- MARCH 2023 TO MAY 2023 -
NYU-TRANSPO
NYU TRANSPO IS A NEW CAMPUS MOBILE APPLICATION DESIGNED FOR EASY ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY’S TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
I worked on this project for my Physical Computing final project during the spring semester of my first year at NYU. I designed the overall branding or design system, created comprehensive interface screens, and developed a working prototype of NYU Transpo’s features. The purpose of NYU Transpo is to serve as a central hub for all transportation benefits NYU offers its students, creating an overall convenient, accessible experience for users.
TOOLS USED
Adobe Illustrator
Figma
Miro
Adobe Illustrator
Figma
Miro
CATEGORY
Brand Experience
UI/UX Case Study
Brand Experience
UI/UX Case Study
DELIVERABLES
Brand Identity
Mobile Prototype
Brand Identity
Mobile Prototype
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THE PROBLEM
THE CURRENT NYU TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FEELS MORE OF A HASSLE TO ACCESS THAN A LUXURY...
Current access to the daytime shuttle routes is through an outdated hyperlinked map in the NYU Mobile app that can often be confusing for users to understand. The recently launched NYU Safe Ride app features a fresh interface incorporating the campus 11 PM - 7 AM uber-like system but fails to include shuttles, leading students to rely on NYU Mobile’s cluttered map for daytime travel.
BELOW ARE QUICK SCREEN RECORDING OVERVIEWS OF THE CURRENT NYU MOBILE AND SAFE RIDE APPS:
NYU MOBILE APPLICATION
SAFE RIDE APPLICATION
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RESEARCH
IN A PRELIMINARY QUESTIONNAIRE OF 20 NYU STUDENTS, THE FOLLOWING DATA WAS COLLECTED:
• Students use NYU Mobile or Safe Ride an average of 5.53/10 times.
• The NYU app ecosystem received an average rating of 4.85/10 for user experience.
• The NYU app ecosystem received an average rating of 5.45/10 for efficiency.
• 95% believe the current NYU applications feel outdated or are inconvenient to use frequently.
• 100% would prefer a new, updated, and redesigned application for students.
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NYU PERSONA
SNEHA RAO - 18-YEAR-OLD MARKETING & MANAGEMENT UNDERGRADUATE
PAIN POINTS:
• I’ve never used the shuttle system because of how confusing the NYU Mobile map is.
• Safe rides are often late leading to longer waits than expected for a driver we have no info about.
• Being in the city, it’s surprising none of the NYU apps allow us to track the route of our friends.
NEEDS:
• Easily accessible timings for shuttles to efficiently travel between university buildings.
• Information on safe ride drivers based on their performance, efficiency, etc.
• Ability to track other people's transportation routes to ensure safety among friends.
PAIN POINTS:
• I’ve never used the shuttle system because of how confusing the NYU Mobile map is.
• Safe rides are often late leading to longer waits than expected for a driver we have no info about.
• Being in the city, it’s surprising none of the NYU apps allow us to track the route of our friends.
NEEDS:
• Easily accessible timings for shuttles to efficiently travel between university buildings.
• Information on safe ride drivers based on their performance, efficiency, etc.
• Ability to track other people's transportation routes to ensure safety among friends.
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SOLUTION IDEATION
THROUGH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION FROM NYU STUDENTS, I BRAINSTORMED SOLUTIONS THAT NYU TRANSPO NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT TO IMPROVE A USER’S EXPERIENCE FOR ACCESSING CAMPUS TRANSPORTATION:
1. CLEAR IMPLEMENTATION OF SHUTTLES
Users should be able to easily access shuttles and transportation routes rather than having to rely on a hyperlinked map.
2. SHAREABLE & TRACKABLE ROUTES WITH FRIENDS
Users should have the option to share their safe ride or shuttle route with friends to track their transportation using the app.
3. ABILITY TO FAVORITE BOTH LOCATIONS & ROUTES
Users should continue to be able to save locations (home, work, classes), but should also be able to save a route for future usage.
4. USER FEEDBACK INPUT FOR SAFE RIDES
User feedback should be implemented to provide users with insight about a safe ride driver, better involving the NYU community in improving transportation.
5. STRAIGHTFORWARD USER NAVIGATION BAR
Rather than navigating the app with a grid of icons (NYU Mobile) or a hamburger icon (Safe Ride app), each page should be accessible with a bottom nav.
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USER FLOW
USING MIRO, I CREATED A USER FLOW TO GUIDE ME ON THE PAGES AND INTERACTIONS TO FOCUS ON WHEN CREATING THE NYU TRANSPO PROTOTYPE IN FIGMA. THE FEATURES COVERED IN THE USER FLOW ARE ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENT USERS WHEN USING THE APPLICATION:
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USER TESTING
15 NYU STUDENTS WERE OBSERVED USING THE INITIAL APPLICATION PROTOTYPE AND THEN INSTRUCTED THROUGH ANOTHER QUESTIONNAIRE:
• For ease of map navigation to find shuttle stops and routes, NYU Transpo received an average rating of 8.47/10 versus a 3.47/10 for NYU Mobile.
• For efficiency in booking a safe ride and input feedback, NYU Transpo received an average rating of 8.27/10 versus a 4.67/10 for the Safe Ride app.
• 100% of testers preferred NYU Transpo over NYU Mobile to access shuttle timings and routes.
• 93.3% of testers preferred NYU Transpo over the Safe Ride app to book a safe ride.
KEY TAKEAWAYS TO WORK ON FOR MY FINALIZED PROTOTYPE:
• Include how far away a safe ride driver is from a location so users have a visualization of how quickly they’ll be picked up.
• Create a clear walkthrough of the application’s main features for a more straightforward understanding of each page’s purpose.
• Improve color combinations used in call-to-action areas to avoid confusion on what the user input is on a page.
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FINAL SCREENS
BELOW ARE THE FINAL SCREEN MOCKUPS FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGES IN THE FINALIZED PROTOTYPE:
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FINAL SOLUTIONS
AFTER FINALIZING THE INTERFACE SCREENS, I BEGAN PROTOTYPING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION TO CREATE ONE OVERALL, COHESIVE EXPERIENCE THAT ENTIRELY COVERS WHAT NYU TRANSPO PROVIDES USERS. THE FINALIZED PROTOTYPE CONSISTS OF FOUR CORE SOLUTIONS, ALL RELATING TO EACH OTHER IN SOME WAY WITHIN THE APP’S FEATURES:
1. ACCESS TO PAST AND PRESENT SHARED ROUTES WITH FRIENDS
Through the account page, users can access their account settings and friends on the application. When viewing the list of connected friends, users can click on one to view the list of shared routes for both safe rides and shuttles between each other. Clicking on a live or past shared course will display it, and users can add it to their favorites.
Through the account page, users can access their account settings and friends on the application. When viewing the list of connected friends, users can click on one to view the list of shared routes for both safe rides and shuttles between each other. Clicking on a live or past shared course will display it, and users can add it to their favorites.
2. FAVORITES PAGE FEATURING BOTH SAVED LOCATIONS AND ROUTES
The favorites page features previously saved safe ride routes, which users can easily access to travel somewhere. Users can also add a new address for multiple locations. In addition, users can create a custom favorite location through the top right add icon. By clicking it, they can find a campus address on the map and name it themself.
The favorites page features previously saved safe ride routes, which users can easily access to travel somewhere. Users can also add a new address for multiple locations. In addition, users can create a custom favorite location through the top right add icon. By clicking it, they can find a campus address on the map and name it themself.
3. LEGIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE MAP PROVIDING ACCESS TO NYU SHUTTLES
The map page of NYU Transpo provides users with a comprehensive overview of the entire NYU campus. To access shuttle travel, users can search for a location, click one of the building icons, or select from a list of addresses. Users will see the route to a shuttle stop and its path from stop A to B. Estimated departure and arrival time is also displayed.
4. ABILITY TO INPUT AND VIEW FEEDBACK FOR SAFE RIDE DRIVERS
The safe ride booking feature is accessible on the map page of the mobile application. When booking a safe ride, users will be able to add additional passengers, choose a nearby driver, and read student feedback about any driver. When the ride ends, users will see a pop-up asking if they want to enter feedback for their driver.
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WORKING PROTOTYPE
TOUCH ANYWHERE ON THE SCREEN TO SEE HINTS THAT DIRECT YOU TO WHERE TO CLICK TO PROCEED WITH THE FIGMA APP FEATURES. USE ON DESKTOP FOR OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE.
The prototype covers the onboarding process of the mobile application and all four pages of NYU Transpo: the profile, favorites, shuttle and safe ride map, and history page. Scroll through the map pages horizontally and vertically to see the highlighted NYU campus.
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DESIGN-SYSTEM
THE DESIGN SYSTEM FOR NYU TRANSPO FEATURES OVERALL BRANDING AS WELL AS COMPONENTS:
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CLOSING
WORKING ON NYU TRANSPO HELPED FURTHER SHAPE MY SKILLS AND IDEAS FOR UI/UX DESIGN AND GAVE ME A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRODUCT DESIGN RESEARCH PROCESS.
Some aspects of the project that I could've done differently include how I conducted preliminary research and user testing. Although many of my user research and testing responses were from people I wasn't too familiar with, I also relied a lot on close friends; this could account for potential bias in the ratings and data I collected for NYU Transpo. Reducing bias as much as possible for future projects is something I plan on improving on going forward.
I worked on essential changes for the NYU Transportation system, which could help advance it, making this one of the most insightful projects I have worked on. I applied newly acquired knowledge from my professor and outside research to improve the latter part of my design process. Working at NYU Transpo provided me with progression in my design, research, and prototyping skills, which I hope to apply to other projects and opportunities as I progress in UI/UX design. Some future steps to expand on this project are to showcase my designs and documentation to NYU so they can potentially better their current transportation system experience.