Maria Stegner

About the project

Commuter Pal is a digital product concept my team and I developed at the Empathy Jam hackathon. The mission of this event, organized by the UX Lab NYC meetup and General Assembly, was for teams to research and design digital solutions to problems affecting New York City residents.

The Challenge: "How might we use technology to improve the experience of living in a city by creating new ways for people to connect with one another?"

Each team was tasked with thinking of solutions that fit in one of three categories:
-Civic Engagement
-Public Transportation
-Public Spaces

Brainstorming

We discussed several potential problems that NYC residents face... here are a few:

-lack of public bathrooms
-safety in parks and public spaces
-lack of adequate bike lanes
-piles garbage and bad smells in the streets
-lack of green spaces in many parts of the city
-rats
-housing prices in outer boroughs getting too expensive for the working and creative classes
-too much car and truck traffic in Manhattan
-public transportation woes: total gridlock when there is a sick passenger during rush hour... now easy way to know what is happening with train delays... poor sound quality in train loudspeakers (and no visual way to communicate live updates for people with hearing problems)

After a spirited discussion, we decided to focus on figuring out a solution related to the city's public transportation system, which affects hundreds of thousands of people every day.

User Research

The best part of this event was going outside and talking to people. We went to the Union Square greenmarket and interviewed 15 people about their experience using the NYC transit system.

Interviews

We spent about one-and-a-half hours interviewing a range of people... young couples, tourists from France and the UK, long-time New York residents of all ages. Here are some of the questions we posed to them:

-Tell us about your experience with using the subways and/or buses in New York

-What are some of your challenges/pain points with using the city's public transportation system?

-If you had a magic wand and could change one thing in the transit system, what would it be?

Analyzing the data

After the user interviews, we worked together to digest the data we collected. We created an affinity map grouping similar answers together. Some of the most common complaints with the transportation system include:

-Train delays - no way to know what's happening when you are on the platform or in the train
-Platforms are too hot in the summer
-Platforms are unsafe and anyone can be pushed into the tracks
-Poor sound quality in train announcement intercom systems
-No way to know when next train is coming
-Weekend train service disruptions
-Subway system is not stroller/wheelchair friendly
-Need WiFi in more stations

Problem statement and solution

Based on our user interviews, the biggest problem people have when using the public transit system is the lack of real-time information about their train/bus, especially when there is a delay or problem. Our solution, which would make the use of city trains and buses a better experience for New Yorkers, would include two parts:

1. A mobile app of real-time transit alerts and suggestions of alternate routes

2. Digital signs at all subway station entrances indicating whether the trains are running on time or with delays. Additional digital signs at the platform level (located over the turnstiles, or someplace that would be visible to people BEFORE going through the turnstile)

Mobile app user flows

Prototyping

We sketched out key screens for one use case. The first screen shows an alert that would pop on the user's phone, indicating there is a delay with the user's favorite train/bus line. The user would then swipe or tap to get further information, and be taken to the screen that suggests alternate route options. When one of the new options is selected, a map would show the user how to get to the alternate station.

User Testing

With our paper prototypes, we went back outside for some guerilla-style usability testing. We got some great feedback, and were able to iterate on our original designs.

Product strategy

Our product needed a name... something short, clear, and related to commuting. We were in a rush to get ready for the presentation, and settled on Commuter Pal. If this app progresses from a concept to a real, viable product, we would most likely revisit the name and do A/B testing to land on something better.

We also designed renderings of the digital signs at the subway entrances and platforms. This helped to create a visual representation of our product's physical component, which we believe would be critical in making the public transportation system a better experience for millions of people.

In the renderings, we aimed to show our concept for having digital signs at the subway entrance showing real-time train status information. The idea behind these digital signs is that they would save commuters from having to go down into the subway platform, pay the fare, and then discover too late that their train is stuck in traffic or re-routed. This would save the commuters time and money, and give them a little bit more of a sense of control in choosing a different way to get to their destination.

Everyone we spoke to during our user interviews said they would love to know about train delays before going through the turnstiles, so we envisioned real-time digital signs indicating the trains' status at both the street and platform levels.

Pitch time

During the presentation portion of the event, we had 5 minutes to pitch our product in front of the other teams and judges.

I loved watching all of the teams' pitches, and was super-impressed by some of the innovative ideas for making New York a better, more connected city.