transit app
Nova Harbour Transit
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
COMPANY
timeline
May-July 2024
collaboration
Mentor: Josh Skinner
Art Director: MacKenzie Martin, Ria Chopra
Co-Designer: Lucy Chen
Project Overview
Nova Harbour Transit is a transit app designed to help residents and visitors of Nova Harbour navigate easily. This project was part of a project-based mentorship program organized by RGD, where I was tasked with designing a transit app for Nova Harbour, a fictional small town in Ontario where buses are the main mode of transportation.
As the UX designer, I collaborated closely with another designer, art directors who provided design systems, and my mentor for guidance. My main tasks included conducting a competitive analysis of existing transit apps, combining these findings with user personas to identify user pain points, creating user flows, and developing solutions for live navigation experience of the app.
Problem Statement
How might we help our users plan their day with accurate schedules and straightforward navigation?
Our Solution
A transit app with step-by-step live navigation process, real-time updates, and saved routes for effortless daily journeys.
Highlights
Home
Check current location and search for new places.
Route Details
Details of selected route, including directions and bus information.
Live Navigation
Real-time route tracking and step-by-step navigation.
Saved Routes and Places
Show favourite routes and places.
Understanding Our User
Learn from Competitors
I started by exploring popular transit apps in the app store. I wanted to understand what’s out there—what makes certain apps popular and why, and where they leave users wanting more. Specifically, I took a look into the specific features that each app are popular for.
From analyzing these apps, I found that popular transit apps focus heavily on providing real-time updates and step-by-step guidance but often struggle with overcrowded interfaces or unclear instructions, leaving users overwhelmed during live navigation.
Exploring Ideas
Crazy 8's
Based on the research and user pain points, we used the Crazy 8's brainstorming technique. Each team members were challenged to sketch eight distinct solutions in eight minutes.
From there, we categorized our ideas and picked the top features from the ideation workshop to address the pain points from the research.
Real-time updates based on user feedback.
Simplified route navigation process
Personalization options such as saving routes and places
User Flow
Designing the Solution
Testing Our Ideas
We started by drafting different versions of each core screen from the user flow. Then, we picked out the strongest elements and combined them together for hi-fidelity. We prioritized with the choices that helps users complete a task more efficiently.
For the home screen, we found rectangular tabs clearer than rounded ones, as they kept icons and labels connected. Listing saved locations first also proved more effective than categorizing saved places and nearby attractions, offering quicker access to frequent spots.
We experimented with displaying the user's current location in the background but found it distracting, as the map competed with the route details, making it harder for users to focus on their options.
We then explored text-based routes with a route overview vs. simplified step breakdowns. We also found that having too many secondary buttons in the same area could distract users from the main actions.
We organized the route into step-by-step cards, allowing users to swipe away each step as they complete it, to ensure users easily track their progress without feeling overwhelmed.
We also thought about adding a pop-up window to gather user feedback on their onboard experience, to improve future navigation and service quality.
Final Design
Plan and Navigate
Users log in, choose a destination, explore route options, and view detailed route steps. The live navigation feature guides users through their journey with clear, interactive instructions, while a lightweight survey gathers feedback without disrupting the flow.
Save routes/PlACES
Users can find their frequently used routes or favourite stops.
Screens
Design System
Reflections
Working on this transit app was a fun experience. I had a great time collaborating with my team, gaining practical experience, and refining my design skills. As this was my first time designing a transit app, I had the time to rethink my route planning process and notice many small details that current transit apps use to make this process easier. I also identified several design decision-related problems that I encountered in previous UX projects, and I was able to get valuable inspiration and help from my mentors and peers.
To further enhance the app, here are some steps we could consider exploring:
Conduct user testing
Further security, such as a feature that allow users to share their planned trips
Add stops of nearby places along the current route , as current map doesn’t show nearby/saved places during a live navigation