In 2015, we began to support global flight operator Thomas Cook Airlines on its UX, design and build. It was a complex site that needed to integrate with Thomas Cook Holidays, as well as allowing customers to search for and book flights, and manage the details of their bookings.

Introducing a strong design system

For the first six months of the project, we worked on UX and design. We had to interpret and adapt print guidelines for the digital space – defining the use of icons, colour and type, and creating a set of fully responsive screens that would work across devices. In doing so, we developed a full design system that could be handed to Thomas Cook’s internal team to support consistency in their future work.

Removing turbulence along the way

We also established processes that enabled the internal team to work in a more agile way. Our design system meant that they could simply copy and reuse the code for each component, while new tools like Zeppelin and Gather Content helped speed up their progress. Throughout this time, we were responsible for the front-end build of the site, and even when we ran up against major constraints from internal systems, were able to pivot quickly and produce highly practical solutions.

Online revenue takes off

Following the site’s launch, Thomas Cook Airlines reported millions in new revenue – and Incendiary Blue was singled out for praise in the business’s annual report. We were retained for project management, tech leadership and development for three years and went on to develop their mobile app. After Thomas Cook’s unfortunate collapse in 2019, we’ve continued to take on new projects from its German sister brand, Condor.