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Case 02 / Aviation · Emirates Airline · Service Design Concept

Realigning
cabin crew recruitment.

Emirates runs one of the most detailed cabin crew selection processes in the industry — but it's expensive, globally dispersed, and frustrating for candidates. I designed a tablet-native service that keeps the rigour, adds transparency, and scales.

Brief
Design a tablet-based recruitment service
Role
Service Designer — solo
Outputs
Journey map · Storyboard · Service blueprint · Feature matrix
Method
Cabin crew interview · Desk research · Storyboarding
100+
Candidates per assessment day
3.
Days of in-person assessment
5.
Stages in current funnel
0.
Feedback loops for rejected candidates
01 / Discovery

Two sides of one broken system.

I interviewed a current Emirates cabin crew member and walked through the official careers site myself. What emerged was a journey that's punishing for candidates — paperwork, studio photos, opaque shortlisting, no feedback — and costly for Emirates, which has to fly recruiters globally and book hotels for assessment days in every major city it targets.

The rigour is real, and worth preserving. But the mechanics are from another era.

02 / Challenges · Both sides

Where the friction lived.

A / 01
Global assessment days meant hotel bookings, flights, and travel time for recruiters.
C / 01
Candidates had no feedback on personality assessment or interview outcomes.
A / 02
Recruiters had to observe 100+ candidates across up to three days.
C / 02
Shortlisting logic was invisible — candidates rejected without knowing why.
A / 03
High volume of applications with limited tooling to triage at scale.
C / 03
Photo requirements in specific attire meant studio visits and pre-prep costs.
03 / Concept · Digital but Human

Keep the rigour. Lose the waste. Give both sides something to see.

Distributed
Permanent assessment centres — no more hotel ballrooms.
Tablet-native
Every candidate logs into a device that tracks them all day.
Transparent
Scores and progress visible in real time. No more black box.
Immersive
AR-based situational interviews test what the job actually asks.
04 / Service Blueprint

Mapping the North Star — end to end.

EVIDENCE
Customer Journey
Frontstage
Backstage
Support
PHASES
Apply
Discover → Video interview → Invite
Assessment Day
Register → Q&A → Group activity
Interview & Offer
Personality → AR → Live video → Offer
EvidenceTouchpoints
Website
Career profile
Video interview
Email invite
Reception desk
Tablet & login
Screen / Recruiters
Score progress
Problem statement
Questions form
AR environment
Score progress
Video chat
Email
Customer
JourneyWhat candidate does
Visits website
Applies for role
Video interview
Gets invite for assessment day
Selects location, date & time
Reaches centre & gets registered
Intro video & Q&A session
Receives scores
Group activity
Personality assessment
AR experience interview
Receives scores
Live video interview
Receives offer
FrontstageHuman + Tech
Career profile system
Video interview system
Recruiters send invite
Assessment portal
Employee gives tablet & info
Recruiters conduct Q&A
Scores & progress system
Candidates have discussions
Form-based input
AR + audio/video recording
Scores & progress system
Recruiter conducts interview
Employee portal
Backstage
ActionsHidden from candidate
Create profile
Interview recording
Invite management
Save assessment day info
Assessment day registration
Recording Q&A sessions
Recruiter gives score
Recording candidate feedback
Saves candidate response
Recruiter gives score
Employee enrollment
Support
ProcessesPlatform services
Profile management
Candidate progress tracking
Candidate progress tracking
Validate candidate answers
Candidate progress tracking
Candidate progress tracking
Employee management
↔ Scroll horizontally to explore the full blueprint
05 / Storyboard

Following Maria, from search to signed offer.

01 / Discovery
Emirates
Maria searches for cabin crew roles and finds the Emirates page.
"Looks like Emirates is hiring."
02 / Application
She submits details, documents, and attends the video interview.
"Tricky questions — glad I answered in time."
03 / Arrival
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
Maria arrives at the centre, receives a tablet, logs in with her profile.
"So convenient. I need to stay focused."
04 / Q&A Session
Recruitment team welcomes candidates on a big screen. Questions via tablet.
"These guys are really into tech."
05 / Group Activity
PROBLEM
Grouped at a numbered table. A shared problem to solve as a team.
"We should hear out each other's opinions."
06 / Personality Test
Personality assessment on the tablet. Score revealed on completion.
"Phew — that was a close one."
07 / AR Interview
A380 CABIN
AR experience places Maria inside a cabin — real-life situation, real response.
"It felt like being there for real."
08 / Offer
Offer
Offer letter arrives by email. Live interview debrief already done.
"This is what I always dreamt about!"
06 / Features × Benefits

Every feature, weighed on both sides.

01
Assessment centres at permanent locations
For EmiratesNo more ballrooms and flights. Run more assessment days, in more cities, at lower cost.
For the CandidatePick the centre and slot that fits your life — not the one airline logistics forced.
02
Automated login on arrival
For EmiratesOne centralised system. Every touchpoint tracked and tied to the candidate profile.
For the CandidateSkip the paper registration queue. Walk in, log in, begin.
03
Personal tablet throughout the day
For EmiratesIndividual progress tracking. Every activity scored, timestamped, recorded.
For the CandidateSee your own progress in real time. Know exactly where you stand.
04
Tablet-delivered Q&A and group activities
For EmiratesRecordings via built-in camera and mic. Review later, decide without pressure.
For the CandidateClear instructions. A visible sequence. No wondering what's next.
05
AR-based situational interview
For EmiratesSee how a candidate handles a cabin — before putting them in one.
For the CandidateExperience the role. Show yourself. Not just answer hypotheticals.
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