Transforming the Public Transit Experience
Redesigning Boston's Commuter Rail ticketing app
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation (MBTA) Commuter Rail is a public rail system that covers the Greater Boston area in the United States. The official MBTA ticketing app, mTicket, allows customers to purchase train tickets using their smartphones anywhere (with Wi-Fi) and any time before conductors check passengers for tickets. This app is a game-changer for those who commute a lot or hate having to get to the station earlier to queue up for tickets. Travellers can easily access their purchased tickets in one place and transfer their tickets from one phone to another.
What is the problem?
The app is not user-friendly in many ways. It is not comprehensive enough as to include all the information and functions that users might want and need for their trip.
There are several issues with accessing and viewing the train schedules:
1. Users can't view the schedules when purchasing tickets on the app
2. The "Schedules" page is hard to find. It is located under the "Utilities" page.
3. The schedules page is confusing. It is difficult for users to see the schedule for their specific trip, and there is no information on how long the trip will be.
The app was perhaps designed this way because regular commuters could know the timetable very well; therefore, to have the schedule on the main page would be unnecessary. However, in my opinion, an app like this should cater to all types of users, regular and first-time users. Users are also given zero information on their ride with this app. General information of the trip, such as the next stop, the estimate time of arrival, and the number of stops before reaching the destination, should be included so that users can keep track of their trip.
What do users want/think?
I compiled user feedback on the mTicket app through Google reviews and iTunes app store reviews. Many users had problems with the UI of the app, citing the poor usability of the app. One user explained that he doesn’t see a way that he could manage his “most common trips” and choose the routes he wants displayed on the homepage. Another user explained that it would be helpful if there was a way to view “Alerts” on one of them main pages since trains are delayed all the time. The “Alerts” page is tucked away in the “Utilities” page, which users access through the list icon on the top right corner of the app. Many users suggested that the app would be better if the MBTA Commuter Rail App (http://www.keoliscs.com/mbta-commuter-rail-app/) was incorporated into the mTicket app.
Redesign
I included a tab navigation bar at the bottom of the app so that users can visit any of the main pages without having to return to the homepage and easily locate the important information and functions. There is now a main page just for general trip information, which users can access through the bottom navigation bar under "My Trip".
Schedules are now included into the ticket purchasing process. Users view the schedules for their trip before deciding whether they want to purchase tickets.
The "My Trip" page is synced with the user's Ticket Wallet, and when the user has a trip coming up or is en route, the information is displayed on this page. When user's don't have any tickets in their Ticket Wallet, the page will redirect users to the "Tickets" tab.
On the top right corner of every page of the app, there is a "more" icon that leads users to less important elements: the account page, the payment page, the alarms page (adopted from the MBTA Commuter Rail App - it allows users to set alarms for their trips), the commuter rail map, social media, and help.
Link to mockup: https://pr.to/7QUUH1/
What can we learn from this?
Smartphone apps revolutionize the way we do everything. They change the way communicate, the way we shop, among other things. Specifically, they change the way we navigate and commute. Developers should constantly be analyzing user feedback and updating the interface to ensure quality user experience. Redesigning commuting apps using a user-centered approach could make travelling more comfortable and convenient.
