There are many college students who love to travel. Wouldn’t you agree? I mean especially being an international student here at Kendall College you have to travel. I know that by getting here everyone had to of taken a plane to get to Chicago too right? I mean I hope everyone did! Unless you have a private jet or boat that brought you here, then that would have been pretty awesome. Traveling to different places in the world can be so much fun, weather you are going to a vacation or visiting family. There is a process though when a planning a trip. You have to package your luggage, print out your boarding passes, and finally arrive to the airport. When we travel though there is a service that we use in order to make our trip go a lot smoother and quick. Can you think of what it is?
Its
an Airport Check -in Kiosk
Weather we are traveling
to O’Hare, Midway, or Dubai mostly all airports have a check- in kiosk. Airlines
and airports have provided ways to make things easier and faster for flyers to check in for
their flight, giving them various options. Now many flyers beside business professionals
tend to use online check in and mobile phone check in, but passengers can also
check in through airline kiosks. Also known as airport check in kiosks, they
are self-service devices that are simple to use and convenient, making it
possible for flyers to check in any time on the day of departure. The self-service
check in machine also translates into different languages including English,
German, Spanish, Chinese Japanese, French and Portuguese. So this self-service
design isn’t just good for U.S. citizens but also for those that are international
too. Isn’t this a great tool!
Now what does a check- in kiosk do and where are they located?
Passengers can use
the airline kiosks to:
- Change their
seats or flights
- Check in their
bags or luggage
- Report lost bags
or luggage
- Purchase tickets
- Print their
ticket receipts
- Update their
information, if they are frequent passenger of the airline
- Find information
regarding return flights
The self- service
airport check- in kiosks are usually located on various parts depending on the
airport. They can be mostly found in the check in area of the airline, at the
lands-side ferry terminal or any other place assigned by the airport.
The airport check-in kiosk is a service that is designed
to help flyers get to their destination faster. We looked into what different options
we had when using the kiosk but the way it is physically built is also an important
part of its design.
Now us as humans we have an innate tendency to prefer
objects with smoother contours over those with sharp angles or points. This is
what contour bias is the tendency to
favor objects with contours over objects with sharp angles. The reason is
because objects with sharp and pointed features activate the amygdala, a region
of the brain associated with fear processing, priming a subconscious mechanism
which has evolved to detect external threats. In many of the airports the check-in
kiosks have a rounded shape design. People have become accustom, comfortable
, and safe using this service. It’s important for designers to think how consumers will
act towards a new product or service that they create. Not to say that
everything has to be round like our planet!
Control
As a
traveler I like to be in control! One way I can be in control is when I’m using
the check-in kiosk. There you are able to select the name or name of the
passenger or passengers checking in, you can enter the number of bags you’re checking
–in, and making any desired changes in the itinerary.
Control is
a design principal it’s the level of control provided by a system to be related
to the proficiency and experience levels of the people using the system. The
first time I was using the check- in kiosk I was considered a beginner, I wasn’t
sure how to use it. Though the system helped by going step by step to finding the
options that I needed. The system was designed for both beginners and experts
to use. Beginners do best with a reduced amount of control, while experts do
best with greater control. I can finally say after traveling so much I am
expert now in checking-in!
