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An app that combines all types of public transportation

Ride Ljubljana

In 2020, the biggest Slovenian oil distributor started a "get green campaign" by starting a competition for a mobile app that would combine different types of public transportation and get people out of the cars. This is the story of how I was developing the same idea already in 2018 and ended up learning a lot about visual and user experience as well as service design.
My role

Solving the commute in the capital

What started as a self initiated project in 2018, led up to be a full blown mobile application, participating in a competition that would solve the problems of public transportation in Ljubljana. I worked as the sole UX researcher & UX designer.
The problem

It’s difficult to figure out the public transportation in Ljubljana

There are many ways to get around Ljubljana. You could use the train, bus, rent a bicycle or walk, but when it comes to combining them together, users lack information. I gathered and analysed all the  websites, mobile and web apps.
Reviews of current apps

Current apps were getting bad reviews

Websites and mobile apps with information about public transportation were getting bad reviews. They were either done in a hurry or couldn't successfuly solve city's insufficient Urbana Card payment system.
The Goal

Combine all means of public transportation in one application

There are many ways to get around Ljubljana. You can use the train, bus, taxi, rent a bicycle or walk, but none of the existing websites or mobile apps give you the exitisting information.
User research

I wanted to get as much information as possible

The problem I was trying to solve was difficult, so I needed a lot of information from very different types of users and equip myself with knowledge before moving to design phase.
Stephen Anderson's UX Hierarchy of Needs gave me a road map in the process.
User questionnare

I created a Google form questionnare and shared it online

I asked my Facebook friends to fill out the questionnare. These were the facts that surprised me: Close to 25% of people actually used their car as the main way to commute the city. Less than one third of users used the bus once or less per week. 
Users searched for information in more than 10 different places - LPP website, Google search, Mobile applications etc.
Short-form interviews

I gathered first experiences with public transportation from 6 foreign students

I conducted short-form interview with Erasmus students in Ljubljana, so I could get a better understanding of how easy it is to use the public transportation in Ljubljana and figure our the payment system. Half of the participants don’t use public transportation at all and use their own bicycle to get around the city. Others mostly use Bicikelj (bicyle sharing platform) and the city bus. The majority seeks for information directly through their friends first, before doing their own research.
"I use the bus or I walk. Sometimes I google information, but mostly I just ask my friends, because it's easier. I find it difficult because the bus station names are all in slovene. I borrowed the (urbana) bus card from my friend."

Monique, France

"I only use the bus. I search for information online or at my friend from Bosnia. She likes the fact you can transfer for free, using (Urbana) bus card and the fact you can top it up using the credit card. I mostly walk because I want to stay fit."

Gregor, Germany

"I got the information on the (Urbana) bus card from the faculty. I use Bicikelj, bike sharing scheme every day. I mostly like it, but I dislike when there are no bikes available or the stations are full when you want to lock the bicycle. I used the bus only once, I gor information from my friends."

Lucia, Spain

""I only use my own bicycle. I was told about (Urbana) bus card by my friend, but I don't use it. I arrived to Slovenia by car."

Nils, Sweden

"I came to the student dorm in Slovenia by car, my brother drove me. I have the yellow (Urbana) bus card, I received all the information about the card and the public transportation at the faculty."

Suzana, Slovakia

"I received the information on the bus from my tutor, before I arrived to Slovenia. I find it easy to find my way around Ljubljana. I have the yellow (Urbana) bus card, but I mostly walk or use the Bicikelj, bicycle sharing scheme."

Natalia, Poland

Long-form interviews

I conducted 2 long-form interviews 

To get a deeper understanding of users, I conducted 2 interviews - one with a local employed woman in her 30s, who rarely use public transportation as she finds it time consuming and one with an Erasmus student in her 20s who struggles to get information on trains, buses and bike-sharing system.
Pain points

A few key points have been emphasized

To get a deeper understanding of users, I conducted 2 interviews - one with a local employed woman in her 30s, who rarely use public transportation as she finds it time consuming and one with an Erasmus student in her 20s who struggles to get information on trains, buses and bike-sharing system.

BICYCLE SHARING SCHEME

- no reservation option
- no bicycles at frequent locations
- no free space to park the bike

TAXI

- expensive
- not useful on short distances

BUS

- new time users found it difficult to figure out the bus payment system,

TRAIN

- no option to buy tickets online
- no way to combine urbana card with buses
Affinity diagram

I gathered insights from interviews and grouped them into themes

I gahered insights and grouped them to pain points, what is important to them, what repeats and ideation.
Personas

I created 3 personas the represent their user groups

The first persona is a daily user, a Tech Savvy student who has a firm grip on all information spread over websites and apps, the second persona is an occasional user, who find the planning confusing and the third user is a tourist, who does preparation.
User stories

These are main takeaways from personas

The first persona is a daily user, a Tech Savvy student who has a firm grip on all information spread over websites and apps, the second persona is an occasional user, who find the planning confusing and the third user is a tourist, who does preparation.

Rok

Daily user
As a student, he wants to get information on the exact position of the bus, because he wants to sleep longer.

Ana

Occasional user
As an employee, she wants to arrive as quickly and cheaplly from A to B, because she doesnt want to lose time, but she can’t find proper information.

Maria

Tourist
As a tourist, she wants exact information about all forms of public transformation, because she wants to discover Slovenia in an authentic way, but the information are too spread out.
How might we

I moved from pain points to potential solutions

The first persona is a daily user, a Tech Savvy student who has a firm grip on all information spread over websites and apps, the second persona is an occasional user, who find the planning confusing and the third user is a tourist, who does preparation.
Daily users don’t get exact information on the bus location.
How to ensure exact information?
 
How to shorten the time of commute?
 
How to decrease the crowds on buses/trains?

How to ensure the credibility of information?

Occasional users are lost in the flood of information.

How to simplify the search for information?

How to unite the payment system?

How to remind the user to exit the bus at the correct bus station? 
How to get information on payment options?
Tourists don’t know where to search for information, what options of public transportation are available.
How to unsure information on all types of transportation?

How to ensure information on payment options?

How to simplify search, focused on sights, not on addresses. 
How to give information on Urbana Card?
Paper wireframes

Starting the design process

What started out broad in rough early sketches, initially found its way in the sketches presented here.
Digital wireframes

I moved to digital design

What started out broad in rough early sketches, initially found its way in the sketches presented here.
Design elements

I used brand colors and typography

I matched the app to the brand color and gave it a sleek dark theme.
Primary colors
background colors
Typography
Final mockups

Here are the final mockups

I matched the app to the brand color and gave it a sleek dark theme.
Notifications and tooltips
Home and menu
Search and directions
Notifications and prototype
Takeaways

The impact of the process

I am very passionate about the problem of transportation and I took every chance to get opinions of friends, family and random people about their experience of commute in the city center. With their insights, I ditched many sketches and wireframes and repeated the iteration process. I stayed in the research phase quite a while (for a couple of years!) and with a lot of sweat and hard work, I finally pushed the findings into a full blown high-fidelity prototpe. During online surveys, I was even contacted by a representative of the City of Ljubljana to share my insights, so it goes to show, how important the work of a UX/service designer really is.
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