Summary
The Help Center project was one of the key initiatives I led as the designer, collaborating with a researcher, a UX writer, and an illustrator. The project aimed to tackle the overwhelming volume of customer calls related to travel disruptions by improving the self-service experience. Our goal was to reduce reliance on customer support by designing a clearer, more intuitive Help Center with improved information architecture, enhanced wayfinding, and content that considered users' emotional states during stressful travel situations.
The outcome was highly successful. The improved Help Center increased customer trust by 13%, establishing it as a fast, effective, and reliable solution for handling travel-related issues under various conditions.
Background
Over 58% of users express dissatisfaction with long customer service wait times, primarily due to a lack of trust in the Help Center features within the app. While improving the resolution of travel issues remains a priority, the key challenge is rebuilding user confidence in self-service support.
Design Challenge
Entry point
Customer Care is too easy to access, leading to over-reliance. Users can contact Customer Care with minimal effort, making it their default action whenever they face an issue. As a result, instead of exploring self-service solutions in the Help Center, they immediately reach out to support.
Unclear entry points reduce Help Center effectiveness. The Help Center’s entry points are too generic and do not clearly indicate what kind of assistance is available. This lack of specificity prevents users from understanding whether their issue can be resolved independently.
Most users still rely on Customer Care. 89.9% of users who visit the Help Center eventually contact Customer Care, suggesting that the current entry point system does not effectively guide users toward self-service solutions.
Accessing the articles
Users struggle to find order-related help articles. Users expect that selecting their order in the Help Center will automatically display relevant support articles. However, they must first manually choose their order from the "Order List," a step that most users are unaware of, leading to confusion and difficulty in finding solutions.
Poor visual hierarchy makes scanning difficult. The use of uniform typography and unhighlighted titles forces users to read each title in full, making it time-consuming and frustrating to locate relevant information quickly. The lack of clear distinctions between key topics results in inefficient navigation.
The style and implementation of articles
Text-heavy articles make solutions harder to grasp. Many articles present solutions through instructions or step-by-step procedures but lack visual elements, making them dense and difficult to digest.
Lack of visual context hinders comprehension. Without supporting visuals such as images, icons, or illustrations, users may struggle to fully understand the instructions, leading to frustration or misinterpretation of the solution.
Introducing Ease Help Center
Chamonix, 2024
Vienna, 2023
Vienna, 2023
Chamonix, 2024
Solution
Entry point
Help Center Entry Points Based on User Context. Instead of a general Help Center button, users now see a help prompt in the right place at the right time. For example, when checking their order details, they are shown a message like "Need help with this order?". This makes it easier for users to find answers without having to search for them.
Quick help bottom sheet. When users tap the help prompt, a bottom sheet appears with frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to their order. This removes the need to browse through broad support categories, helping users find solutions faster. Using a bottom sheet instead of a full-screen page keeps users focused on their current task while still providing support.
Easy access to more information. If users need more details, they can tap the "See All Articles" button to browse the full Help Center. This keeps things simple for users who want a quick answer while giving others the option to explore further.
Accessing the artciles
Instead of making users search through the Help Center manually, the system now automatically suggests articles related to their specific order. For example:
When users open their order details, they will see a list of help topics relevant to that order, such as refund policies, rescheduling steps, or baggage information. This removes unnecessary steps and ensures users get the right information without searching.
Highlighting and problem handling
To improve wayfinding, we enhanced article readability by emphasizing key terms in titles and content using bold text, allowing users to scan information more efficiently without reading the entire article. Important keywords such as refund status, cancellation policy, and baggage allowance stand out, making it easier for users to locate relevant details at a glance.
The implementation of articles
Introduction page
To ensure clarity and consistency in Help Center articles, we established a three-level framework that guides writers in structuring content effectively. This framework helps the Help Center team create well-organized, user-friendly, and visually structured articles that improve readability and comprehension.
Level 1 – General Article Rules: At the first level, all articles must follow a set of universal writing guidelines, ensuring consistency across the Help Center. These rules include:
Using clear headings and question-based titles for better scannability.
Incorporating related visuals when necessary.
Structuring content with short, concise paragraphs (50-75 characters per sentence).
Breaking down explanations into logical sections with proper hierarchy.
Level 2 – Selecting the Article Type: Writers must then determine which article type best fits the content’s purpose. The framework categorizes articles into five types based on the kind of information being conveyed.
How Articles – Step-by-step guides that explain processes or instructions.
Where Articles – Help users locate features or information in the app.
What Articles – Describe features, services, or policies.
If Cases – Explain what happens if a user takes a specific action.
Can Articles – Confirm whether a user can perform a specific action.
Level 3 – Additional Formatting & Media Guidelines: Once the article type is chosen, any additional elements (such as images, GIFs, or videos) must follow specific formatting rules to enhance clarity and engagement:
Step-by-Step Articles must be numbered and kept under seven steps.
GIFs & Videos must be short (GIFs: max 12 seconds, Videos: 10-60 seconds) with clear labels.
Explanations must be structured into digestible sections, avoiding large blocks of text.
This structured approach ensures that every Help Center article is well-formatted, easy to navigate, and optimized for user comprehension. By following these guidelines, writers can create content that effectively supports users, reduces confusion, and encourages self-service over direct customer support.