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Fulfilling Dreams of an Icon
Role
Lead Product Designer
Impact
Increased throughput by 1.5x and increased sales
Summary
The Empire State Building underwent a complete revitalization of their visitor experience, transforming and modernizing every touch point from the street level entrance to the arrival on the 102nd floor observation deck. I led the design of various experiences including the ticketing kiosk and Digital Postcard.
As a lead product designer for Intersection (an Alphabet backed company) I conducted stakeholder meetings, research, ideation, design, and coordination of visual design and code implementation.
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Selling dreams - Ticketing Kiosk
A trip to the Empire State Building can be a lifelong dream for visitors so I wanted to ensure that it starts off right. This project involved a delicate balance of designing an intuitive and seamless digital flow in coordination with physical kiosk interactions in a busy space. Designing the experience correctly, a visitor would maintain their excitement and be ready for their visit within minutes.
Balancing business goals and visitor emotions
Ticketing is one of the first, most interactive, and most taxing experiences a visitor faces at the Empire State Building. It sets the mood and decides the trajectory for the visit. It also determines how quickly the business can get customers into the building and how much they spend. Throughout the project I ensured that we were always talking to customers to understand their mood, incorporating that feedback into designs while also working in business needs.
Big screens, bigs outcomes
The project became 20+ self-service kiosks, each with a 42” portrait touchscreen monitor that provides printing, scanning, and payment processing for the thousands of visitors that pass through the building every day. I completely overhauled the ticketing experience to fulfill visitor needs (language selection, wheelchair accessible UX, ticket purchasing, order pickup) and business needs (ticket upgrades, gift purchases, and faster time to purchase) leading to an increase in sales and throughput.
Sending dreams - The Digital Postcard
The path to the top of the Empire State Building leads visitors up elevators and through multiple floors before reaching a panoramic view of New York City. Along the way, there is an opportunity to entertain and educate visitors to ensure that their entire experience is unforgettable. 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, all without creating delays or bottlenecks.
Digitizing analog processes without the mess or wait
A digital kiosk guides visitors through selecting a postcard template, customizing it with digital stickers and drawings, writing a note, filling out an address, and printing it to be automatically sent out physically or emailed for sharing on social media. By using iconic designs on a classic medium with modern technology, the Digital Postcard keeps visitors entertained, but still moving through the building.
Delivering surprise and delight
The Digital Postcard is a nostalgic keepsake that memorializes a visitor’s experience at the Empire State Building. It modernizes the classic experience of getting a postcard from the gift shop, delighting visitors with a sense of nostalgia in a contemporary setting.
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