Improving passenger wayfinding for 1.6 million extra visitors.
Expo 2020 was set to bring 1.6 million extra passengers per month, 70% from overseas.
Dubai Airports needed to ensure first and last impressions were seamless, yet critical gaps in signage and information left travellers disoriented.
At key journey moments, flows between arriving and transferring passengers broke down, while cluttered signs, inconsistent messaging, and poor screen visibility risked undermining Dubai’s reputation during the world’s largest event.
We mapped full arrivals and departures journeys across T1–T3, shadowing passengers and interviewing staff to surface recurring pain points.
Gaps included unclear immigration lanes, missing onward travel info, and weak preparation for security.
We built a gap analysis with personas and evidence, then set recommendations: large terminal identifiers, dynamic transfer screens, clearer immigration coding, “Welcome to Dubai” super-graphics, and preparation zones for check-in and security.
The roadmap gave Dubai Airports a clear programme of wayfinding and information upgrades, implemented ahead of Expo 2020.
The improvements enabled the airport to handle 1.6 million extra monthly passengers without major wayfinding issues or operational disruption.
By decluttering signage, smoothing flows, and reassuring travellers, the work safeguarded Dubai’s reputation under global scrutiny and reinforced its status as a leading aviation hub.