Improving Public Transit Navigation and Exploration
Client
Bus Mate
Services
UI & UX Design
Project management
Visual Design
User Research
Prototyping
Competitive Research
Concept ideation
Industries
Travel
Date
April 2023
Problem
Public transportation users struggle to navigate routes, schedules, and nearby points of interest efficiently. They need a user-friendly and comprehensive tool to help them plan and manage their transportation needs, providing real-time information, trip planning, fare details, and alerts on delays or cancellations.
What are the needs of public transportation users?
Public transportation users require accurate and real-time information on bus routes, schedules, and directions to navigate effectively. Additionally, features such as trip planning, fare information, and timely alerts on delays or cancellations are essential to efficiently manage their transportation needs and enhance their overall experience.
Accurate Information
Real-time updates
Effective navigation
Enhanced user experience
What is wrong with the existing public transportation solutions?
Public transportation users often face challenges with the existing solutions, such as outdated information, complex navigation, inconsistent schedules, and a lack of personalized features. They require more reliable, user-friendly tools that offer real-time updates, intuitive navigation, accurate schedules, and personalized recommendations to enhance their overall commuting experience.
Outdated/Inaccurate information
Complex navigation systems
Lack of personalized features
Limited accessibility
Limited trip planning capabilities
Google Maps
Transit App
CityMapper
Apple Maps
Here WeGo
As a result...
“I struggle to find a reliable app that offers comprehensive trip planning for all my transit needs”
"I wish there were simpler and more user-friendly tools to navigate public transportation efficiently”
"I wish there was more guidance and support within the app to help me navigate unfamiliar transit systems."
It's challenging to find apps that can help me stay informed about delays, cancellations, and alternative routes."
"I can't find an app that caters to my preferences for planning bus journeys and exploring nearby places."
?
How might we create an app that effectively helps public transit users navigate more efficiently and accessibly?
The Solution
BusMate is a comprehensive and user-friendly app designed to revolutionize the public transportation experience and meet the needs of users. It focuses on enhancing overall journey planning, providing real-time information, and improving the exploration of nearby places. By addressing the identified challenges faced by public transportation users, BusMate aims to improve accessibility, convenience, and satisfaction while using public transit. The app offers a seamless and intuitive solution that empowers users to navigate the transit system more efficiently, make informed decisions, and optimize their travel experience.
Jump to Prototype
My Role
Product Designer
Team Members
Manan Monga
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Miro, Photoshop, Illustrator
User-Driven Experience
Designed to prioritize the needs and preferences of its users, putting them in control of their public transportation journey.
Offering a range of user-driven features, including Shareable and Gem routes for collaborative journey planning. ETA sharing improves convenience and coordination, while user ratings enhance system reliability. Traveling tips optimize the journey, and a rewarding program incentivizes loyalty. Sharing photos and videos fosters community engagement. These features empower users to personalize their public transportation experience and contribute to a collaborative ecosystem.
Assistive Wristband
Our innovative Assistive Wristband enhances the public transportation experience by providing essential features and functionalities.
Introducing our Assistive Wristband, a game-changing solution for public transportation users. With trip alerts, Haptic Feedback, emergency features, reloadable functionality, personalization options, and advanced security measures, this wristband revolutionizes the way users navigate and interact with public transit. Stay informed, feel guided, and travel with confidence while enjoying a seamless and secure transit experience.
Accessibility Focused
BusMate prioritizes accessibility by offering a range of features to cater to users with diverse needs
By incorporating Voiceover Navigation, BusMate ensures that visually impaired users can effortlessly navigate the app's interface with ease. The inclusion of Haptic Feedback enhances the user experience by providing tactile cues, allowing for more intuitive interaction and immediate feedback. These accessibility features within BusMate contribute to an inclusive and user-friendly environment, empowering all users to navigate public transportation confidently and efficiently.
Check Bus stop Function
Check if you’re on the right bus stop with ease.
The Check Bus Stop function ensures you are at the right step with a simple picture. Providing peace of mind and eliminating any confusion or uncertainty. Simplify your journey by effortlessly checking your bus stop and getting relevant directions to it with Bus Mate.
My Approach
01
Research
Competitive Analysis
User Research
User Personas
Problem statement
02
Ideate
Informed Brainstorming
Sketching Exercises
Lo-fi wireframes/sketches
03
Design
Hi-fi Interactive prototypes
Features implementation
User feedback
Design iterations
04
Test
User Testing
Design Presentation
Design iterations
My contribution
In this personal project, I took on the role of a UX/UI Designer, independently managing all aspects from start to finish. I was solely responsible for all tasks, including mockups, prototype designs, creating presentation materials, the whole design thinking process.
As a product designer, my role involved advocating for background research, user research, competitive analysis, ideation, and design. I conducted research and design activities on my own, creating wireframes, high fidelity designs, and interactive prototypes for user feedback and testing.
Throughout the project, I employed a user-centered design process. This involved: analyzing competitors; defining and aligning on the main problem; and generating and evaluating ideas using sketching, wireframing, prototyping, and feedback sessions. By completing the entire project independently, I gained valuable experience in managing and executing all aspects of a UX/UI design project for my personal portfolio.
01
Research
Background Research
In the initial stages of the research and ideation process, the target demographic was mainly composed of users with low vision or blindness. Therefore, a thorough literature review was conducted to gain insights from existing studies on the topic.
Competitive analysis
The public transportation app market is crowded with many options that offer similar features and functionalities. To understand how BusMate stands out from the competition, we conducted a comparative analysis of five popular apps: Transit1, CityMapper, Moovit, and Google Maps. We compared these apps based on the following criteria:
Real-time information: How accurate and reliable is the app in providing real-time updates on transit schedules, delays, cancellations, and disruptions?
Trip planning: How easy and intuitive is the app in helping users plan their trips, find the best routes, and compare different modes of transportation?
Fare details: How well does the app inform users about the fare prices, payment options, and discounts for different transit services?
Alerts: How effective is the app in notifying users about important changes or events that affect their transit experience?
Nearby places: How useful is the app in helping users discover and explore nearby points of interest, such as restaurants, shops, attractions, etc.?
We found that:
BusMate outperforms Transit, Apple Maps, and Here WeGo by offering nearby places and wider transit coverage.
BusMate matches Citymapper, Moovit, and Google Maps in providing real-time information, trip planning, fare details, alerts, and nearby places.
BusMate stands out from other apps by revolutionizing the public transportation experience and meeting the user needs.
BusMate also boasts design features that enhance its comprehensiveness and user-friendliness, such as personalized recommendations, interactive map, and social features.
Therefore, our aim is to develop a distinctive public transportation app that integrates real-time information, smart trip planning, user-centric design, and comprehensive accessibility features to provide a more efficient and customized experience for transit users.
User Personas
To better guide my design and enable me to better empathize with the users, I came up with the following personas using my research:
Mind Map and Brainstorming
To understand what users struggle with in existing travel apps and identify solutions, I advocated for researching and mapping user needs and potential features before diving into solutions. I also invited the team to brainstorm together for better ideas based on our findings.
We identified 5 key areas and formulated the most relevant HMWs that will guide us. Based on this, we created a main How Might We question that encompasses all the key aspects to help us in the ideation process.
1
How might we provide users with accurate, accessible and reliable real-time information on bus schedules, delays, cancellations, and disruptions?
2
How might we simplify and optimize the trip planning process for users, such as finding the best routes, comparing different modes of transportation, paying for fares, etc.?
3
How might we inform users about the fare details, payment options, and discounts for bus services?
4
How might we notify users about important changes or events that affect their transit experience, such as schedule changes, disruptions, and where to get off?
5
How might we help users discover and explore nearby points of interest, such as restaurants, shops, attractions, etc.?
?
How might we design a public transportation app that provides users with real-time information, smart trip planning, fare details, alerts, and nearby places features to improve their efficiency, convenience, and satisfaction while using public transit, while also ensuring accessibility for users with different needs, abilities, and preferences?
02
Ideate
Wireframes/sketches
I created a few lo-fi and mid-fi wireframes of the basic layout of the app and the different features that would be in it.
LOFI
MID-FI
HI-FI
Through the wireframes, it helped me:
Explore different layout options and navigation patterns for the app screens and features
Communicate my design ideas and concepts to the stakeholders and users and get their feedback
Refine and improve the visual design and user interface elements of the app, such as color, typography, icons, etc.
Test the usability, functionality, and desirability of the app with target users and collect feedback and suggestions for improvement
03
Design
Hi-Fi Prototypes
We incorporated feedback from the stakeholders throughout the design process by presenting wireframes and hi-fi prototypes and gathering feedback through design critiques. Based on the feedback, we made changes and iterations to our designs to ensure they aligned with user needs and expectations.
Interactive Prototype
04
Test
User Testing
To test the usability of the public transportation app we designed for transit users, we conducted usability testing with a group of 5 participants who were regular commuters in the city. The testing was conducted in-person as well through Zoom, and the participants were asked to complete a series of tasks related to navigating the hi-fi prototype.
See Full Script
Results
The user testing revealed that the app was generally well-received and met the user needs and expectations. The users found the app’s features useful, easy to use, and reliable. The app provided them with accurate and up-to-date information on bus schedules, fares, and directions. It also helped them plan their trips and discover nearby places. The users particularly enjoyed the feature that allowed them to scan a bus stop and see the arrival times of different buses, as well as the feature that showed them nearby places of interest.
To evaluate the effectiveness of my prototype, I asked the participants to complete a post-test survey using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The results showed that:
The average SUS score was 86 out of 100, indicating a high level of usability and satisfaction.
The average NPS score was 9 out of 10, indicating a high likelihood of recommending the app to others.
The users completed all the tasks successfully and efficiently, with no major errors or difficulties.
The users expressed positive and favorable opinions about the app’s features, design, and performance.
The users suggested some minor improvements and additional features that could enhance the app further.
Design iterations
The feedback we received from our user testing sessions helped us identify areas for improvement and make design decisions to enhance the user experience of our app. Based on the feedback, we made the following changes:
Future Steps
We will conduct more user testing and research to gather more feedback and insights from different user groups and scenarios.
We will explore the possibility of integrating our app with other public transportation modes, such as trains, subways, and bikes, to provide a more comprehensive and seamless transit solution.
We will implement more features and functionalities that can enhance the user experience, such as voice control, social sharing, and gamification.
We will continuously monitor and evaluate the app’s performance, usability, and user satisfaction, and make necessary updates and adjustments accordingly.