Lufthansa AG turned to UXalliance to perform usability tests on prototypes of their “Inflight Entertainment” (IFE) system’s user interface. This interface, designed for long-distance airplanes, enables passengers to exert individual control over the entertainment on offer on board (movies, music, or games).
The aim of the study was to check the usability of the interface, in order to:
We conducted user tests in Germany, China, and Egypt in order to take into consideration the heterogeneity and cultural diversity of passengers of long-haul flights.To recreate the most realistic test situation, we reproduced the on-board environment by employing aircraft seats and replicating the actual seat distance and screen sizes, besides using the prototypes of the entry media.
We carried out the tests on all the specific input media (handsets) provided for each service class (First, Business and Economy Class), with a thorough consideration of the differences among their designs.
The results of our study provided important clues as to how the user interface prototypes could be improved and optimized.
