EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

0-1 Product Development for an Iconic Attraction

The Challenge

The Empire State Building's first complete visitor experience renovation in decades required reimagining every touchpoint from street to summit. As lead product designer at Intersection (an Alphabet backed company), I was tasked with creating entirely new digital experiences that would modernize operations while honoring the building's iconic status.

Timeline

2018

Role

Lead Product Designer

Team

Visual designer, PM, Dev

Impact

  • 15% decrease in time to purchase a ticket

  • 7% increase in customer throughput

My Approach

Research Foundation - I conducted comprehensive stakeholder interviews with building operations, visitor services, and business development teams to understand competing priorities. Through visitor observation and interviews, I discovered that for many guests, visiting the Empire State Building represents a once-in-a-lifetime experience—making first impressions critical for visitor emotions and business success.

Strategic Framework - I developed a dual-objective strategy: reduce operational friction while enhancing the emotional journey. This meant balancing rapid throughput requirements with the need to maintain visitor excitement and provide upgrade opportunities that aligned with business goals.

0-1 Product Development - With research insights I designed two completely new and complementary digital products: a comprehensive self-service ticketing system and an interactive postcard experience.

Product 1: Self-Service Ticketing Kiosks

Transforming the critical first touchpoint

The Research Insight - Visitor interviews revealed that anxiety caused by purchasing tickets in a busy space could overshadow excitement about the visit. Meanwhile, stakeholder research showed that manual ticketing created bottlenecks that limited visitor throughput and revenue potential.

Strategic Design Solution - I designed a comprehensive self-service flow that is optimized for diverse user needs and operational efficiency. The experience accommodates multiple languages, wheelchair accessibility, various ticket types, and upgrade paths—all within a sub-2-minute interaction goal validated through weekly user testing.

Implementation & Results - 20+ kiosks deployed with 42" portrait touchscreens:

  • Complete UX overhaul covering ticket purchasing, pickup, upgrades, and accessibility

  • Measurable impact: 15% decrease in average transaction time, 7% increase in upgrade conversions

  • Operational success: Significantly improved visitor throughput during peak periods (thousands of visitors per day)

Product 2: The Digital Postcard

Creating new revenue opportunities through nostalgic innovation

The Strategic Opportunity - Visitors spend significant time moving through the building before reaching their ultimate goal of panoramic views on the observation decks. This journey presented an untapped opportunity to create an engaging, revenue-generating experience that would avoid bottlenecks and make the experience even more unforgettable.

Design Strategy - I created the concept for a digital-physical hybrid experience that would modernize the classic postcard experience. The strategy balanced nostalgia with contemporary technology, creating a shareable moment that extends the Empire State Building brand beyond the visit.

I aimed to create an experience that was as classic as the Empire State Building, gave visitors a memento to keep and share, and provide a business opportunity for an upgraded purchase.

Product Development - I designed the complete end-to-end experience: template selection, custom drawing tools, message composition, address input, and dual output options (physical mail and digital sharing). The interaction design aims to delight visitors while keeping engagement time brief.

Business Impact

New revenue stream through premium postcard sales

  • Extended brand reach via social media sharing

  • Improved visitor satisfaction through memorable keepsake creation

  • Zero bottlenecks maintained smooth building flow

Strategic Impact & Results

Operational Transformation - My 0-1 product development approach reimagined how millions of annual visitors interact with this iconic destination. The ticketing kiosk launched successfully with the building's reopening and continues to serve thousands of daily visitors.

Business Results 

  • Improved throughput: 15% faster visitor processing

  • Revenue growth: 7% increase in upgrade conversions

  • Enhanced experience: Maintained building's iconic status while modernizing operations

Design Excellence - Balanced complex constraints including predetermined hardware, diverse user needs, operational requirements, and business objectives while creating products that feel intuitive and integrated with the Empire State Building experience.

Key Takeaways

This project demonstrates how strategic research and 0-1 product thinking can transform established experiences. By understanding both visitor emotions and business operations, I created digital products that enhanced rather than replicated the building's timeless appeal while delivering measurable operational and financial improvements.

Skills Demonstrated

  • 0-1 Product Design: Created the concepts for and launched entirely new digital experiences

  • Design Strategy: Balanced multiple stakeholder needs with business objectives

  • User Research: Grounded all design decisions in visitor and stakeholder insights