Accessible Airport Wayfinding
Design step-free airport guidance that combines gate timing, assistance points, lift status, rest needs, and indoor location uncertainty.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
The shortest path through an airport may include stairs, long standing periods, security queues, or a lift that is out of service. Indoor position can also be less precise than outdoor maps.
User context
Farah uses a power wheelchair and has forty-five minutes to reach a changed gate. She requested assistance, but the meeting point is behind her current location.
Product problem
Farah needs a route that reflects current access conditions and clearly separates confirmed infrastructure status from estimates.
Objective
Create route setup, active guidance, disruption recovery, and assistance handoff for an airport connection.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Confirm mobility, route, and assistance needs
- Review a step-free route with time and facilities
- Follow accessible turn guidance with confidence cues
- Recover when a lift closes or the gate changes
Screens and states
- Access needs and destination
- Route overview
- Active indoor guidance
- Outage reroute and assistance
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Farah enters the new gate and confirms her wheelchair dimensions
- 02
The route shows two lifts, a security lane, and a rest point
- 03
A lift outage is reported before she reaches the junction
- 04
The app offers a longer verified route and connects the assistance desk with her consent
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Offer step-free, lower-distance, and assisted route preferences
- Show source and update time for lifts, doors, and checkpoints
- Communicate location confidence and recognizable landmarks
- Provide text, map, audio, and high-contrast guidance
- Keep emergency and staffed support reachable throughout
Constraints
- Indoor location can drift or disappear
- A reported accessible route still depends on live airport operations
- Precise mobility information must not be shared without consent
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Four mobile screens and one kiosk route summary
- Annotations for location confidence, live status, and support handoff
If you want more
Optional extensions
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.