Next-Gen Airport Terminal Kiosks
THE CHALLENGE
When Schiphol Airport offered to build a proprietary kiosk network for Manchester Airports Group (MAG), accepting would have meant vendor lock-in, fragmented data ecosystems, and massive long-term integration costs. As Head of UX, I refused the third-party build. Instead, I proposed a bold alternative: architecting a unified, context-aware self-serve terminal platform completely in-house using our proprietary Digital Experience Platform (DXP) codebase.
ROLE
Head of UX
Defined the product strategy, rejecting a third-party build to architect the platform in-house. Led the end-to-end design execution—from physical hardware selection with Evoke Creative to spatial UX strategy, multi-language wireframing, and high-fidelity prototyping on our DXP codebase.
The Approach
Strategic Hardware Selection: Partnered with Evoke Creative to select physical kiosk units. I took the lead in defining the unit type based on the screen real estate and physical interactions required for high-stress passenger environments.
Context-Aware Information Architecture: Deployed units in pairs across landside and airside locations, designing a flexible system that dynamically altered its UI and feature set based on where a passenger stood in the terminal.
Core MVP Utility: Spearheaded a multi-language first release focusing on high-friction terminal needs: flight updates, localised FAQs, digital wayfinding, and four-language localisation.
The Impact
Codebase Autonomy: Successfully protected and extended MAG’s internal DXP framework, avoiding expensive vendor reliance and keeping product iteration entirely in-house.
Frictionless Scale: Delivered a highly scalable, physical-to-digital touchpoint natively localized in English, Spanish, German, and Italian.
AI Readiness: Future-proofed the software layer to seamlessly accommodate a fast-follow integration of our proprietary AI Chatbot, VAL (Virtual Airport Liaison).
The Solution
Omnichannel Design Built for the Passenger Journey
The final solution balances structural physical hardware presence with highly intuitive touch layouts optimised for swift, self-serve interactions.
Key Design Pillars
01 / Contextual Location & Terminal Routing:
The system uses localised constraints to filter out noise for the passenger. Landside pairs (across T2 or T3) display comprehensive airport-wide flight schedules paired with terminal-specific layout guides. Airside units dynamically adapt down to the specific terminal level—a kiosk airside in T2 will exclusively stream T2 departures, isolate terminal maps to the user’s exact immediate footprint, and lock informational FAQs strictly to T2 amenities.
2 / Complete Self-Help UX:
Architected to support passengers at any point of their terminal journey by unifying distinct airport utilities into a single, cohesive touchpoint. From real-time flight tracking and dynamic digital wayfinding maps to deep terminal operational FAQs and dedicated support from our VAL AI chatbot, the interface acts as a comprehensive digital companion for stressed travelers.
03 / Cross-Channel System Alignment:
Built directly in tandem with our wider airport website renewal project, utilising a shared global design system. By deploying unified, reusable components across both web viewports and physical touchpoints, we established a seamless, highly consistent brand experience across multiple digital channels.
Key Enhancements Launched Since Rollout
Deep-Dive Flight Itineraries: During live user testing, we observed a consistent behavioural pattern: passengers checking the flight boards were actively trying to interact with the screens to find deeper context. In response, we designed and deployed comprehensive flight itinerary pages. Selecting a flight now opens a dedicated timeline detailing scheduled departure times, gate opening windows, boarding statuses, and real-time operational milestones.
The ‘Move to Mobile’ Ecosystem: Airport kiosks are naturally high-velocity touchpoints—passengers need information quickly but cannot stand at a fixed physical screen forever. To solve this, we introduced contextual ‘Move to Mobile’ touchpoints across the entire UI. Strategically placed QR codes allow passengers to instantly transfer their live kiosk session directly to their smartphones.
Live SMS Tracking Updates: As part of the mobile handoff, we integrated a lightweight enrolment utility allowing passengers to type in their phone numbers or scan to opt into live flight updates via SMS, keeping them informed as they navigate terminal shops and lounges.
