1

MEDICAL ADHERENCE

2 THE BRIDGE PROGRAM

3
BREAKING BIASES

DESIGN PORTFOLIO
SURABHI SAKHALKAR
1
MEDICAL ADHERENCE

Carnegie Mellon University

User Research Methods
Individual Project

MY ROLE
Design Research
 When “NON” is fused ahead of adherence, what we get is an enormous
problem of some 50% of 3.8 billion prescriptions in the United States alone
that are taken incorrectly or not at all.

COMPLIANCE AND
ADHERENCE
The term compliance and adherence
are often interchangeably used.
NON-ADHERENCE
However, compliance implies
DEFINITION patients as passive actors in
managing their health, while adher-
INTRODUCTION TO ence suggests a collaboration
PARKINSON’S between the doctor and patient to
DISEASE equally dedicate their time and effort
for the benefit of the patient.
EFFECTS OF
Non-adherence is assumed to be
NON-ADHERENCE equivalent to prescribed medication,
ON PATIENTS WITH however, it can also be extended to
PARKINSON’S the course of treatment which
includes medical device use and
RESEARCH GOAL applications, self-care, self-directed
exercises, therapy sessions, meal
regulations, and checkups.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the

second most common
neurodegenerative disorder, after
Alzheimer's disease, affecting the
elderly worldwide. Current therapy
for PD is largely based on the
prescription of drugs that act as
either dopamine precursors,
dopamine agonists or agents that
inhibit key enzymes in the dopamine
catabolic pathways. Most of these
drugs are administered in tablet or
capsule form and can involve
multiple daily doses in complex
dosing regimens, which contributes
to sub-optimal compliance amongst
patients. A randomized controlled
clinical trial by Grosset found that
CHEMISTS ADDICTS

15% to 20% of patients do not take

the number of tablets prescribed and
E RS few patients take their medication at
IL the times directed. This can have
TA
RE major implications for the
PS maintenance of smooth stimulation
RE of striatal dopamine receptors
L ES
SA considering that PD is a progressive,
S debilitating condition, and once the
R
HE medication is instituted for
PATIENTS

A RC ameliorating the symptoms of PD, it

SE is lifelong.
RE
DOCTORS NURSES
Non-adherence in Parkinson’s can
FRIENDS FAMILY take various forms and underlying
GO effects. Greater regimen complexity,
VE
E RS RN i.e. timing non-adherence,
N
HOSPITALS

M contributes to unwanted pulsatile

IG EN
DES T dopamine variability implicated in
IN the earlier development of motor
SU
RA fluctuation. Cognitive impairment,
NC
E incorrect ascription by the patient,
CO depression, etc are some of the few
M
PHARMACISTS

PA reasons for non-adherence among

N IE
S
patients diagnosed with PD.
Additionally, studies in depressed
populations have found a threefold
increase in non-adherence with all
prescribed medications.
Non-adherence was associated with
worse depression and poorer quality
of life in PD specifically. Likely,
depression fuels non-adherence and
vice versa. For these patients,
consequences of non-adherence
include worse disease control, with
diminished mobility, greater
fluctuations, dyskinesias, and
worsening quality of life.

To understand medical adherence

among patients diagnosed with Par-
kinson’s Disease and investigate
potential problems faced by users
while complying with complex med-
ical schedules
 REASONS FOR MEDICAL
NON-ADHERENCE

LACK OF HEALTH LITERACY

UNFORDABLE MEDICATIONS

LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

MISCOMMUNICATION

BRIEF VISITS- TIME CONSTRAINTS

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF

MEDICATIONS AND DEVICES

LACK OF PERSONAL INCENTIVE

LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

CULTURAL, HEALTH OR
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES

MULTIPLE MEDICATIONS
FROM MULTIPLE PHYSICIANS

SHORT TERM CONSEQUENCES

VERSUS LONG TERM BENEFITS

FORGETFULNESS

NUMBER OF DOSES

PERCEIVED SIDE-EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVE MEDICATION
SUGGESTED BY PEERS ON
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
REMEMBRANCE OF ILLNESS

DEPRESSION

DENIAL OF STATE OF HEALTH

Out of the 15 patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease that participated in

this Online survey...

Diagnosis 11.1% 22.2% 33.3% 33.3%

0-2 Years 3-5 Years 6-8 Years 9 & Above

100% have made a mistake with their medical schedule

77.77% have forgotten to take their medications

77.8% have noticed immediate or long term effects due to non adherence

88.9% are accompanied to the doctor by their spouses

Activities
that are
scheduled

66.7% 22.2% 66.7% 44.4%

Some participants found eating, exercising, working, walking, driving, speaking,

dressing challenging after the diagnoses and took assistance from different
sources like spouses, children, grandchildren, paid helpers etc.

66.7% thought medical adherence causes stress


Literary Research narrowed
down the general reasons for
medical non-adherence
among various users. This
helped me formulate and
direct my interviews and
understand the problems
faced specifically by people
diagnosed with PD. Through
the first two interviews I found
that caregivers too played an
important role in adherence,
hence I further broadened my
interview scope to caregivers as
well.
Maggie Fisher, Patient
Diagnosis: 9 years ago
”I now use a 7 day pill box for all
my prescribed meds. Then
each day I put that days doses
into a small round pill box that
I try to keep with me at all
times. This seems to help keep
me more aware of medicine
time. But I also write down
when I take medicines as
sometimes I cannot remember
if I did or not.”
Sarah Bailey, Patient
Diagnosis: 13 years ago
“I tried using my phone, but
sometimes I'm in a different
room than my medicine or at a
doctor’s appointment or in
church and then get home and
forget. I wish they could come
up with a pump. I know I sure
would like one.”
30 MINS
2X
AFTER MEAL
2X
30 MINS
AFTER MEAL
Tanya Ward, Caregiver
“I made my husband a monthly
Excel spreadsheet with a line
for each day and columns for
each medication, time to be
taken and what they are for. He
checks them off when taking
and it has been very effective.
He keeps it on our table in view
as a reminder.”
Candice Powell, Caregiver
“When my husband does not
take his medication on time,
he starts to shut down. He has
trouble functioning in general.
We get whispering, then sound
effects, falls. When you are late
or forget, PD meds work differ-
ently unlike blood pressure,
you take and bp comes down,
but with PD it takes longer to
catch up. Sometimes it can
take days or even weeks.”
A Role Play exercise was simu-
lated to contextually under-
stand the scheduling of medi-
cines and other related activi-
ties for PD patients. For the
purpose of this exercise, choc-
olates were provided in place
of medicines to 5 participants
who were asked to play the
role of patients and given a
schedule to adhere to medica-
tions, daily exercises and meals
for 24 hours. 1 participant was
paired with “a patient” and
asked to perform the role of a
caregiver for this patient. The
communication between this
group was open to their per-
sonal preference.
Participant 1 wrote down the
timings of medicine intake the
first three times and forgot
about it after, due to work
load.
Participant 2 changed meal
times twice because they acci-
dentally had a medicine
(snicker bar). They wrote down
all the timings for the intake of
medicines in a journal and
reminded themselves by keep-
ing the medicine bowl on the
table during work.
 Participant 3 did not set an
alarm as it would disturb them

30 MINS
3X during class, or while traveling.
They wrote down the intake of
medicine times. Medicine that
had to be consumed 8 times
BEFORE MEAL was not taken at equal inter-
vals and they found
before-lunch medicine intake
inconvenient due to uncertain
lunch times.

3X
Participant 4 & 5 that were
paired as a caregiver and
patient could not adhere to
30 MINS the schedule due to communi-
BEFORE MEAL cation errors. While the care-
giver set alarms to inform the
patient, the patient would
either not answer the
phone-call or forget to take the
medicine inspite of the
reminder.

8X

In conclusion, it was found that many patients/ caregivers used at least two tools for scheduling of activities related to
adherence. Due to various reasons, like being distracted by other tasks or being physically away from the reminders led
to confusion or accidental consumption of double dosage than prescribed. Additionally, users that were dependent on
their caregivers viewed themselves as a burden. Based on these insights gained after analyzing the results of these
research methods, design principles for the potential product/ service were derived.

Be a substitute for a
caregiver and restore the
self-confidence and
MUST independence of the
users by reducing their
Ease the stress
that non-adher-
dependency on others ence causes by
being a self
sufficient unit
Be able to Eliminate the SHOULD
adapt itself to need for
COULD the personality multiple
methods/
and needs of
the user tools used for
scheduling
Provide short
term incentive Provide ambient
for long term positive
benefit feedback
 2 THE BRIDGE PROGRAM

Carnegie Mellon University

Integrated Product Development
Team Capstone Project

SPONSOR
Emirates Holidays

MY ROLE
Design Lead | Design Research |
Conceptualization | UI/ UX Design|
Usability Testing | Prototyping |
Design Strategy
 UNDERSTANDING
THE CONTEXT
Click for Process

From the conception of the desire to travel to

the return home, there are numerous points in
which the traveler is in contact with resources
and professionals in the hopes of seeking help
throughout their travel experience. These are
not trivial connections for the traveler because
their needs are changing as they progress
through their journey. In this day and age, the Being aware of this, Emirates
regular traveler expects to have an effortless Holidays ask was to uncover how to
experience when they go away on holidays and increase customer service ability
often rely on trustworthy customer service to through understanding customer
provide peace of mind. preferences and creating more desir-
able outbound interactions in order
to create a long-term relationship.

The main opportunity gap identified

was the result of analyzing
important behavioral trends in the
social, economic and technological
settings (SET). These trends were After a process of narrowing down SET
identified not only in the traveler's factors based on relevance to the
attitude when planning and going industry, relation to the sponsor's ask
on a trip but also in any and timeliness, there was a group of
stakeholder's interaction with global behaviors that stood out.
customer support from different
industries (such as Insurance and
Financial Services).
SET FACTORS

Leisure travelers research about local

activities after arriving to the destination
On-trip mobile usage is on the rise
Leisure travelers call the airline for more
information while traveling
Travelers disconnect from regular
routine, but engage in online sharing
while on the trip
Customers would use an online support
center if it were available and tailored to
their needs
 OPPORTUNITY
IDENTIFICATION
Click for Process

After gaining a better understanding of the

scope of this project, around one hundred
opportunities were defined. These were then
organized into categories and narrowed down
to final four using a weighted matrix. Following
this evaluation, the final opportunity that was
defined provided a unique contribution to the
problem statement.

Develop a long-term relationship between trav-

elers and Emirates Holidays by making mean-
LO

AIRLINES
CA

ingful connections and providing valued

L
M

RE

assistance so that booking the next holiday feels

ER

VIE

like reconnecting with a trusted friend.

CH
A

E
N

ID
ER S
D
IS

U
S

G
ER

KIES
L
CA

UN This opportunity satisfies the needs of obtaining

IA J
LO

D
L ME customer data, using that data to develop more
LOCALS SOCIA
personalized customer service, offering support
FAMILY
TS throughout the entire customer journey and
GEN CU
A V EL A TS ST providing a tailored and satisfying experience.
TR
HO

R AN ES O
M The overarching goal of this opportunity is to
I
AU
FRIENDS

TE

N ER
ST A create a long-term relationship between cus-
AIRPORT GROUND SERVICES

LS

R E P SE
M R tomers and Emirates Holidays, providing a
CO V
IC high-quality customer service that draws them
CE ES
N back to the company on their next journey. This
A
R
SU robust POG is extremely tied to the behavior
IN and trends found before and entirely fit the
expectations of global travelers in this day and
age.

PERSONAS

Insights from in-depth interviews and their

inspired personas helped in understanding
the pain points and happy moments for the
traveler before, during and after their journey.
This also aided in crafting the customer
journey and deriving where the implementa-
tion of the opportunity was the most mean-
ingful for the traveler and subsequently to
Emirates Holidays.
Travis is a 32-year old, single, Creative Director
from Chicago, Illinois. He works freelance and
Luka and Janice are a 57-year old retired likes to travel at least once a year. He and his best
couple from Boston, Massachusetts. They have friend are driven by exploring new cities, so they
been married for 30 years and have 2 children plan their trips together. Travis enjoys the sim-
who no longer live at home. Since they plicity of travel packages because they often take
became empty nesters they have fewer away all the burden of having to plan an entire
expenses and are able to travel internationally trip. In addition, he considers himself very loyal to
at least once a year. They like these trips to be brands and service providers he uses. For
as comfortable as possible, which is why they example, when he finds a travel company that
always book travel packages. This package provides a good experience, he sticks to it for
includes the flights, hotel and ground trans- future plans. For him, there is a special thrill
portation. They feel that they can immerse in about exploring new places and meeting people
the culture best if they can live the experience at the same time, both locals and fellow tourists.
like a true local, so they don’t make tight As a result, he often has many contacts he meets
schedules in advance of the trip. Instead, they on vacations and usually follows up on these rela-
usually wait until they arrive at their destina- tionships once he is back home. Travis is always
tion and ask around for things to do and thinking about exploring. His mind immediately
places to eat. They also utilize their credit goes to the next place to visit once his vacation is
cards concierge services and the hotel front almost over. This is how he copes with the
desk to get more recommendations, but they concern of having to go back home. When he is
are very wary, as they understand that the best about to travel back home, he takes his time to
comments come from the local community. document his travel on social media. He is filled
When the time to go back home arrives, they with accomplishment when friends make
are sad but they know they had a great experi- comments about his posts and ask for recom-
ence and look forward to other trips coming in mendations. Reviews are important for him so he
the near future. takes time to write them after he gets home.
 LOOKING BACK HOME

ON HOLIDAY
JOURNEY MAP
DREAMING
BOOKING

PRE-DEPARTURE

POST- BOOKING

ADVOCATE
This customer journey is divided into eight stages:
Dreaming, Looking, Booking, Post-Booking, Pre-Depar-
ture, On Holiday, Back Home and Advocate.
DREAMING is when the traveler first has the conception
of the idea to go on a holiday. They are dreaming about
ON HOLIDAY they see sites that they have only
all of the possibilities, what they can do, where they can
dreamed about or seen in pictures, they experience
go, how long and when they could go, etc.
authentic food, and partake in activities that they
LOOKING is when the traveler starts to do secondary
would never have had the chance to back home.
research through the Internet, travel books, booking
However, if there are small inconveniences along
services, and talking to anyone they know that has
the way, the traveler is less likely to call and
traveled to the destinations that they are considering.
complain while on vacation. However, the compila-
BOOKING is the stage at which the traveler either books
tion of the inconveniences could lead to a negative
their travel on their own or a booking company does it
review once they return home. Two to three days
for them.
before their holiday is over, the traveler begins to
The POST-BOOKING stage is just bliss. Now, the traveler
experience emotions of stress, anxiety, dread, and
gets to continue dreaming about their upcoming
sadness. They start thinking about their journey
holiday. This time their dreaming is more structured
home and returning to the responsibilities of their
because they have finalized the holiday.
everyday lives.
PRE-DEPARTURE is when the traveler is excited because
BACK HOME involves the traveler’s journey home
the holiday is close. They are researching what the
and once they actually return to their home.
weather is going to be when they are at their destination
ADVOCATE is once the traveler is back home, they
and packing accordingly.
will leave a review if they feel inclined.

INSIGHTS
Click for Video

Through literary research and

meeting with our sponsors, we
found that Emirates Holidays is
actively involved in the customer
journey from DREAMING to
PRE-DEPARTURE and at the end of
the journey during ADVOCATING.
For Emirates to be an active part of
BACK HOME
the traveler’s entire journey, it was
essential for them to be involved as ON HOLIDAY
required during the ON HOLIDAY
and BACK HOME stage. This was
further validated after finding that
more than half of travelers expect START THINKING
the responsible brand to be avail- OF HOME
able when resolving issues. These EXPERIENCING
moments were opportunities for FRUSTRATION
Emirates Holiday to fill the gap and
become the trusted friend the
traveler needs to: have a more
enjoyable experience, desire to
book with the company again, and WAYFINDING
become the advocate for the brand
upon returning home. During the
interviews, there was a focus on 5
key moments during the travelers
journey: Gathering Information,
Wayfinding, Experiencing Frustra-
tion, Telling Their Story, and Start
Thinking Of Home. We used this as
our framework to make the journey
of an EH customer circular from
dreaming to dreaming back again. GATHERING TELLING
INFORMATION THEIR STORY
 OPPORTUNITY
ATTRIBUTES

Opportunity criteria were defined and the value of

projected Emirates Holidays services was assessed
Not interrupt the traveler's adventure, but
against its current competitors through a Value
rather provide reassurance when neces-
Opportunity Analysis Matrix. Based on this, criteria
sary during moments of explorations and
that were imperative to delivering a high perform-
discovery.
ing solution were derived and categorized as MUST,
Give the traveler a sense of escape and
COULD and SHOULD.
indulgence that they do not experience in
their everyday lives.
The product/service could alleviate the
stress of looking for information and
SENSE OF SENSE OF
ADVENTURE INDEPENDENCE recommendation while on vacation by
DURABILITY
SENSE OF providing them with the least amount of
SECURITY
effort and time input by the traveler.
CRAFTSMANSHIP SENSUALITY
Aid in continuing interaction between
travelers and EH when needed by the
traveler throughout the holiday.
RELIABLE CONFIDENCE Provide an interface that is accessible and
intuitive to different generations of travel-
ers to provide them with the information
ENABLING POWER and assistance they want throughout
their journey.
Equip the traveler with the appropriate
information and means of communica-
VISUAL
COMFORT tion with Emirates Holidays in a timely
manner.
Aid in the fulfillment of the desire to
SAFETY
TACTILE immerse into the local culture as part of
the expansion of the traveler's comfort
zone.
TripAdvisor.com
AUDITORY
The companionship provided by the pro-
EASE OF USE BestAtTravel.co.uk
duct/ service must be genuine and com-
Hotel Concierge 
municate expertise in a relatable way.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERSONALITY Emirates Holidays

SOCIAL POINT IN TIME

SENSE OF PLACE

CONCEPT
GENERATION

We generated around 100 ideas and

features that were then filtered, validat-
ed and combined through various activ- The final concept, named
ities like role-playing scenarios with the The Bridge Program, was
concepts, user testing etc. The final 3 finalized after much
concepts competing to be the last one research, iteration, and
standing were narrowed down using a discussion about vision
Pugh Chart. and feasibility for Emirates
Holidays. This Program is a
thoughtful companion for
travelers to build a trusted
relationship with EH to
EMIRATES create a circular journey by
HOLIDAYS increasing repeat custom-
APP ers through exceptional
and personalized service. It
consists of an app for trav-
elers to enjoy the destina-
tion by creating a more
immersive experience.
GROUND
REWARDS Alongside the app, there is
PROGRAM a ground rewards pro-
gram, surprise and delight
initiative, and an imple-
mentation plan. This pro-
gram is functional for trav-
elers on their journey from
SURPRISE & UK to Dubai, since 75% of
DELIGHT EH customers are located
INITIATIVE and travel between these
locations as also EH repres-
netatives are available
locally for assistance in the
UK and Dubai.

This feature forms the core of
the app which provides a
two-way communication
between Emirates Holidays
and its customers and is facili-
tated by the user alone. The
first button connects custom-
ers with EH agents for inqui-
ries and concerns regarding
hotel bookings, flight sched-
ule concerns or any other
interaction pertaining specifi-
cally to EH services. The
second button is for travel/
activity recommendations in
Dubai. After either of the
buttons is pushed once, the
device sends a signal to EH
call center to contact the user
based on their pre-selected
preferences i.e. via live chat,
phone call or chatbot. The
suggestions provided by the
executives after pushing the
second button will be person-
alized and tailored to fit user
preferences, reflecting on the
importance of the initial
survey.
EMIRATES
HOLIDAYS APP
Click to Interact
Signing up process via social
media accounts, such as Insta-
gram or Facebook provides EH
customer preference and
makes the signing up process
for customers less tedious.
A quick survey is aimed to
understand user preferences for
communicating with EH and
aid in informing future recom-
mendations. This data can be
edited via the profile page.
The ticketing feature
provides customers all of
their booking information in
one place. It is also in sync
with any real-time updates
regarding changes, delays,
and cancellations . This
feature can avoid long trails
of multiple emails with
updated information. It also
disconnects them from
checking their emails which
could distract them from
their vacation mode.
The recommendations
suggested by EH get pinned
onto the map feature, where
the users can switch
between three modes. They
can also view detailed
models of places like the
Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa etc.
Live chat is an additional
communication channel for
the customers, especially
the ones that prefer texting
over a phone call. The
A brief profile of respondents will be EH call
the EH employees center agents. EH customers
to humanize can know about the people
them and make that they are speaking with
the conversation by tapping their profile
more natural and picture at the top of the
easy going. menu.
 GROUND REWARDS
PROGRAM
The Ground Rewards Program allows cus-
tomers to accumulate points through book-
ing packages with Emirates Holidays. There
will be points allotted to locations in Dubai.
If customers choose to visit that location or
take an Emirates Holidays recommendation
to that location, they will receive those
points. Emirates Holidays will allot the
points for locations visited in Dubai by fenc-
ing off geolocations on their end of the app
and it will be based on the time spent in a
location.
For example, if one of the stores in the mall
was fenced off on their side of the map and
the person was in that store for 20 minutes
(a specified amount of time required to
receive points would be decided by the loca-
tion and Emirates Holidays), they would
receive those points for that location. The
number of allotted points per location will
be visible on the Map tab of the app. The
number of allotted points would be decided
upon by popularity of the location and feed-
back from past customers.
DATA ACQUISITION
& TIERING
Emirates Holidays required to build customer pro-
files to provide more tailored services. The follow-
ing three data capture mechanisms that are
embedded in each of the parts of our solutions to
help facilitate this.
ONBOARDING QUESTIONS: When travelers down-
load the app and sign up for the Ground Rewards
Program, they will be asked to answer several ques-
tions to build their profile within the app. These
questions will not only be demographic in nature
but also cover their current trip and traveling
habits. This data collected will build a profile for
the traveler associated with their ground rewards
number, which can then be leveraged in the future
to create a more tailored experience.
LOCATION TRACKING: The traveler will be notified
through the app that their location will be tracked
in order for them to secure points through the
Ground Rewards Program. While they are in Dubai,
the app will keep track of the locations they visit
and the time they spend there. This also can be
used to perform cluster analysis to further build EH
segmentation framework. Location data further
builds profiles and enhances in holiday sugges-
tions as well as reward opportunities.
REFLECTION & RATING: Travelers will be prompted
to reflect on their holiday by rating the places they
visited. This activity is enhanced by the in-app map
and provides an opportunity for the customer to
see all the attractions that they were unable to
visit. This turns the map into a canvas where the
travelers can begin dreaming about their next visit
to Dubai.
SURPRISE &
DELIGHT
INITIATIVE
The Surprise and Delight Initiative is when
Emirates Holidays picks one traveler a
week that has reached a certain amount
of Ground Reward points and gives them
something to make them feel special. For
example, a discount on their hotel stay, an
upgraded room when they check in, buy
them dinner at their hotel/restaurant, have
a fruit basket sent to their room, etc. The
unexpected act will incite surprise and
delight felt by the customers and will
increase the chances that the customer
will go home and tell that story, which will
become a great form of word of mouth
marketing for Emirates Holidays. Word of
mouth marketing is the tried and true
method of marketing that has yet to fail,
although it is difficult to master. A survey
was done with global respondents from
58 countries and 84% of them said that
word of mouth recommendations from
friends and family are still the most influ-
ential. The Surprise and Delight Initiative
will not be a known program or estab-
lished reward, it has to remain unexpected
to result in the customer's true surprise
and delight with the customer service.
Tiering of the interaction with the Emirates Holi-
days customer service representatives had to be
implemented to make this solution feasible
because there are a finite number of Emirates
Holidays representatives. The tiering of which
customers interacts with which customer
service representatives and how is shown below
based on the Emirates Airlines flight class of the
traveler.
Assisted by the same one or
FIRST two customer service agents
CLASS (based on shift) all of the time
Assisted by any available cus-
BUSINESS tomer service agent, but their
CLASS communication is bumped to
the top of the list
ECONOMY Assisted by any available cus-
CLASS tomer service agent

Due to the many moving parts of this solution, an implemen-
tation plan was developed to roll out the solution in a feasible
and viable manner. The implementation plan is broken into
three phases: How Does Emirates Holidays Communicate
With Travelers, Chatbot Communication, and How Do Travel-
ers Communicate with Emirates Holidays. Within each phase,
there is the timing of when the phase would occur, what
needs to be done in that phase, what the phase is testing, and
what actions need to be taken during that phase.
PHASE I: How Does Emirates Holidays
Communicate with Travelers
TIMING: 2017 Q3 & Q4
TODO
Step 1: Ask for traveler’s messaging
preferences(Whatsapp, Email, Face-
book etc.) during booking
Step 2: Message 24 hours before
departure on traveler’s preferred
communication outlet to explain
communication (two-way communi-
cation if issues arise, need assistance,
need recommendations, or have any
questions)
Step 3: Check-in once throughout
holiday (vary when check-in occurs)
TESTING
1. Traveler’s preferred communication
outlet
2. Timing of check-in message
3. If customers utilize open line of
communication
ACTION
1. Obtain funding and approval for
app
2. Start app development
EXPERIENCING
FRUSTRATION
EH Assistance
Buttons
Live Chat
GATHERING
INFORMATION
Data Acquisition
through the
Bridge
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN
Phase II: How Do Travelers Communi-
cate with Emirates Holidays
Timing: 2018 Q3
Phase II: Chatbot Communication
TODO
Timing: 2018 Q1 & Q2 Step 1: Inform customers about app
during booking or include a note to
TODO download the app in the booking
confirmation email
Step 1: Ask for traveler’s messaging
preferences(Whatsapp, Email, Face- Step 2: Check in during holiday at
book etc.) during booking time established in the testing of the
first two phases through live chat
Step 2: Message by chatbot 24 hours ACTION
before departure on traveler’s pre-
ferred communication outlet to 1. Implement app
explain communication (write QUES- 2. Implement tiering
TION if you need assistance, write 3. Implement Ground Rewards
RECOMMENDATION if you want sug- 4. Implement Surprise and Delight
gestions, write what you need if it Initiative
doesn’t fit into either category)
Step 3: If live assistance is needed, tell
the chatbot and an EH agent will take
over the conversation or contact cus-
tomer by phone
Step 4: Check in once throughout holi-
day (vary when check-in occurs)
TESTING
CONCLUSION
1. Traveler’s preferred communication
Click for Video
outlet
2. Timing of check-in message
3. If customers utilize open line of
communication
4. Customer’s reaction to chatbot
5. If people use words (QUESTION &
RECOMMENDATION) to test imple-
mentation of buttons in app in the
next phase
ACTION
1. Develop expertise in EH agents
about recommendations in Dubai
2. User test and finalize app
START THINKING OF HOME
Interactive Map Recommen-
dation Modes
Surprise & Delight Initiative
WAYFINDING
In conclusion, the Bridge Pro-
EH Assistance
gram not only satisfies the
Buttons
discovered opportunity but also
Ground Rewards
caters to the incremental
Program
insights gained through under-
standing and analyzing the
experiences shared by travelers
to provide Emirates Holidays as
well as its customers a thorough
solution.
TELLING THEIR
STORY
Interactive Map
Surprise & Delight
Initiative
3
BREAKING BIASES Carnegie Mellon University
Experimenting With Design Re-
search
Individual Project

MY ROLE
Design Research
 CONTEXT Having studied in a collaborative environment with people from
various fields, countries, cultures, and ethnicities have its own
perks. But this process somehow starts abruptly at the Integrat-
ed Innovation Institute at CMU. After a two-day orientation,
students are segregated in different groups for different classes
and expected to collaborate with one another. Students in these
groups are not only from different professions but also, levels of
experience, cultures; this process is rather difficult to compre-
hend. Additionally, the high levels of competition and work-load
do not do any good either. Contrary to what integration is, due to
this vast difference in the mix of students, sometimes a lot of
important views are lost in translation.

RESEARCH My research goal was to understand how and why people per-
ceive things differently and what their assumptions and biases
GOAL are that shapes these judgments. This eventually led to formu-
late a transparent research method that also educated the par-
ticipant about the value of multiple perspectives.

RESEARCH
PROCESS
1 The research process can be broken down as follows:
Understanding the context in which the problem
needed to be addressed- the MIIPS program at III

2 Contextual research that provided cues to the possible

underlying reasons affecting “loss of participation”
during collaboration, i.e. language, profession, experi-
3 ence etc. between different members of the team

Development of the research question, “How people

perceive same professions differently?” that aimed to
understand as well as educate the participants of
differing perspectives and the reasons for these

4 Deploying a pilot study to validate the research

method and assess its capability of facilitating a con-
versation about varying perspectives
5
Deploying a refined research method

6 Analyzing data and further reassessing the research

method for improvement and future deployment in
the appropriate context

RESEARCH Since this research was directly linked to the introduc-

tion to collaboration at the Integrated Innovation Insti-

METHOD I tute, 2 participants from the MIIPS program were

recruited for the purpose of the study. To observe and
understand thinking about the same things between
similar professions, both recruited participants were
PARTICIPANTS engineers and came from similar years of professional
experience but different cultures and genders.

ENVIRONMENT The study was conducted in a controlled environ-

ment. The participants were handed out two sets of
cue cards with professions and their subsequent
“taboo words” printed on them and a placemat for
storyboarding. These were placed inverted on each of
their tables. Additionally, the participants were posi-
tioned with their backs to one another so that neither
of them could see the other person’s cards or story-
board.

PROMPT The prompt for this method was to explain the profes-
sions on the cue cards to one another, verbally or
through storyboarding. The underlying words were
“taboo words” that could not be used to convey their
thoughts. The participants were then given 10 mins (5
mins per cue card) to gather their thoughts and/or
create a storyboard and then explain each of these to
the other participant. The opposite participant was to
then guess the profession being explained. Each par-
ticipant had identical cue cards with the same profes-
sions but was unaware of this. This was done deliber-
ately to educate them about the importance of differ-
ing perspectives and to reflect on the reasons for it.
The purpose of this pilot study was to validate the
impact of the research method.

Engineer
Mechanical
Electrical Designer
Civil
Industrial Art
Develop Design
Build Strategist
Systems Artist
Manufacture Developer
Components Design thinking
Blueprints Interface
Cad User
Management Interaction
Applied Architect
Innovation Visual
Technical Researcher
Printing Sketch
Laser-cutting Iteration
Testing
Prototyping
Illustrator
“I am engineer myself but I am not very
fond of them personally. So if I were to
draw their attributes/ skills I would proba-
bly draw a timeline of a person sitting at
his desk and not talking to anyone.”

“Now that is something I would've never

guessed. I am an engineer too and I never
did that. I would've probably guessed that
as a clerk.”

This pilot study highlighted some import- ASSESSMENT RESULTS

ant issues with the research method.
Although it was specified in the prompt
that no direct references should be made
while explaining the professions, partici-
pants found it rather difficult and
unavoidable to reflect the “taboo words”
into drawings while storyboarding. Along
with the mediums of information, it also
helped in understanding the need for
more participants and participant diversi-
ty within the group. However, in terms of
portraying perspectives and explaining
them through professions was quite
effective with Participant 1 portraying the
design profession in the form of the pro-
cess of UX designer while the other por-
trayed a that of a fashion designer.

RESEARCH METHOD II

This method was a refined version of the

previous one and was conducted with 2
groups of 3 participants each from the
MIIPS program at CMU. The first group
had 2 engineers and 1 with a background
in statistics while the second group had 1
designer, 1 engineer, and 1 participant
with a background in business. It was
observed in the pilot study that having
multiple viewpoints from different
aspects was an essential part of the
PARTICIPANTS study. Hence, both groups were also well
distributed in terms of ethnicities and
genders as also professional experiences.

ENVIRONMENT The study was conducted in a controlled

environment familiar to all participants.
Three cue cards with different profes-
sions on them, placemats for storyboard-
ing of each profession and response
booklets, in that order, were provided to
the participants. These materials were
placed inverted at their desks so as to
not disclose the information to one
another. The study took around 30-40
mins/ group.

PROMPT The prompt for this method was to first

fill in the cue cards to understand their
understanding of the values and person-
ality traits that they thought each of
these professionals have.
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Create a storyboard that best depicts a day/week of this professional that reflects their attitudes/ skills
towards work or others.

This was to be followed by then

making a storyboard that best
highlighted at least one of the
qualities/attributes that they
had written down on the cue
cards.

The participants were to then present the storyboard in

and cue cards to one another in under 2 mins posing as
the professional themselves. The other two participants
that were not presenting at the time were to simultane-
ously record what the presenter’s profession on the
response booklets provided to them. The participants
with most correct answers were then awarded a cookie.

The idea to gamify and time-constraint this

method was to keep the participants engaged
and also express themselves without feeling
judged. The cue cards given to each participant
had each of the same professions, however, they
were unaware of this information. The method
was concluded with a discussion about the story
behind some of the traits and storyboards.

It was intriguing to inform and be informed

about how perspectives are formed. In conclu-
sion, this research method facilitated and
prompted a conversation about understanding
and respecting varying perspectives especially
in a collaborative, problem-solving environment.

As one such example, one of the cue cards

stated an Actors personality traits as “empathet-
ic, having a different self, good looking, emotion-
al, can be a good liar.” The corresponding story-
board portrayed a person with a book.

“I am a very emotional person. I am reading a

book and can feel and translate all the emotions
in that I read about.”

Responses from the other two participants for

this storyboard - “clown” and “emotional reader”
 On the other hand, another response stated
an actor as “very animated, extroverted and
loud, lazy when out of work, reaching for
stardom that may never come, available
socially.” Their corresponding storyboard
portrayed a person the lifestyle of an actor.

“I wake up really late in the morning, have

my coffee at around 2 pm, go out to watch
a movie, smoke some weed, party until
really late at night, have a couple of drinks
and then go to bed sometime early in the
morning.”

Another such example was how t.v shows

informed people’s decisions on some of
these professional attributes. For example,
some storyboards spoke at length about
the clothes they wear, the cars they drive or
even their professional conduct.

“Harvey Spector ....well, he does lie a lot.”

Storyboard for a doctor:

“I am smart, extremely clever, can be empathetic, I
don’t bring my work home and I enjoy a lavish
lifestyle. Sometimes I think that I am better than
most people. I am also really healthy. And this is
me flying by that man in the wheelchair in my
Porsche.”

Storyboard for an accountant

The attributes of this storyboard were “ boring, care-
ful, useful, everywhere, Asian.” The debriefing of this
particular profession started a conversation that
pointed towards a social/ environmental context
based assumption.

“Why is an accountant Asian? I guessed it as an engi-

neer, more like a developer. Most developers in my
workplace were Asians! This is misleading.”

“Yeah, I guessed that one as a developer too.”

“Well, most of the students in our program that have

a business background are Asians so..!”

CONCLUSION The debriefing led to subtle realizations within the

participants regarding informed decisions and
assumptions that play a major role in the forma-
tion of our views. It is thus important to scrutinize
and consider each one of them instead of overrid-
ing someone’s opinions. Following are some of the
insights generated during the process that high-
light a few factors that form these assumptions
and subsequently inform our perspectives:

INTERACTION Since many times we hear of different perspec-

tives and not necessarily interact with them, a lot
of our views are biased towards our interpretation
LANGUAGE rather than experience.

Language plays an imporant role in expression.

EXPRESSION Everyone expresses themselves differently, some

people draw, some write or some sing. No expres-
sion is right or wrong, it is in fact, educating.

DEFINITION Definitions mean differently for individuals, some-

one’s negative can be another’s positive.

ENVIRONMENT Our views are involuntarily influenced by the

things or people around us, the company we keep,
the t.v shows we watch or the books we read. This
is a codependent relationship between us and the
world.
“Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, using the same packaging as in the United States- with
an illustration of the Gerber baby on the label. Unfortunately, in Africa, companies label jars and
bottles of food with pictures of ingredients they contain.”

1MEDICAL ADHERENCE

2 THE BRIDGE PROGRAM

3
BREAKING BIASES