In 2018, Transport for Victoria engaged The Customer Experience Company (CEC) to better understand the needs of travellers when it came to travelling to and from the airport.

TfV is the statutory office that overseas the coordination of all state transport systems. Their remit is to look beyond individual modes and projects to develop transport as one, within the context that Victoria is facing a period of intense growth and change - with the state's population forecast to reach 10 million by 2050.

CEC’s remit was to conduct user centred design research into the current travel experience to Melbourne Airport, across all user types and geographies.

Over the course of three weeks, we conducted research with 50 participants who represent the different user types that travel to Melbourne Airport.

We used a combination of in-depth interviews to probe deeply into users' current transport choices and perceptions, coupled with observational research which involved us travelling alongside users as they undertook their airport journeys.

This piece of work was positioned as the first part of a more comprehensive research piece as more robust data, further research and modelling are required during business case development.

Following the research, we collated a series of impactful outputs to share within the organisation.

Outputs included:

• Decision making lenses and variables: Key factors that influence users’ journey planning and mode selections when travelling to or from the airport, to assist with travel demand modelling.
• Customer scenarios and profiles that bring the decision making factors to life, and demonstrate the ways in which users make mode choices.
• Customer journeys that document the existing transport modes that service Melbourne Airport, as well as their associated benefits and pain points.
• Airport link insights: Insights from qualitative research that summarise research participants' expectations of the proposed rail link.
  
• A short video that summarises the key findings.