OVERVIEW
My team conceptualized and designed a solution for a local problem. At the start of the project, the grand-opening of the University of Washington (UW) Light Rail Station had just taken place. This rich resource inspired my team to conduct ethnographic studies at the site to identify possible problems that can be mitigated using a user-centered design method.
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Team
Jae Won Choi Monica Lee Tuyen Truong |
Project Length & Setting
10 weeks | HCDE 318 |
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
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The LINK Light Rail system--specifically at the UW Station--experiences a lack of user adherence to proper riding processes. Users lack adequate tools and clear access to information that would help them understand proper LINK Light Rail riding procedures.
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ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
Each team member independently visited the site to conduct 3 rounds of ethnographic studies. Findings from the field studies helped us narrow our project focus. Below are my key findings.
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1. Not every rider taps on/off as they enter/leave the train station.
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2. More riders tap on than off.
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3. There are no signs indicating which tap kiosk is for tapping on/off.
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4. There was only 1 sign instructing riders to tap on/off. This sign was on the ground level, above the platform where riders board the train.
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DESIGN QUESTION
"How can we help UW Link Light Rail riders have clearer access to information that could improve their adherence to proper riding procedures?"
AFFINITY ANALYSIS
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We collaborated to share individual field study findings. We used affinity analysis to organize findings into themes which helped to create personas and scenarios because it revealed themes that can be consolidated into a user profile.
One of the recurring issues was that riders tap on more than off. I did a quick research on how the tap on/off system works. An interesting finding was that the cost of a ride is maximized if users don't tap off. I then distributed an online survey to understand why people don't tap off. Here are my findings: 3/4 participants are unaware that their trip lengths and costs are maximized if they don't tap off. 2/4 participants don't want to wait in line at the kiosk to tap off (either because they're in a rush or they're impatient). 1/4 participant claims that the kiosks are inconveniently placed. |
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OUR SOLUTION
Based on themes from the ethnographic study and survey, my team came up with a mobile app intervention. We focused on a mobile solution because the intended users are college students who typically carry mobile devices with them.
The app contains information about proper riding procedures and encourages riders to adhere to and habitually practice those procedures while increasing the number of people who use public transportation through integration of a reward program. For feasibility, my team focused on UW Light Rail Riders who use the built-in Orca Card in their Husky Card. HuskyRide is broken down into four main features.
The app contains information about proper riding procedures and encourages riders to adhere to and habitually practice those procedures while increasing the number of people who use public transportation through integration of a reward program. For feasibility, my team focused on UW Light Rail Riders who use the built-in Orca Card in their Husky Card. HuskyRide is broken down into four main features.
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1. REWARD SYSTEM FOR TAPPING ON AND OFF
Points earned by tapping on AND off is easily stored in the Husky Card for easy access. These points can be redeemed at the UW food and dining, UW bookstore, and partner restaurants and cafes on the AVE. 3. BUILT-IN TRANSIT SCHEDULE
Instead of downloading multiple apps, riders can easily access the transit schedule on HuskyRide. |
2. VIRTUAL TAP ON/OFF CAPABILITY
Riders can skip long kiosk lines and instead, tap off using their mobile device. Built-in GPS will determine when riders depart a station given a 1 mile radius from a train station. 4. TUTORIAL ON HOW TO RIDE THE LIGHT RAIL
To improve awareness of proper riding procedures, HuskyRide has an interactive tutorial to help riders be familiar with Link Light Rail. |
PERSONAS
Each member brainstormed persona desires, pains, characteristics, and goals based on our field study observations. We conducted another coding activity to help categorize the features in order to produce a cohesive persona. After coding, we came up with the following two personas.
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Perry, 22
In-State UW Student Perry is a frequent Light Rail rider. He's a cyclist who commutes to school. Timeliness is important to Perry. After getting off the train, Perry often experiences crowded elevators that don't fit his bike and himself, so he has to wait for another elevator or use the escalators which is challenging to do while carrying a bike. Either way, Perry always battles the clock every morning and is in a big hurry to get to class on time. He often skips tapping off because he doesn't want to wait in line. |
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Nhi, 19
Internatinal UW Student As an international student from Vietnam, and is still learning how to navigate the Light Rail system. She struggles because she's not accustomed to the subway-like transportation system. Nhi doesn't always tap off when she rides the train, especially if it requires her to go out of her way to locate a kiosk. Nhi is unaware of the consequences associated with failing to tap off. |
INITIAL SKETCHES
The personas provided ideas for the needs/desires of our end users. At this point, we had ideas for a solution that provides information for Light Rail riding procedures and help people tap on/off.
Each member sketched ideas for a system using the 10+10 method (10 broad ideas and then 10 detailed sketches for each of those broad ideas). We then shared and consolidated ideas before committing to one that we felt was most intuitive, functional, and useful to our personas. Below are my sketches.
Each member sketched ideas for a system using the 10+10 method (10 broad ideas and then 10 detailed sketches for each of those broad ideas). We then shared and consolidated ideas before committing to one that we felt was most intuitive, functional, and useful to our personas. Below are my sketches.
STORYBOARD
Sketches provided a clear understanding of the functions and use of the mobile app which guided the creation of storyboards. Each member created two storyboards based on the two personas, Perry and Nhi. Below are my storyboards.
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SITEMAP
The sketches also informed the creation of the sitemap. A sitemap was useful because the original solution was very broad. Sitemaps helped eliminate features that were irrelevant to the vision statement and reorganize the pages to enhance intuitive navigation.
PAPER PROTOTYPE
The sitemaps helped us visualize how the pages of HuskyRide would flow, which informed the creation of prototypes and medium-fidelity mockups. All members of the group contributed to prototyping activities.
Paper prototypes are easy for users to physical see, hold, and interact with, and provide an efficient way to test functions and designs of a product. Below are the paper prototypes we used to conduct guerilla user evaluations.
Paper prototypes are easy for users to physical see, hold, and interact with, and provide an efficient way to test functions and designs of a product. Below are the paper prototypes we used to conduct guerilla user evaluations.
MED-FI MOCKUPS
After gathering feedback from the guerilla user evaluations, we made minor changes to UI in creating the med-fi mockups. The mockups were a shared blueprint that provided team members with a reference pint.
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HI-FIDELITY MOCK-UPS
Due to time restraints, my team created hi-fi designs for only a few screens. We focused on the tap on/off, point redemption, and how-to guide pages as these pages provide a general overview of HuskyRide's core features.
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REFLECTION
Given more time and resources, I would have:
Despite these future improvements, HuskyRide was successful in that it survived many iterations of each phase in the UCD process. With each iteration, HuskyRide became more cohesive because we were able to identify areas of improvement and invite space for new ideas.
I truly believe that HuskyRide has the potential to be an incredible product because many of my friends and family attested to their experiences of failing to tap off and/or unawareness of the consequences thereof. Many of my peers had no idea that failing to tap off would result in a automatic maximization of trip length and costs.
For the UW, HuskyRide help the university cut costs because whenever Husky Orca card holders fail to tap off, the university is charged the difference. Starting in Fall 2017, the quarterly Husky Orca card costs is expected to increase to reflect the cost differences. HuskyRide is a great solution to helping UW students and facility save money.
- Conducted user requirement gathering activities to understand real user needs/desires instead of persona needs/desires
- Conducted usability testing on the mock-ups to understand if the system is intuitive to navigate
- Collaborated with developers to code the concept prototype
Despite these future improvements, HuskyRide was successful in that it survived many iterations of each phase in the UCD process. With each iteration, HuskyRide became more cohesive because we were able to identify areas of improvement and invite space for new ideas.
I truly believe that HuskyRide has the potential to be an incredible product because many of my friends and family attested to their experiences of failing to tap off and/or unawareness of the consequences thereof. Many of my peers had no idea that failing to tap off would result in a automatic maximization of trip length and costs.
For the UW, HuskyRide help the university cut costs because whenever Husky Orca card holders fail to tap off, the university is charged the difference. Starting in Fall 2017, the quarterly Husky Orca card costs is expected to increase to reflect the cost differences. HuskyRide is a great solution to helping UW students and facility save money.
