From Rigid Templates to Cinematic Storytelling
Client
Emirates
Agency
Tigerspike Dubai
My Role
UX/UI Design Director
Skills Used
Creative Direction
Design Direction
UX/UI Design
Prototyping
Testing (Usability)
Coaching
Storytelling
Component Design & Optimisation
The Challenge
Emirates needed to drive incremental UX improvements across its digital portfolio while strategically reigniting the design team's capacity for innovation.
The Solution
I embedded with the team in Dubai, balancing hands-on design with strategic leadership. This included refining complex booking flows and simplifying core app interactions. To define the potential for brand elevation, I designed and prototyped Flying Through History, a cinematic timeline that used storytelling to elevate digital from a functional utility to an inspiring, brand-defining experience.
The Impact
The initiative resulted in more intuitive and consistent booking and service journeys. The redesigned flight cards strengthened Emirates’ most valuable digital asset. Crucially, the team adopted a higher creative standard, shifting the organisation beyond incremental change toward experiences that matched the ambition of the Emirates brand.
Design Using Rigid Templates
Emirates’ digital experience wasn’t living up to the brand. Pages were locked in rigid grids, stacked with text and images that felt more like documentation than inspiration. It was a system of templates and components that delivered function but stripped out emotion.
Flying Through History
I delivered the templated version, then broke the mould with a cinematic timeline. A plane flew across eras and continents, changing in design as destinations appeared from the sky in their moment of history. Milestones rose and faded in sync with Emirates’ journey through time, fusing storytelling with UX.
Core UX/UI Delivery
