Overview
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.
16 Students · UX · Service Design · PM · Graphic Design · Industrial Design
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT
Achievement
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
The redesigned MyTSA app provides travelers with clearer guidance on airport rules and preparation steps, reducing uncertainty before they arrive at the airport.
Research Insights
#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.
Challenges
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
DESIGN
Sitemap
We restructured the original MyTSA sitemap to surface key features, reduce external redirects, and make essential travel tools easier to find and use. We also introduced new features to help users better prepare for their airport experience.
TESTING
User 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.
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.
→ Update: Added a Smart Luggage Scan shortcut to the Home screen.
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
Nav Bar
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.
Home Page
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.
Checklist Page
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.
Bag Check
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.
