MYBUS

An application to solve a midwestern city's transportation dilemma.

Take a relaxing ride with MYBUS

SUMMARY

Experience the transformation of your daily routine as your current bus service expands with new routes, bringing multiple buses to your stop. No more limitations, just endless possibilities! But with more options, you may wonder: Which bus is the right one for you? How long until your preferred bus arrives?

In a bustling Midwestern city, the challenge of managing increased ridership has evolved into a complex dilemma, leaving commuters frustrated and bewildered.  Discover a world where clarity and convenience intersect, thanks to an innovative transportation management app that empowers riders.

SUMMARY

Scope: Design an app to make it easier for transit riders to navigate the newly installed system.

Role: Principal Designer, Researcher, Content Creator, Visual Designer.

Tools: Figma, Maze, Personas, Google Forms, User interviews, Canva.

Timeframe: 4 Weeks.

DELIVERABLES

For this project I created:

• Empathy  Map
• Journey Maps
• Personas
• User Stories and Flows
• Competitor Analysis
• Iterative Sketches
• Logo
• Wireframes
• Prototypes

THE CHALLENGE

I was asked to find a solution to 3 core problems:

1. Ensure that all riders can tell how much time they have to get to the Washington & State bus stop before the bus they need arrives at that stop.
2. Ensure that any rider can tell when each of the buses arrives at the Washington & State bus stop.
3. Allow riders to select one of seven bus lines to see a list of future bus arrival times at the Washington & State bus stop.

The Hi-Fi Solution

MYBUS simplifies the commuting experience by providing riders with essential information in real time. With this app, you can effortlessly discover which bus is approaching your stop and find out when it will arrive. Additionally, you have access to a list of future arrival times for each bus line, allowing you to plan your journey with ease. By offering bus schedules and a live map, MYBUS enables you to track your bus's location in real time.

BACKGROUND

To address the increased ridership and improve the commuting experience, the city transit department has introduced additional bus routes, resulting in a total of 7 buses serving the Washington & State stop. However, riders are currently facing challenges in accessing important information. They require a user-friendly solution to easily find key details about their bus journeys.

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS 

Thorough research was conducted to understand and address the users' needs effectively. The plan encompassed various essential components such as a session guide, materials list, interview script, and consent forms in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Juvenile) to ensure comprehensive coverage and inclusivity.

INTERVIEW SESSIONS

Riders commonly expressed frustrations regarding two main issues: easily identifying approaching buses and buses not adhering to their scheduled arrival times. Participants emphasized the importance of having a live map feature, as it would greatly enhance their experience and provide helpful real-time information.

MEET PHOEBE

To meet the specific needs of different users, three personas were developed, each aligned with a distinct business requirement. One of these personas, Phoebe, relies on multiple buses for her daily commute. Therefore, it is crucial for Phoebe to have a seamless way to identify the approaching bus at her stop, ensuring a smooth and convenient journey for her.

Let's take a look at Phoebe.

USER FLOWS

The design process focused on simplifying complex flows, refining them into smoother and more straightforward solutions. The goal was to ensure that riders like Phoebe could easily access the information they needed, making their experience as easy and efficient as possible.

DESIGNING WIREFRAMES

The initial wireframes had an excessive number of frames and redundant ways to complete tasks. To streamline the user experience, any task that required more than a few clicks was removed from the design, ensuring a simplified and efficient process for the users.

COLORING IN THE (BUS) LINES

Ensuring a user-friendly experience was a top priority for the app. To achieve this, the solution incorporated intuitive features. By simply tapping the route number, riders could easily locate their desired bus. Tapping on destinations provided real-time bus locations on the map, helping users plan their timelines effectively. Additionally, map markers indicated the user's own location on the map, enhancing navigation and planning capabilities.

ACCESSIBILITY

The app's design prioritized visual elements over excessive text, enabling users to navigate quickly. It was evaluated for compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and WAVE standards, making necessary adjustments to ensure accessibility.

Touchpoints were designed to accommodate larger fingers, and text size was kept readable for ease of use. The main colors used in the app met the contrast ratio requirement of 5.35:1, meeting the accessibility standards. MYBUS also successfully passed a colorblindness test, ensuring usability for individuals with various types of color vision impairments.

USABILITY TESTING

Usability testing was conducted with a diverse group of participants, including individuals from different age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. The qualitative tests aimed to assess how easy it was for riders to perform tasks on the app and their overall user experience.

During the testing process, participants were presented with the app prototype and asked to complete three specific tasks. Evaluations included measuring factors such as ease of task completion, error rates, participant satisfaction, and the number of clicks required to achieve a goal. This comprehensive approach provided valuable insights into the app's usability and allowed for iterative improvements.

CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED

MYBUS is a user-friendly app that addresses various transit challenges for a wide range of users, regardless of age, literacy level, cognitive abilities, or frequency of use. It offers a straightforward and efficient solution without unnecessary features, making it accessible and beneficial to a diverse user base.

A valuable lesson I learned during this project was the principle of "less is more." It's crucial to resist the temptation of adding excessive features that are unrelated to the core solution. Striking the right balance is essential. Including too few features can leave users frustrated and underwhelmed, while an overloaded app can have the same negative effect.

Enjoyed learning about MYBUS and want to see more of my work?

User experience design
UX designer
User interface design
Interaction design
User-centered design
Usability testing
Information architecture
User research
UX design process
Wireframing

Product designer
Industrial design
Product development
Design thinking
Prototyping
Design iteration
Product aesthetics
User-centric design
Product usability
Design for manufacturability

Product manager
Agile product management
Product roadmap
Product strategy
Market research
Competitive analysis
Product development lifecycle
Product requirements
Stakeholder management
Product launch

Business development
Entrepreneurship
Marketing strategy
Business planning
Market analysis
Financial management
Business growth
Competitive advantage
Market segmentation
Business innovation

Mobile app design
User interface (UI) design
User experience (UX) design
Mobile app development
App prototyping
Mobile app usability
Mobile app interface
Mobile app user flow
Mobile app wireframing
Mobile app interaction design

Rachel Ruitberg

UX Designer

Baltimore, MD

rachel.ruitberg@gmail.com

(C) 2023 Rachel Ruitberg