BRIEF:
Increase usage of Sydney Public Transport during off-peak hours
Public transport is a passionate subject for a crowded city like Sydney. How do we increase off-peak ridership for Sydney public transport? Doing so is part of the greater plan for 2030.
Duration: 2 Weeks
Team members: 3
OUTCOME:
an interactive mobile app prototype
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
- Investigated 9 public transport apps (local and international).
- Looked at other metropolitan areas, to understand their public transport experiences.
USER RESEARCH
- Online Focus groups:
We conducted 4 online focus group with open participants, roughly 20 people participated in the discussion. - Contextual inquiries: On site observation at bus stops and train stations during on and off-peak hours.
- In-depth Interviews: 10 in-depth interviews, including travellers, transport workers, and bus drivers.
IDEATION
- Personas and scenarios:
From our user research, we created 3 personas to capture our main audiences. - Design studio:
With the on-the-go scenario in mind, grappling the best way to present a minimal viable product. - Prototype
Interactive prototype to demonstrate concept and get feedback.
COMPETITIVE ANAYLSIS- Assessing the landscape
- Apps that tries to cover a wide arrange of features can often feel clunky and not intuitive enough for the on-the-go usage for travellers.
- With different apps excelling at different functions, people end up hoarding apps and jumping between them.
- None of these apps came from an authoritative source, which puts their trust and reliability in question.
USER RESEARCH- Understanding the barriers
Online Focus groups and interviews
A series of questions were sent out to our existing networks and the general public. Questions regarding their experiences of public transports, and general suggestions for public transport improvements. From the results, it was clear people seek two main functions: WHEN"Realtime tracking" and WHERE "Trip planning and navigation"
“it was a nightmare”
“just being able to get on, sit and get off without having to worry about driving”
Contextual Inquiries
We observed people at train and bus stations, their interactions with public transport information and their engagement with ticket officers to understand their behaviours in using public transport in on and off peak times.
“The actual trip was surprisingly easy and enjoyable”
LEARNABILITY, RELIABILITY and NAVIGATION is the main focus for improvement
Personas
We created personas to better understand our users needs and experience, highlighting different types of people who are likely ( or unlikely) to use transport, what their barriers are, and how we can help them.
ITERATION PROCESS- Sketching, Prototyping, and Usability testing
We discovered that people found Sydney public transport confusing, but once they actually embark on the journey, they find the experience rather pleasant.
After prioritisation of various potential functions, we decided to focus on two main points:
- Make the timetable easier to understand and more reliable
- Help make transit between legs of the journey seamless
I CAME UP WITH A novel approach that helps people confidently identify and locate public transport and their destination.
the solution combines wayfinding and realtime data in one.
To better communicate my concept to my team, I used Prezi, a simple presentation tool, to simulate the animation.
Usability testing
We received really good feedback over all
- Navigation function is really interesting and intuitive
- Tracking on the ride and destination alert is great
If we can make the OVERALL EXPERIENCE more enjoyable, it would solve both PEAK AND OFF-PEAK HOUR problems.
PROTOTYPE
Our solution was an app that integrates trip planning, navigation, realtime tracking, and stop alerts.
Compass like intuitive navigation
Realtime tracking while presenting alternative options
Tracking your trip throughout every leg, alerts when your stop is coming up.
FUTURE MOVING FORWARD- visual designs
promoting Sydney tourism and incorporating upcoming events
Summer at the house
Sydney Festival