SkyMood
Overview
SkyMood is an app-to-in-flight screen system designed to reduce flight anxiety by addressing passengers’ need for transparency and control during high-stress moments. Research revealed that anxiety is often driven less by turbulence itself and more by uncertainty when passengers lack real-time context about what is happening during a flight.
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In response, SkyMood connects a pre-flight mobile survey to the in-flight screen to personalize reassurance tools such as turbulence forecasts, flight tracking, and educational explanations of flight mechanics. By making both flight information and personalization logic visible, the system helps passengers feel informed, prepared, and emotionally supported throughout their journey.
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TIME SPAN
August 2024 - December 2024
TOOLS
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
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Figma
Photoshop
My Role
I led user research and synthesis, designed the pre-flight survey, and created the core app and in-flight screen interfaces. I was responsible for translating research insights into personalization logic, interaction flows, and final UI designs.
Key Design Features
Core UX Insight: Flight anxiety is intensified by uncertainty and loss of control, not turbulence alone.
Personal Survey Integration
A short pre-flight survey captures anxiety triggers and coping preferences, allowing the in-flight experience to be personalized before anxiety peaks.
AI Infotainment Screen
SkyMood uses AI-assisted personalization to recommend relevant tools and content, with clear explanations for why each recommendation is shown to build trust in high-stress moments.
Flight Information Screen
Real-time turbulence forecasts, flight tracking, and aircraft explanations provide context during unpredictable moments, helping passengers feel calmer and more in control.
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Process Overview
1. Research
USER INTERVIEWS
We interviewed 8 frequent flyers who experience flight anxiety to understand emotional triggers, coping strategies, and unmet needs during flights.
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The interviews focused on identifying:
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Moments when anxiety peaks during a flight
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Triggers that intensify discomfort
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Existing coping mechanisms and unmet needs
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Perceptions of in-flight information and airline communication
KEY FINDINGS​
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Distraction Helps Temporarily, but Does Not Fully Reassure
Many participants relied on entertainment as a coping mechanism.
“Watching a cartoon or movie distracts me from the anxiety.”
“Listening to music helps when my anxiety is extremely bad.”
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Trust, Connection, and Calm Communication Reduce Anxiety
Participants felt calmer when they could connect with loved ones or observe calm behavior from the flight crew.
“Having inflight Wi-Fi is amazing because I can text my family.”
“It’s helpful to see the flight crew calm since they’re the most knowledgeable.”
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Sensory Overstimulation and Disruptions Increase Stress
Participants described physical discomfort, noise, and interruptions as contributors to anxiety, particularly on long flights.
“Sitting still for almost 10 hours made my nerves go hyperactive.”
“Being woken up for a meal increases my anxiety — I’d rather sleep.”
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CORE UX INSIGHT
Flight anxiety is intensified by uncertainty and loss of control, not turbulence alone.
“At first, I tried to convince myself it wasn’t something to worry about. But seeing other people panic made me panic as well.”
These needs reinforced the core insight that reducing uncertainty — even in small ways — can significantly improve passengers’ emotional comfort during flights.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
2. Define
PROBLEM DEFINITION
Anxious passengers lack tools that explain what is happening during a flight and provide emotional reassurance during unpredictable moments. Existing in-flight systems prioritize generic entertainment over transparency and personalization, leaving passengers feeling uninformed and unsupported when anxiety peaks.
UX INSIGHTS
The following insights guided the definition of the design problem:
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Uncertainty intensifies anxiety more than turbulence itself, highlighting the need for real-time flight transparency.
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Personalization must be explainable in high-stress contexts to build trust and emotional safety.
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Anxiety management requires both distraction and understanding, not entertainment alone.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Based on these insights, SkyMood was defined around the following principles:
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Reduce uncertainty with real-time flight context
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Support multiple coping styles (distraction, education, calming tools)
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Make personalization explainable to build trust
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Restore small moments of control
SUCCESS CRITERIA
The design would be successful if passengers:
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Feel more informed during turbulence and unexpected events
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Understand and trust why certain content is recommended
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Experience reduced anxiety during key moments of the flight
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Feel emotionally supported throughout their journey
3. Design Solutions
DESIGNED FOR
Anxious frequent flyers who experience heightened stress during turbulence and long flights, especially when they lack real-time context.
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KEY SOLUTIONS​
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Pre-flight survey to capture anxiety triggers and coping preferences
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AI-assisted recommendations with transparent explanations
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​Research showed that manual customization can overwhelm anxious passengers during high-stress moments, so AI-assisted recommendations were used to reduce cognitive load while maintaining transparency.
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Flight transparency tools including turbulence forecasts, tracking, and aircraft explanations
4. Prototyping & Testing
We iterated from low-fidelity to high-fidelity prototypes based on usability feedback. Testing highlighted the importance of making reassurance tools easy to access and ensuring personalization felt intentional rather than automated or overwhelming.
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SKETCHES
Early sketches explored multiple ways to surface reassurance and personalization across the app and in-flight screen.
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LO-FI PROTOYPE
Early low-fidelity sketches and wireframes explored how a pre-flight survey, in-flight screen, and post-flight reflection could function as a connected system. Initial testing helped validate the overall flow while revealing the need to surface reassurance tools more clearly during moments of stress.
SkyMood App: Pre-Boarding
SkyMood In-Flight Screen
SkyMood App: Post-Flight
STYLE GUIDE
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HI-FI PROTOTYPE
Based on usability testing with four participants, the high-fidelity design prioritized clearer navigation, faster access to flight context, and more transparent personalization. Key updates included surfacing flight crew information, clarifying why recommendations were shown, and improving visibility of turbulence forecasts and tracking tools
SkyMood App: Pre-Boarding
SkyMood Inflight Screen
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SkyMood App: Post-Flight
WHAT CHANGED & WHY
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Added flight crew information to increase trust and comfort
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Made survey results and personality traits visible to explain recommendations
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Introduced turbulence forecasting to help passengers mentally prepare
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Preserved flight tracking features users already found reassuring
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Added social and educational features to address anxiety beyond distraction
These changes helped ensure SkyMood felt supportive, intentional, and easy to understand during high-stress moments.
OUTCOMES
Usability testing with four participants showed improved clarity and confidence during moments of turbulence. Participants reported feeling more informed and better prepared when real-time flight context and explainable recommendations were visible. Several users noted that understanding why content was recommended increased trust in the system and reduced anxiety compared to standard in-flight entertainment.
5. Reflection & Next Steps
SkyMood is designed to integrate with existing airline systems, such as in-flight entertainment platforms and passenger mobile apps. By leveraging data passengers already provide and augmenting current flight tracking systems, the concept minimizes additional hardware requirements while offering a scalable approach to personalized passenger support.
This project reinforced the importance of designing for emotional clarity, not just functionality. Research showed that making systems transparent and explainable can significantly reduce anxiety in high-stress contexts like flying.
NEXT STEPS
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Explore real-time communication between pilots and passengers to further reduce uncertainty
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Test SkyMood with a broader range of anxiety levels and flight scenarios
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Investigate adaptive interfaces that respond dynamically to changing flight conditions