Role
Product Designer
Time Line
3 months, December - March, 2021
Tool
Figma
Project Overview
Exit Tracker is a mobile application designed to help subway passengers navigate the exits they need to go to. This app is expected to help people save time to reach their destinations.
The primary objective of this project is to solve the issue that it is hard for passengers to find the right exits in subway stations. By providing locations of exits at subway stations and possible destinations through them, this app supports subway passengers to get wherever they want to go without wasting time on finding exits.
Problem statement
Subway passengers often struggle to find the correct exits due to unclear signage and complex underground pathways, leading to confusion and delays in reaching their destinations.
-
Highlights
-
Context
The inspiration behind it
Understanding the Context
Qualitative and quantitative research took place in the first step of the project. I mostly utilized secondary resources to dig more into the problem. In 5 different categories, I sorted the sticky notes that contained the factors of using the subway system. This process helped me understand the context of the subject matter and present possible directions.
Affordance
Constraint
Accessibility
Sustainability
Joy / Delight
Key Insights
1 million passengers use the TTC subway
Many subway stations are outdated
Unclear signs and complex pathways
Spending more time figuring out the directions
-
Problem
Untangling the underground
What are the key barriers?
I developed a map to identify how passengers interact with public transportation in a flow. It illustrates the steps of how users execute the task and respond to issues. It was great to understand how people use the public transit.
What are the key pain points?
Passengers struggle to find the right directions due to unclear signage.
Easy to get lost if go through the wrong exit.
Underground pathways connected to the subway are too complex for newcomers.
Lack of an intuitive map that includes the underground exits.
-
Question
The question to be answered
"How might we reduce the confusion for passengers when they try to find where to get out from the subway stations to reach their final destinations?"​
-
Define
Commuters in focus
Who is at the heart of our solution?
Utilizing the results from the research, I was able to identify the two user types that I should aim to design for.
Serena Green
Student
"I wish there was an easy way to find directions when travelling."
Wants & Needs
-
An easier and more intuitive map to navigate the pathways in the subway.
-
Alert system to know the real-time information.
-
Self-explanatory signs for directions.
Frustration
-
Unclear and vague direction signs.
-
complex and chaotic pathways.
-
Hard to know where the pathways are connected.
Martin Omar
Software Developer
"I want to get around easily without confusion."
Wants & Needs
-
Extensive and intuitive mobile map of the public transportation system.
-
Clear exit signs.
Frustration
-
Not familiar with the public transit system in the city.
-
Often get lost when travelling through the subway due to complex pathways.
-
Lack of clear maps to explain the possible directions.
-
Prototype
From sketches to solution
Site Mapping
I defined the key functions that this app should consider having. The powerful station and exit search feature and informative and intuitive exit map will help reduce the chance of getting lost.
Wireframing
I tested and iterated on different layouts, explored user flows, and identified potential usability issues before investing significant resources into the actual design and development process.
-
Final Design
Seamlessly navigating solution
Bringing the vision to life
Based on the sitemap and wireframe, I developed the final version of the product. This high-fidelity prototype is to demonstrate the solution for the pain points that were identified in the research process. The main goal was:
-
Providing a visual map of exits including underground pathways.
-
A user-friendly interface with compelling visuals.
-
Including additional information about the exits.
-
Effective the real-time alert system of the subway.​
Interactive Subway Map
Be able to find the station you want to search at a glance
A fully interactive and intuitive map is required to deliver information about exits and pathways. This app uses the official TTC subway map that most people are familiar with to reduce any confusion in visuals. Users can move around and zoom in/out of the map to locate the station where they are and search with a simple tap action.
Clear Platform Maps
Self-explanatory
Visually Map of Stations
Visual maps for all platforms of stations are provided to give users intuitive information about the exits. Easy tapping makes Tracking the user's location and getting the exit information accessible. If the station has multiple platforms, it can be selected through the drop-down box.
Plenty of Visuals and Additional Information
Real photos of the exits/
pathways and surroundings
In order to respond to the needs of the core users and be more useful, this app provides the actual images of the exits and surroundings so that users can easily locate where they need to go. It is also linked with Google Maps to deliver additional information about surroundings to suggest possible destinations.
Live Alert System
Getting informed in real-time about the situation of TTC subway
This powerful alert service offers real-time information about the subway. Users can easily check delays, service time changes, and emergencies to avoid any unexpected inconveniences while using the TTC subway.
-
Takeaways
Final Thoughts
-
Utilizing the persona-building and journey-mapping process, I identified the detailed pain points that subway passengers face daily.
-
Effective market research was necessary to find the gap that I should focus on.
-
Clear visual maps for information about the exits and pathways are the key factors to be successful.
-
​Closely monitored user testing is required for the further development of the project.
Next Project
