Imagine we are writing in the year 2034. Endless traffic jams plague most densely populated urban areas. Those who can afford it can avoid the congestion and soar through the sky in electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). Owing to an electric drive, these vehicles offer a sustainable solution for personal mobility within urban environments, but their biggest benefit is time saved by bypassing traffic.
As promising as this future scenario sounds, it remains uncharted territory that needs to be proven by the users. After all, it is the users who decide whether a new concept survives. If it offers value to them, users will adopt it, return as regular customers and recommend it to others.
In this article we will apply the methodology of user-centred design to vertiports, thoroughly examining this new concept from a radical perspective. By combining expertise in passenger and airport experience with intuition, we will model a likely profile of vertiport users and envision how the service might unfold.
Co-founder of Hong Kong-based design studio Envary, Roger Kellenberger is an industrial/product designer who connects the dots between brand, product and user experience
UCD drives adoption
User-centred design (UCD) is the practice of creating products and services that are attractive, valuable and pleasant to use. It is a research methodology to understand user characteristics, the usage situation and the goals of the service provider. And it is a design methodology, tailoring solutions to the needs of a specific target group, resulting in offers with real value for them. The outcome offers a better product-market fit, which leads to a higher adoption rate, increased customer loyalty and a greater willingness to recommend, all of which translate into increased revenue. Companies such as Airbnb, Nike and Apple commonly apply UCD, and numerous studies have shown its positive impact on revenue.
For vertiports/eVTOLs, UCD is particularly valuable, as this new mobility concept represents a significant departure from traditional air travel infrastructure. UCD encourages innovative thinking, which is needed by the non-traditional players who often conceive these new aviation infrastructures.
User-centred design follows an iterative process and relies heavily on user understanding
Cornerstones of the concept
To apply a user-centred perspective to vertiports, we need to make some assumptions about their operation and user base.
First, most current eVTOLs are designed to carry up to four passengers. Given the newness and high operational costs of such services, it is reasonable to expect that primary users will be wealthy private individuals, corporate executives or government representatives
Second, integrating vertiports into built-up urban environments will result in facilities with limited landing pads.To optimise space and slots, the service will more likely operate like a shuttle, with scheduled slots between fixed points rather than an on-demand taxi-like service.
Third, vertiports will likely be interoperable, accommodating various aircraft from different airlines. This prevents the chaotic proliferation of unconnected ports or routes, thus promoting a more efficient UAM network and facilitating adoption.
To successfully apply a user-centred approach, a number of principles must be followed.
1: Use deep user understanding to build a comprehensive design strategy
User understanding is built on firsthand research with real customers, using tools such as personal interviews, behaviour observation and accompanied walk-throughs. However, as there are currently very few vertiports in operation, we are forced to draw conclusions from concept descriptions and use our experience with other aviation projects to make assumptions about user needs, goals and habits.
As stated before, we assume primary users will be those who are able to afford such a service. We will focus on two user groups: senior business executives and private luxury travellers.
Senior business executives travel frequently. With tightly planned schedules, time is a valuable resource for them. Any service that saves time while helping them keep their performance levels high is desirable.
Private luxury travellers seek extraordinary experiences and enjoy time with friends and family, valuing exclusivity, comfort and convenience. They are willing to pay a premium for services that enhance their travel experience.
Based on these user characteristics, we propose the following design strategy for user-centred vertiports: create a service that significantly shortens travel time, while providing the highest level of comfort and privacy throughout the entire journey with an explicit human touch.
Christian Vatter is a user psychologist and design strategist. He is the founder of Berlin-based customer strategy agency Rlevance
2: Don't develop a product, solve a customer problem
Theodore Levitt, renowned former dean of marketing at Harvard Business School, stressed that to create committed buyers, the main task of companies is not to make products, but to deliver value to customers – a subtle distinction, but a notable one.
In this sense, it's essential to think beyond the vertiport premises and address the entire problem domain regarding “short urban travel for senior executives and luxury travellers.” This means fully owning the customer problem in all its aspects, from beginning to end. Every element and touchpoint of the travel experience needs consideration: efficient and pleasant vertiport experiences, but also communication beforehand, and quick, comfortable transportation to and from the vertiport.
3: Work holistic and beyond disciplines
People experience the world with all their senses, across time and as actors in their own story. Delivering a great user experience requires a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to design. It’s about weaving together all of the elements.
These elements include the physical environment, employee behaviour, processes, analogue and digital services, complementary commercial offerings and communication. Each must align to support the overall goal, as even one failing can ruin the entire impression. Just imagine a luxurious travel experience supported by beautifully designed digital tools, but undermined by unfriendly staff.
Booking involves an app that bundles all documents and acts as a guide throughout the journey
4: Evolve the concept through smart feedback
Despite a thorough design process, not everything can be anticipated, especially with a novel product like vertiports, so it is essential to apply a build-test-learn approach.
Tesla takes such an approach: its updates to vehicle performance and user experience are grounded in continuously collected data and user insights. Vertiport operators, for example, could regularly accompany users along the entire experience, observing their interactions and asking questions in real time. This method allows them to gather rich, contextual data on user behaviours, requirements and pain points to further evolve solutions.
Our vision: Just-in-time travel
Combining expertise with intuition, we propose a hypothetical passenger experience for vertiport users. Our goal is to illustrate the power of a user-centred design process. This experience adheres to our design principle: to significantly shorten travel time while providing the highest level of comfort and privacy with an explicit human touch throughout the entire journey.
The trip starts and ends with the limousine and the driver handles check-in and baggage drop
The hypothetical experience
The user journey begins with a click on an app. The senior executive's assistant books the trip with 'SkySwift', entering all necessary information, uploading documents and syncing it with her travel calendar. Throughout the trip, the app will provide polite and timely updates and notifications to all travellers, ensuring they are well-informed and worry-free.
Three hours before the flight, SkySwift's concierge contacts the traveller with a voice that is both professional and full of warm assurance. She confirms the flight, notes the pick-up location and addresses any special requests. She then announces that the limousine will pick up the traveller 50 minutes before the scheduled flight, allowing time to navigate traffic en route to the vertiport.
A notification prompts the group to meet the limousine in front of the office. Upon entering the car, the driver verifies the passengers in the app, tags and scans their luggage and stows it in the trunk. Upon entering the car, the driver, embodying 5-star-hotel courtesy and efficiency, tags and scans their luggage and stows it in the trunk.
After a short video conference in the privacy of the limousine cabin, the travellers enjoy a gourmet sandwich and relax during the remaining ride to the vertiport. After all, most of the tedious steps air travel usually brings with it are already complete.
A personal concierge takes care of guests during their brief stay at the vertiport
In the parking garage, the limousine stops at SkySwift's dedicated elevator, taking the group to the 57th floor. They are greeted by their personal concierge, who offers her undivided attention throughout their stay at SkySwift's premises. This stay will be very short, as she immediately guides the group through a security gate that seamlessly integrates the checking-in process into their path to the eVTOL.
At SkySwift, aircraft depart every 15 minutes. Most travellers enjoy the just-in-time service, walking directly to the aircraft. Only those with a connecting flight or the desire to pass some extra time in luxury will use one of the comfortable private lounges with workstations and washroom or else take a drink at the stylish SkyBar.
After a 20-minute flight, the journey concludes as it began: SkySwift’s own elevator takes the group from the landing pad to the limousine, and at the end of the ride, the driver returns their luggage along with a small gift.
Although supported by our expertise, this vision of a vertiport user journey is based on assumptions about users and not, as it ideally should be, on studies of real ones. In this sense it is important to note that designing with a different user group in mind would result in a different user journey.
In the just-in-time concept, traditional gates don’t exist. Passengers walk straight to the landing pad
The purpose of our hypothetical scenario was to illustrate how UCD helps to tailor products and services to their specific target group. It also shows how a clear design strategy brings about solutions that meet a key need consistently – in our case, just-in-time travel.
For the formulation of the entire service or to fine-tune an element within the service – for example, the welcoming process at the vertiport or how the waiting area is designed – user-centred design opens the door to innovative thinking and results in solutions that fulfil user needs. If applied to vertiports, it can substantially contribute to the adoption of advanced air mobility, leading to economic success.
According to analysts, the vertiport market will reach $10.7bn by 2030
