cabins.
Adaptive systems: creating interfaces that respond to personal rhythms and context.
Problem Statement
"How might we design an in-flight entertainment system that enhances passenger comfort and engagement by addressing usability issues, reducing jet lag, and minimizing disruptions during long-haul flights?
My Process
Discover
Define
Ideate
Design
Deliver
Turbulence in the Passenger Experience
Disrupted Sleep Due to Cabin Environment
Rigid and Uninformed Meal Schedules
Poor Usability of In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) Systems
Lack of Personalization or Adaptability
Jet Lag and Time Zone Misalignment
Research – Empathy at 30,000 Feet
To understand passenger pain points, I conducted:
A survey with 50 long-haul passengers
10 in-depth interviews across diverse traveler personas
2 diary studies
Loads of secondary research through ACM Digital library, Google Scholar, Medium, Rosen Aviation and many more resources
Only 30.8% of passengers get restful sleep on long-haul flights.
Users find IFE systems confusing and difficult to navigate.
Meal services disrupt sleep, with demand for schedule control.
IFEC market projected to reach $11.7B by 2029, demand is growing.
KEY INSIGHTS
66.7% consider IFE a key factor when choosing an airline
User Needs
Passengers want control over their environment—lighting, noise levels, meal timing—to create a personalized experience that aligns with their needs.
73% said they would use a "Sleep Mode" if offered. They need features that support uninterrupted rest
Many passengers find current IFE systems confusing or difficult to navigate, especially first-time flyers. They need a simple, user-friendly interface with clear onboarding and accessible features.
aerflo
Introducing
Final Design Highlights
Journey Planning
This screen allows passengers to customize their in-flight experience by choosing from three modes — Relax, Rest, or Restore. Users can drag events into preferred slots or follow Aerflo’s suggested flow, which is optimized to reduce jet lag by syncing with the destination’s time zone.
Solves the lack of control and time-zone confusion by letting passengers align rest with destination timing, reducing jet lag and mental fatigue.
Personalized Do Not Disturb
Smart prompts let passengers choose how they want to be woken, only for meals, snacks, or not at all. A simple feature that hands control back to the user.
Addresses disrupted sleep by giving passengers control over when they want to be woken, minimizing unwanted interruptions.
Adaptive Sleep Mode
An elegant overlay dims the interface, filters blue light, and syncs with cabin lighting, so users can rest without pausing what they’re doing.
Reduces overstimulation and supports better sleep by dimming visuals, filtering blue light, and syncing with cabin lighting—responding to sensory overload complaints.
Smart Meal Preview & Planning
A digital menu appears 30 minutes before service, paired with a visual meal schedule, allowing passengers to plan rest around meals, not the other way around.
Tackles the issue of poorly timed meal service by allowing passengers to plan their rest around upcoming meals, avoiding unexpected disruptions.
Let's work
together
I'm currently available for new work. Let me know if you're looking for a creative designer. Let’s talk about the next big thing!