Human Centered Design DeCal
Behance Portfolio
How might we improve the public transportation experience?
Tina Nguyen
Problem
- Needs being met through public transportation:
- Don’t have a car, but need to go places
- Faster way of getting to class, especially if they are late
- Not getting to class out of breath / sweaty (saving energy)
- Cheaper way to get around
Problems with public transportation
- Bus schedule and ETA (bus does not come on time + come infrequently)
- Safety (people do not feel safe around BART)
- The navigation is not intuitive
- The spaces are not as clean; wish for more maintenance
Insights from Preliminary User Research
1. Most users use apps (Google Maps; NextBus) to navigate instead of the schedules posted online & at bus/BART stations
2. The arrival of the bus is usually later than what users expect, which makes them feel irritated
3. Users choose to take the bus to save some of their energy and time
4. Some users described concerns about safety and cleanliness on bus/BART
5. It was difficult for users to keep track of bus stops once they got on the bus (also which stations to get off at BART)
6. Taking BART was difficult for users when delays occur
7. Not finding seats and overcrowding of the bus during busier hours made users feel frustrated
8. Users began to feel anxious if the bus did not come to their stop at the predicted time on their app(s)
9. Real-time tracking of the buses were very important to the users
10. Users would like the buses to be more recurrent during rush hour times/want less time in between buses arriving at stops
“When sitting on the bus, I usually feel bad for being impatient when those
with wheelchairs take a while to get on the bus and be strapped in” - UC
Berkeley student, 4th year - female
- “I took the bus to commute to work over summer and often times, the bus was
delayed because of the time it takes for someone in a wheelchair to get on and
off the bus” - UC Berkeley student, 3rd year - male
Divergent Thinking
1. Reallocate road space. One of the main reasons why bus times get delayed is due to the flow of traffic. Having a separate bus line, similar to the one on Bancroft, buses can avoid efforts of merging back onto traffic and avoid the flow of traffic.
2. Wheelchair accessibility. Another reason why buses are delayed is due to the amount of time it takes for wheelchair occupants to get on the bus. Since the doorway is narrow, it’s difficult for the wheelchair to easily move through the bus.
3. Handicap seat lock-ins. Drivers have to physically get up to lock in riders who need assistance. This also delays the bus from being on schedule.
4. Better tracking system. The bus tracker on certain apps are not as accurate as they should be. As a result, the time estimates are also thrown off.
5. Better bus stop indication. It’s difficult to navigate the bus stops when it is your first time. Confusion of where certain stops are and which direction of town it is heading towards if you don’t know your directions.
6. Safety. Have better surveillance at bus stops and on the bus. This will discourage people to do anything suspicious around these areas.
7. Consistent bus announcements. Bus does not always announce their stops before approaching. This causes people to miss their stop if they are not paying close attention to which street they are on.
8. Improved stops and stations. Including shelter (enclosed waiting areas) during days where cold in the winter, hot in the summer, or raining.
9. Two levels on bus. This will create more space for riders when there are a lot of passengers on board.
10. More buses – rush hour. Instead of having same number of buses at every hour of the day, push for more bus drivers during rush hour times to decrease the gap of arrivals.
Convergent Thinking
Out of the ten ideas above, I decided to focus on accessibility. This choice seemed the most feasible given the limitations of time.
Wheelchair accessibility. Another reason why buses are delayed is due to the amount of time it takes for wheelchair occupants to get on the bus. Since the doorway is narrow, it’s difficult for the wheelchair to easily move through the bus.
Low-fidelity prototyping
Wheelchair accessibility. I decided to move forward with this idea because it can be a useful solution for those who need wheelchair access. Often times, there would be a few minutes delayed for passengers who need the wheelchair area and take a while to go through the narrow doors and continuously go forward and backward multiple times to adjust themselves through the walkway.
Mid-Fidelity prototyping
My vision is to cut the top off of the “swinging” door and make it slide open from the middle instead. This will prevent any person from getting hit in the face. Also, I want to include a ramp that pushes out in order for the wheelchair to be rolled onto the bus. Since bus times usually become delayed due to the bus driver spending time locking the wheelchair in place, I want to create markings on floor that indicate where the wheelchair should be approximately aligned and the person can secure themselves into place.
Insights from Usability Testing
1. Time saved due to less interaction with driver
2. More accessibility -- also decreases time for wheelchair to pass through platform
3. Include another door for regular passengers
Final product prototype
