Improved in-app support clarity for pilots on a aviation platform
Improved in-app support clarity for pilots on a aviation platform
ForeFlight is a market-leading aviation app trusted by pilots for flight planning and real-time navigation. We collaborated with the ForeFlight team to run usability tests and deliver design recommendations for improving in-app support discoverability and learning.
ForeFlight is a market-leading aviation app trusted by pilots for flight planning and real-time navigation. We collaborated with the ForeFlight team to run usability tests and deliver design recommendations for improving in-app support discoverability and learning.
33%
Reduction in steps to reach relevant support content
Reduction in steps to reach relevant support content
2x
Faster access to helpful resources
Faster access to helpful resources
Skip to Design Recommendations
Team
HCDE Project Team
Organization
ForeFlight (A Boeing Company)
Role
UX Research and Design
Timeline
3 months (Jan–Mar 2025)
About
What is ForeFlight?
What is ForeFlight?
ForeFlight is an aviation app pilots use to plan flights and navigate in real time. It brings together maps, weather, and aircraft information to support pilots throughout flight preparation and execution.
ForeFlight is an aviation app pilots use to plan flights and navigate in real time. It brings together maps, weather, and aircraft information to support pilots throughout flight preparation and execution.
ForeFlight is the market leader owned by Boeing and used by over 80% of general aviation pilots.
ForeFlight is the market leader owned by Boeing and used by over 80% of general aviation pilots.
Problem
Support resources were fragmented across workflows
Support resources were fragmented across workflows
Pilots encounter support needs throughout flight planning and execution. However, support is spread across multiple resources, including videos, documentation, and the support center, making it unclear where to find the right solution.
Pilots encounter support needs throughout flight planning and execution. However, support is spread across multiple resources, including videos, documentation, and the support center, making it unclear where to find the right solution.
Constraints
Working within project constraints, we followed:
Working within project constraints, we followed:
Platform scope was constrained to tablet based on ForeFlight data showing ~80% of pilots primarily use the tablet/app rather than web.
Participants were intentionally mixed across experience levels, including student pilots, flight school trainees, and general aviation pilots.
Research Questions
To achieve the goals, we aim to answer the following questions:
To achieve the goals, we aim to answer the following questions:
Navigation & Discoverability
How easily can users locate and access the Support tab when they need help or want to learn something new?
How easily can users locate and access the Support tab when they need help or want to learn something new?
Effectiveness of Support Information
How effective is the Support tab in helping users resolve their issues?
How effective is the Support tab in helping users resolve their issues?
Help-Seeking Preferences & Barriers
What types of help-seeking behaviors do users exhibit when they face issues?
What types of help-seeking behaviors do users exhibit when they face issues?
Usabililty Study Plan
Planning the study with realistic tasks and diverse users
Planning the study with realistic tasks and diverse users
We conducted a summative usability test combined with some exploratory user research questions remotely with 4 participants. The session scheduled for 60 minutes.
We conducted a summative usability test combined with some exploratory user research questions remotely with 4 participants. The session scheduled for 60 minutes.
Test Participants
We recruited 4 active ForeFlight users with varying backgrounds
We recruited 4 active ForeFlight users with varying backgrounds
Each participant has different levels of flying experience, ForeFlight usage frequency, and familiarity with the app.
Each participant has different levels of flying experience, ForeFlight usage frequency, and familiarity with the app.
CRITERIA
Varied experience with the Support tab.
Primarily tablet users.
Mix of experience levels: airline transport pilot, commercial pilots, flight instructors.
Varied experience with the Support tab.
Primarily tablet users.
Mix of experience levels: airline transport pilot, commercial pilots, flight instructors.
Key Findings
Pain points in support system
Pain points in support system
Pilots often hesitate or leave the app when trying to get help because the system does not clearly guide them.
Pilots often hesitate or leave the app when trying to get help because the system does not clearly guide them.
Finding 1: Support is hard to notice when pilots need help
Finding 1: Support is hard to notice when pilots need help
Finding 2: Fragmented support entry points break pilots’ mental models
Finding 2: Fragmented support entry points break pilots’ mental models
Finding 3: Search is the primary way pilots look for help but it does not work well
Finding 3: Search is the primary way pilots look for help but it does not work well
Design Recommendations #1
Make help instantly discoverable across core workflows
Make help instantly discoverable across core workflows
Insufficient visual affordance of the “Support” tab hinders navigation and discoverability. 2/4 participants couldn’t find “Support” tab as they were unaware they could scroll down.
Insufficient visual affordance of the “Support” tab hinders navigation and discoverability. 2/4 participants couldn’t find “Support” tab as they were unaware they could scroll down.
Finding 1: Support is hard to notice when pilots need help
Finding 1: Support is hard to notice when pilots need help
Severity Rating: 2, minor usability problem
Severity Rating: 2, minor usability problem
“
“
There's always the Help menu item. That does not exist in the ForeFlight app, as far as I've seen it.
There's always the Help menu item. That does not exist in the ForeFlight app, as far as I've seen it.
- P3 (Commercial Pilot)
- P3 (Commercial Pilot)
Design Recommendations #2
Clarify support navigation by separating learn, help, and info
Clarify support navigation by separating learn, help, and info
Participants associate support resources with multiple tabs, including “Discover,” “Support,” and “About,” leading to navigation confusion.
Participants associate support resources with multiple tabs, including “Discover,” “Support,” and “About,” leading to navigation confusion.
Finding 2: Fragmented support entry points break pilots’ mental models
Finding 2: Fragmented support entry points break pilots’ mental models
Severity Rating: 3, major usability problem
Severity Rating: 3, major usability problem
Design Recommendations #3
Support search with a structured and learnable browsing experience
Support search with a structured and learnable browsing experience
4/4 participants preferred searching over browsing support resources, but found search results overwhelming and unhelpful. When search failed to surface relevant results, participants often fell back to browsing video content.
However, the video library was not organized in a way that supported quick orientation or learning, making it difficult to identify where to start.
4/4 participants preferred searching over browsing support resources, but found search results overwhelming and unhelpful. When search failed to surface relevant results, participants often fell back to browsing video content.
However, the video library was not organized in a way that supported quick orientation or learning, making it difficult to identify where to start.
Finding 3: Search is the primary way pilots look for help but it does not work well
Finding 3: Search is the primary way pilots look for help but it does not work well
Severity Rating: 3, major usability problem
Severity Rating: 3, major usability problem
“
“
There's no search tab for those videos in the ForeFlight video library, so it's easier to just Google it, and the categories are confusing.
There's no search tab for those videos in the ForeFlight video library, so it's easier to just Google it, and the categories are confusing.
- P1 (Airline Transport Pilot)
- P1 (Airline Transport Pilot)
Impact
Making support easier to find with structured browsing and clearer search
Making support easier to find with structured browsing and clearer search
We measured metrics through task-based usability testing comparing pre- and post-redesign flows.
We measured metrics through task-based usability testing comparing pre- and post-redesign flows.
Reduction in steps to reach relevant support content
Reduction in steps to reach relevant support content
Improved pilots’ ability to locate in-app support by clarifying support entry points, navigation labels, and consolidating help access.
Faster access to helpful resources
Faster access to helpful resources
Improved search discoverability and provided a clearer browsing experience for searching rersources.
Reflection
Working with constraints
Due to scheduling issues and last-minute drop-offs, we recruited 4 pilots instead of the 7 planned. This limited quantitative comparisons and pushed us to rely more on qualitative insights, reinforcing the importance of adapting research methods under real-world constraints.
Due to scheduling issues and last-minute drop-offs, we recruited 4 pilots instead of the 7 planned. This limited quantitative comparisons and pushed us to rely more on qualitative insights, reinforcing the importance of adapting research methods under real-world constraints.
Designing beyond domain knowledge
ForeFlight relies heavily on pilot-specific terminology, which made the platform harder to fully understand without domain expertise. We designed tasks using clear, goal-based language to focus on usability issues rather than technical knowledge gaps.
ForeFlight relies heavily on pilot-specific terminology, which made the platform harder to fully understand without domain expertise. We designed tasks using clear, goal-based language to focus on usability issues rather than technical knowledge gaps.
If we have more time…
With additional time, we would recruit more pilots across experience levels and better understand how support resources are used over time, helping validate the long-term impact of our recommendations.
With additional time, we would recruit more pilots across experience levels and better understand how support resources are used over time, helping validate the long-term impact of our recommendations.
