MAG - Airport Operations Plan (AOP)
MAG had wanted an Airport Operations Plan for years, and an early proof of concept existed. As sole UX Designer I picked it up and delivered version one, reaching 90% task success in pre-launch testing. It went live across all three airports after I left.
Situation
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), a major UK airport operator, faced inefficiencies due to siloed data across departments such as security, ground handling, and management, leaving airfield staff without a full understanding of operations. There had been an appetite for an Airport Operations Plan at MAG for years, and an early proof of concept already existed when I joined the work. This lack of visibility delayed security queue updates, which could have knock-on impacts on aircraft turnaround times and take-off schedules. MAG sought a new digital platform to integrate these data sources and provide clear visibility to enhance staff coordination.
Task
Take the proof of concept and turn it into a product. As the sole UX Designer through delivery of version one, I owned the UX strategy and design of the Airport Operations Plan (AOP). It had to unify siloed data into an interface airfield staff and managers could act on under time pressure. That covered user research, responsive wireframes and prototypes, data visualisation components, a new design system, and leading usability testing, with WCAG 2.1 accessibility throughout. A second designer took the product on after version one was delivered.
Actions
Defined UX Strategy and Conducted Research
- Developed a UX strategy to align the AOP with MAG's goal of unifying siloed data. The organising principle was real-time visibility for airfield staff.
- Ran solo user research with over 30 staff and senior stakeholders, through interviews and observation. The personas and journey maps that came out of it named the real pain point: data arriving too late to protect turnaround times.
Designed Wireframes and Prototypes
- Created responsive wireframes and high-fidelity Figma prototypes — mobile interfaces for airfield staff and web dashboards for managers with real-time security wait time graphs.
- Incorporated data visualisation components (bar charts for queue times) to provide actionable insights within the new design system.
Built and Refined Design System
- Developed a new Figma-based design system with standardised UI elements and data visualisation components to ensure consistency and scalability.
- Refined the system against prototype feedback. Visualisation styles were reworked for legibility in a high-pressure airfield environment.
Led Usability Testing
- Ran iterative usability testing with 15 users and tracked how they actually read the data.
- Achieved 90% task success in pre-launch testing by simplifying navigation and enhancing visualisation readability.
Collaborated with Stakeholders
- Worked with developers to integrate the AOP with its data sources, so the components reported what was actually happening on the airfield.
- Presented prototypes to stakeholders. The research and the test results were what secured executive buy-in for the rollout across Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands.
Result
- Improved Operational Visibility: The AOP targeted a 25% improvement in airfield staff's understanding of operations by unifying siloed security data, enabling real-time insights.
- High Usability: Achieved 90% task success in pre-launch testing.
- Scalable Design System: Established a standardised system with reusable visualisation components, supporting future features like baggage tracking.
- Shipped: The AOP went live across MAG in December 2025, three months after I left. Version one was delivered; the launch and the phases after it belong to the team that carried it on.
- Accessibility Compliance: Ensured WCAG 2.1 standards throughout, supporting inclusive and rapid decision-making.
What MAG said at launch
A special shout-out to Charanjeet Saggu and Adam Withington in my team, who picked up the original POC and turned it into something genuinely brilliant. Taking an early concept and shaping it into a product that delivers real operational value is exactly the impact great UX should have.
MAG's Head of UX · on the AOP launch, December 2025
The product owner announced the same launch as an “airport on a page”: a single operational view bringing together data and systems across past, present and forecast. Those are MAG's words about MAG's product, not a claim about my part in it — I delivered version one and had left three months before it went live.
The website renewal
Alongside the AOP I worked on the renewal of MAG's public websites, across all three airports. I built the components and mapped them to layout types in Figma, and was involved in mapping the tokens so London Stansted's different palette could run on the same components.