About the Project
“Where is my bus?” “The bus is so crowded!” “Oh no, I missed my stop!” Do these scenarios sound familiar?
I commute on public transport on most days (before Covid-19 starts) I discovered that taking public transportation in Singapore is essentially pleasant and reliable in general, but there is always room for improvement.
There are many transport applications in the mobile app market made for Singapore, such as MyTransport, SingBUS, SG BusLeh. Internationally produced applications such as Google Maps, Citymapper, and Moovit are comparatively well-received locally as well, in terms of dependability and popularity.
However, the locally developed SBS Transit application is not widely used, and here’s why.
About the company
SBS Transit was formed in 1973 and is a leading bus and rail operator in Singapore. SBS Transit aims to provide world-class public transport which is safe, friendly, comfortable, affordable, and reliable.
Source: https://www.sbstransit.com.sg/about-us
Project goal
Improve user experience to serve local commuters better as a go-to transport utility application.
Value Proposition
SBS Transit application helps you get to where you want to go, with minimal frustration, and to provide the necessary information to the user in such a way that they at no point feel overwhelmed throughout their journey, but also never unsure of their next step
Research
Finding out the key pain points through user surveys and interviews
According to negative app store reviews on the Apple and Google Play store, the SBS Transit application suffers from a poor user interface, is not user-friendly, does not present information promptly, which are all exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the application.
Participant Criteria
User interviews were conducted to further understand various bus transit utility application users, mainly those that use the applications frequently and recently. The interviews were conducted with a few goals in mind:
- To find out the satisfaction and dissatisfaction level of using the SBS Transit application and how it compares with other bus transit apps in the market.
- To find out the key pain points of using the SBS Transit application.
We have come up with a list of interview questions for the participants
The outcome from the interviews conducted with the four chosen profiles
The survey results show the key pain points that users have while using the application
The users, in general, are frustrated with the inaccuracies and navigation with the current SBS Transit Application
Other pain points that include from the research:
- Other transit applications are more convenient with useful features
- Unawareness
- Not visually appealing
Affinity diagram
It is important to have accurate information for journey planning. Easy-to-understand visuals and easy navigation for information help with efficiency. Unnecessary functions might distract users.
Implementing the key pain points using heuristic methodologies to find usability issues
Key Insights
Based on the data from the surveys and user interviews, users generally prefer the bus transit application with no technical delay, easy to use, and together with an accurate bus timing feature as users appreciate the convenience of getting to their destination promptly.
Problem Statement
According to negative app store reviews, the SBS Transit app suffers from poor UI experience, is not user-friendly, does not present information in a timely manner, and all of this is exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the app. How might we help bus commuters get to their destinations through a bus transit application efficiently that will solve their traveling frustrations?
A glimpse of our users, Jun and Carrie
To understand the users’ needs and pain points, let’s meet Jun Robb and Carrie Rose.
Hypothesis
- it’s important for the user to feel in control and informed at all times, even in unfamiliar locations. Exploring different ways to present delayed information promptly, so the user can make informed decisions about how to adjust their journey.
- Simple and easy to access design features such as bookmark locations and bus numbers and also to find information instantaneously while on the go.
- The application sends alert notifications to remind its users of their current locations and when they are near their stop to disembark.
- Users would like to know their bus live locations to plan their journey smoothly and not miss their bus.
Ideation and Design Process
The current SBS Transit application user flow gets quite confusing with features with low visibility and it takes more steps to get the job done
Proposed Ideation
Four proposed main features are implemented for the app redesign, based on research findings and user pain points.
- Adding the Home menu button in place of the hamburger menu
- Adding Nearby feature button on the main screen
- Adding a live bus location feature on the map
- Adding a “Wake me up” alert feature
Ideation: Sketches
New features in Wireframes
- The Nearby bus stop location feature is more accessible for the user to tap on the screen while on the go. The user can visually locate themselves on the map
- The user can check passenger capacity and wheelchair space on the buses
- Bookmark favorite bus stop locations and bus numbers are easier by tapping on the star icon directly
- Another useful feature is to see the live bus location on the map when the user taps on their desired bus number so they can estimate the timing to get to their bus stop to catch the bus on time
- The “Wake me up” alert feature helps distracted users know when the bus is arriving and also sends notifications to the user when their bus stop is near to disembark
User flow for Use Case 1
Jun planned to take the MRT (Singapore Mass Rapid Transit) to his location, but he has no choice but to take the bus due to the sudden MRT breakdown. With so many commuters in the same plight as he is, Jun has to find the nearest bus stop and bus number to take him to his destination the fastest way possible.
Final Design Prototype for Use Case One
User flow for Use Case 2
Carrie sets an alert on the “Wake me up” feature to notify her that she is close to her destination bus stop.
Visual Identity
I kept the visual identity simple and pleasing to the eye. Respecting the company’s branding color palette, I used both colors of the logo, signifying crossing boundaries and connecting people, as primary colors. Vibrant orange signifies dynamism and innovation. Purple color represents strength and stability.
Conclusion
Learnings and next steps
Having the experience of improving the SBS transit app as a utility tool was a big challenge. The tool has a lot of potential features and it wasn’t easy to identify the problems the users faced.
During the discovering phase, with the help of my team, the answers we’ve got from surveys and interviews weren’t what I expected would be the problem. Being a UX Designer, I have to put my own conception apart and put myself in the mind of the user, be their eyes, understand their frustrations to be able to make a good design and answer their needs. By making prototypes, including failed ones, I learned how to separate my own perspective from the real needs of users.
Due to time constraints, this is currently the prototype stage. Ideally, if there is a chance, I would like to develop the project further and test it out with real users in the near future.
Disclaimer: This is a capstone project that was realized when I was in the User Experience Design and Product Management course at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Thanks to my research team members, Nicolette Teo, Chloe Ang, and Ash.A
UI design and prototype on iOS platform: Joyce Tok
You may also visit my portfolio at www.gallerytok.com
Thank you!
