App Design

Service Design

Public Sector

Deloitte x SCADPro: Reimagining the Airport Security Check Experience

Redesigning the MyTSA app to better support both travelers and TSA officers throughout their airport security journey

Overview

Airport security doesn't become stressful at the checkpoint—it starts long before travelers arrive.

Airport security doesn’t become stressful at the checkpoint—it starts long before travelers arrive.

Most airport security problems begin before travelers ever reach the security line. As the UX Design Lead on a multidisciplinary team of 16 students collaborating with Deloitte, I led seven UX designers to redesign the MyTSA app—helping travelers arrive prepared while reducing friction for both travelers and TSA officers.

Timeline

Fall Quarter 2024

(10 weeks)

What I Did

Led UX Design Team · UX Research · Wireframing · Prototyping · User Testing · Final Presentation

Team

5 UX Designer· 1 Service Design ·

Tools I Used

Figma ( Wireframe, Prototype) · ChatGPT (Synthesize and organize research data)

Achievement

66%

User satisfaction

42%

Download intent for the app

The Best SCADPro Project

Praised by Deloitte

Problems

Information and Training Gaps Slow Security and Frustrate Travelers and Officers

Travelers often arrive without knowing what to expect, while officers spend more time addressing avoidable questions. This creates unnecessary friction and slows down the security process.

Solution

Helping travelers know what to expect before airport security

The redesigned MyTSA app provides travelers with clearer guidance on airport rules and preparation steps, reducing uncertainty before they arrive at the airport.

Final App Design Highlights

Features Mapped to Every Stage for a Seamless Traveler Journey From Home to Checkpoint

Based on the traveler journey map, we aligned key app features to each stage of the airport experience. The prototype below shows when and how travelers interact with each tool, from preparation at home to the security checkpoint.

#1 Preparation at Home

TSA PreCheck® Promotion

Encourages travelers to enroll for faster screening, improving the experience for both travelers and officers.

Travel Checklist

Step-by-step guidance to ensure all documents and essentials are ready before departure.

Ask TSA (AI Assistance)

AI assistant answering luggage and TSA questions instantly for smoother travel prep.

AI/AR Baggage Scan

Scan your baggage using AI/AR for real-time feedback on prohibited items.

#2 Journey to the Airport

Airport Info

Get estimated wait times, peak hours, and TSA PreCheck® availability to plan a smoother journey.

#3 Pre-Security Check

TSA Cares Application

Supporting travelers with special needs by allowing them to request assistance directly in the app, ensuring a smoother and more comfortable security experience.

#4 Additional Resources

TSA Social Media Promotion

Educational content and travel tips to help travelers navigate security with ease.

Carry-On Challenge

An interactive way to learn about prohibited items and packing guidelines.

Challenges

Overcame Research and Content Barriers With Traveler-First Strategies and Smart Information Design

Limited access to TSO-specific information

We couldn’t fully explore TSOs’ experience due to limited access to internal protocols, so we focused on helping travelers prepare better—reducing stress and easing TSOs’ workload.

Interview with TSA manager

Complex and text-heavy TSA guidelines

TSA policies are complex and text-heavy, so we carefully analyzed and restructured them to present key information clearly and concisely in the app.

Current TSA Guidelines

Research Insights

What Guided Our Design

#1 Travelers don’t feel prepared — they’re unsure what to expect

Despite claiming confidence in knowing TSA rules, many travelers still bring prohibited items or feel unsure about the process.

#2 The screening process feels stressful, dehumanizing, and inconsistent

The screening process is often described as stressful, inconsistent, and even dehumanizing.

#3 Travelers with special needs often feel invisible or overwhelmed

People traveling with service animals, medical devices, or disabilities often don’t know about TSA Cares or how to request assistance.

#4 Most travelers have never heard of the MyTSA app

79% of travelers in our survey said they had never heard of the app—despite it being a key preparation tool.

User Testing

Three Iterative Tests Confirm Usability Gains, Strong Interest, and a 66% Satisfaction Boost

Round #1

Usability testing

Improving Layout, Navigation, and Interactions

(5 participants: students)

We tested our prototype to evaluate the app's layout, feature placement, button size, and navigation. Based on feedback, we made adjustments to improve readability, ease of use, and overall flow.

We tested our prototype to evaluate the app’s layout, feature placement, button size, and navigation. Based on feedback, we made adjustments to improve readability, ease of use, and overall flow.

Round #2

Interest & feature

preference test

Interest & feature

preference test

Fake Door Test (45 participants)

42% of participants indicated intent to download the app.

Fake Door Test (45 participants)

42% of participants indicated intent to download the app.

→ Outcome: 42% download intent, reflecting strong interest.

Feature Ranking (15 participants)

The AI/AR baggage scan receiving the most interest.

Feature Ranking (15 participants)

The AI/AR baggage scan receiving the most interest.

→ Update: Added a Smart Luggage Scan shortcut to the Home screen.

Round #3

Comparative testing

Current vs Redesigned App

(14 participants: students)

The redesigned app scored 66% higher in satisfaction, with users reporting better usability, clearer information, and more helpful tools.

→ Insight: Redesign confirmed with a 66% increase in satisfaction.

Comparison

Redesigned Navigation for Clarity, Faster Access, and Smarter Feature Placement

Renamed “Dashboard” to “Home”, making the entry point more intuitive and preventing users from mistaking it for an admin panel.

Moved “My Airport” to the Home page, ensuring users saw their personalized airport info immediately upon opening the app.

Changed “Can I Bring” to “Bag Check”, integrating new luggage-screening tools directly into the page for a clearer, more comprehensive experience.

Relocated “Ask TSA” to the top-right corner, keeping this help feature accessible from any screen and improving overall usability.

Separated “TSA Services” into its own page, extracting TSA PreCheck and TSA Cares from the More menu to give these key services a dedicated space.

Made “Checklist” a standalone page, guiding users step by step through pre-flight preparations instead of burying it under the More menu.

Streamlined Home Screen With Smarter Airport Display, Alerts, and Quick-Access Tools

Renamed the original "Dashboard" to "Home" to better align with user expectations and common app conventions.

Renamed the original “Dashboard” to “Home” to better align with user expectations and common app conventions.

The original layout separated “Favorite Airports” and “Recent Airports” into two large sections. We combined them into a single “Your Airports” area. The app now automatically detects the nearest airport, and users can add more airports to their list and swipe to view them.

A travel warning banner was added to the top of the home page to help users stay informed about region-specific disruptions.

Added quick access buttons for two key features: Travel Checklist and Smart Luggage Scan. These shortcuts not only improve accessibility but also increase visibility for these important tools.

Transformed Checklist Into a Visual, Step-by-Step Guide to Reduce Prep Stress

The original Checklist in the app linked to a long, text-heavy page on the TSA website, making it hard to read and overwhelming for users.

We redesigned the original version into a step-by-step checklist, where each task is shown as a separate card with a progress bar to help users track their prep. We also added visuals to make the content easier to scan and reduce the anxiety of completing a long list.

Expanded “Bag Check” With AI/AR Scan and Interactive Tools for Smarter Packing

Renamed the original “Can I Bring” page to “Bag Check” to better reflect its expanded functionality.

Kept the searchable item list feature from the original app, allowing users to quickly look up whether specific items are allowed.

Added an AI+AR luggage scanning tool, enabling users to scan their bags at home and get real-time feedback on prohibited items.

Introduced a prohibited items challenge, making it easier and more fun for users to learn what not to bring in a more engaging and interactive way.

Reflections

Using Feedback to Improve Design Clarity

Usability testing showed confusion with our TSA checklist. I iterated based on feedback, making the flow clearer and more intuitive—learning to treat feedback as a design tool.

Leading with Clarity and Empathy

Leading a UX team taught me to align roles, encourage open communication, and adapt quickly. It strengthened my confidence and collaborative skills.

Presenting with Purpose

Presenting to TSA and Deloitte helped me refine how I explain design decisions—connecting them to user needs and business goals with clear, structured storytelling.

Measuring Success

Success meant helping travelers feel ready, connected, and more likely to use the app

Travelers feel more confident and make fewer mistakes at security checkpoints

Measured by a decrease in confusion and fewer prohibited items being brought to screening.

More travelers engage with TSA services like PreCheck® and TSA Cares

Measured by increased in-app clicks and application submissions through the promoted features.

Interactive tools increase app engagement and perceived usefulness

Measured by usage rate of the AI/AR Bag Check scan and qualitative feedback about its helpfulness and novelty.

Improved awareness and adoption of the MyTSA app

Measured by a rise in downloads, returning users, and time spent in the app compared to the original version.

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