Uber: Luggage Hero

Reimagining the Airport Arrival Experience with a Checked Luggage Assistant

Luggage Hero is a conceptual mobile experience designed to assist international travelers in locating their checked luggage-while also alleviating common pain points during airport arrivals. Created as part of an application challenge for Uber Amsterdam, the solution blends offline-first design, real-time feedback, and a conversational UI to create a more humane and stress-free post-flight journey.

The Challenge

“A traveler has landed at San Francisco International Airport and needs to find her checked bag. Create a low-fidelity interaction flow to help her do that from a mobile app. Show 1 high-fidelity mobile screen.”

The scenario reflects a common friction in modern travel: post-flight uncertainty. At this critical moment, passengers often face stress, delays, and limited information-while navigating foreign airports with no mobile data.

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My Process

Scope: 8 hours total
Key Steps:

• User Research (3 interviews: leisure, business, and adventure travelers)
• Synthesis of insights and HMW questions
• Low & mid-fidelity wireframes
• Interaction flow diagrams
• High-fidelity screen with conversational UI

Key User Insights

#1: Travelers often have multiple needs before or after luggage pickup-like toilets, snacks, SIM cards, or finding WiFi.

#2: International travelers frequently arrive without mobile data and are forced to navigate in offline mode.

#3: Waiting at the baggage carousel feels like wasted time-and evokes fear and uncertainty (“Where’s my bag?” / “What if it’s lost?”)

HMW (How Might We) Exploration

1. How might we assist travelers in real time with contextual airport guidance?

• Dynamic UI based on arrival context
• Offline airport maps with POIs (e.g. restrooms, SIM vendors, cafes)
• Pre-cached data using flight info

2. How might we support travellers who are offline?

• Bluetooth iBeacons for local positioning
• Smart caching of baggage wait-time predictions
• Location-aware re-routing to main objectives (e.g. baggage claim)

3. How might we give live updates on luggage status?

• Bluetooth pairing with suitcase tags
• Fallback AI-based time predictions based on flight and baggage load
• Persistent lock screen notifications

The Flow

1. Pre-arrival: User selects flight or enters flight code → App fetches and caches all relevant airport data
2. Upon landing: Bluetooth/iBeacon signals provide indoor location updates → App guides user to baggage claim area
3. While waiting: App surfaces relevant suggestions: restrooms, SIM cards, food options
4. When luggage is detected nearby: Live update sent → Map re-routes to luggage carousel
5. Post-collection: App recommends transport (Uber pre-highlighted) → Final confirmation sent to driver

Design Solution: Conversational UI

The final screen introduces a message-driven interface that:

• Minimizes clutter compared to static dashboards
• Feels natural and reassuring
• Updates progressively, mimicking live assistance
• Shows transport confirmation, indoor navigation, and baggage status

The UI isn't just functional-it's emotional support.

Why This Matters

Airports are high-stress, high-ambiguity environments-especially for tired travelers in unfamiliar contexts. A luggage assistant shouldn’t just help users find their bag. It should:

• Reduce friction
• Offer peace of mind
• Make efficient use of time
• Deliver on Uber’s mobility promise by seamlessly bridging luggage claim and onward travel

What I Learned

• Offline-first UX is not a luxury-it’s essential in mobility and travel contexts
• Thinking about the arrival journey holistically (not just baggage claim) results in more coherent, valuable experiences
• Lightweight contextual features (like indoor POI guidance) can radically improve perceived usability
• Do more profiling on what role managers might be looking for. In this case they were looking for a more polished prototype

Final Note

Although another candidate was ultimately chosen in the final stage (5/6) of the application process, I truly enjoyed working on this challenge. It was a chance to dive deep into the traveler mindset, explore contextual design beyond the screen, and prototype a concept I still believe holds value-especially in today’s complex mobility landscape.