Etihad Airways

In 2009, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, wanted a picture of what its digital experience could become. Not a redesign but a vision: how a young, fast-growing brand, rooted in Abu Dhabi and built on accessible luxury, differentiation and a customer-first ethos, should show up online.

The work began with research: a technical audit, user research, a trends analysis and interviews across the business. I led the UX team from there, turning each brand pillar into an experience principle, building five customer personas, from the seasoned business flyer to the first-time adventurer, and setting the overall vision. I then oversaw the interface concept design that brought it to life, following each persona through the key screens of a future Etihad experience.

It came together as an envisioning document: experience principles, personas and journeys, a technology vision with a gap analysis and a roadmap, and a business case. A blueprint for where Etihad's digital experience could go, and a practical path to get there.

Following this work, the Digitas LBi team then pitched and won the full design of the site, which became a full redesign of all page templates, multi-language design, and a new visual language developed. This was run out of the Copenhagen office, and I supported that team as needed.