Rethinking Search

Programmatic logic doesn't always align with human intent. In the example below, a traveler wants to leave at 8:00am. The original logic begins a search at the indicated departure time and adds all results within a three-hour window. For a better real-world search, I recommended fetching results 15-20 minutes before the desired departure time, then presented the most convenient options for that trip. Putting the traveler at the center of their journey helped us help them get where they needed to go as quickly and easily as possible.

Search Form

The search forms on SJ.se, Sweden's national rail platform introduced a problem: Cities have different transportation options, ranging from high-speed rail through bus service. By moving these options to filters on the results screen, I was able to eliminate most "no results" searches.

Looking at data from SilverRail, the content provider for this project, I also created a unified search form that would work in markets outside of Sweden. Egencia's existing rail products in France and the UK could also benefit from a simplified approach.

Rail vs Air

Throughout much of Europe, rail competes directly with air travel. Since I was also the lead designer on Egencia's global air platforms, I took the opportunity to unify both rail and air search results. Thinking through search details including city pairs, times and connections, along with cabin, class and ticket information allowed me to come up with a design that solved both the specific needs for the Swedish rail project as well as general improvement for all air and rail bookings.

Fare Class & Rules

Air and rail tickets each have familiar class options like first and economy, but they also include flexibility rules which are difficult to understand. Egencia's European air platform presented "mini rules" for each fare, but the numbers and letter-codes were often unclear. SilverRail provided fare rules for their rail results, so I worked to unify the presentation. Every ticket has information as to whether a fare is changeable and/or refundable and any fees associated with each option. I designed and tested an easier way to present these ticket details to our travelers in Sweden and beyond.

Outcome

Egencia's Swedish Rail platform launched in the summer of 2015. Focusing on the trip made in easier for our travelers to get from point A to point B. Simplifying complex fare rules made is easier for travelers to understand what they were paying for. VIA Egencia was awarded the prize for Best Travel Management Company at the Business Travel Awards in Stockholm the same year.