Overview
I led the design of a Flight Information Display System (FIDS) for United aimed at radically upgrading gate room flight information signage.
The critically acclaimed EasyInfo is the best of its class utilizing information architecture and state of the art multimedia, display and networking technology. Deployed at over 42 domestic airports.
Opportunity
United had a problem. Their antiquated Flight Information Display System was failing to communicate timely, useful information. Customers were delaying gate operations when they queued up to simply ask “what’s the word?” Others showed up late for boarding. The service reps were overloaded and the customers were disenfranchised.
First install at gate B11 at O'Hare, using Clarity rear-projection video cubes
Utilizing new display and media technology, I partnered with a developer to design and implement an entirely new type of gate signage for United.
The initial system used paired video cubes and a networked player. United developed middleware to integrate multiple information systems and provided it to us in a parsable format.
Test installations at O’Hare airport included both a landscape and portrait orientation, plus an override console as a failsafe.
Example of the dynamic animations we used to present information
A mobile-design version tested at O'Hare
Anthropometric study of ideal placement for visibility
Information display timeline and prioritization scheme
Gate override system
The unique player technology enabled me to mix data-driven informational and promotional content, and choreograph it over time. This approach clarified a wide range of timely data, including a doors-close “shot clock”, upgrade lists, seating charts, and even a flight-delay mode that lists alternative flights. This concept represents a shift over the tabular data other airlines provide in their signage.
Results
United deployed the system at 42 airports under the brand EasyInfo. It is now in Version 3, optimized for single-screen plasma displays and managed by their branding agency Pentagram.
