Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 8.09.29 pm.png — Melbourne Metro Project

Melbourne Metro is the operator of the suburban railway network in Melbourne, Australia.

Project brief

Client: Melbourne Metro

Project type: App design

Team members: Solo project

Duration: 5 days

Overview

I was allocated to work on the Melbourne Metro project.

My task was to find a problem with the Melbourne Metro system and propose a solution.

Challenge

My challenge was to create a wireframe armed with just 1 week of UX knowledge.

The process

I applied a simple Design Thinking process to approach this project. A high-level breakdown of what I did in each phase is described below:

Worked alone to conduct a contextual enquiry to observe users in their natural environment, and user interview to gauge user experience with the Melbourne Metro system.
KEY FINDINGS - CONTEXTUAL ENQUIRY
- The layout of the Southern Cross train station is confusing.
- The entrances/access to platforms is hard to find.
- The timetables for platforms is hard to find.
- The readability of information on the screen is poor (text too small, directions too small).
- Myki cards are easy to lose or get damaged.
- There are not enough Myki machines and they take too long to update.
More…
2 days, 3 methods
I spent about 2 days gathering data for the analysis. I used the following research methods to gather data:
- Contextual enquiry
- User interview
- Affinity mapping
Worked as a group to consolidate the findings. A clear pattern emerged, despite the data being sourced from different people. This eventually led to identifying the problem area. Taking the findings from the synthesis, I then defined the problem statement, hypothesis, and solution statement on my own.
Worked alone to design the persona, storyboard, and journey.
Worked alone to designed the wireframes with pen & paper, and prototypes with Powerpoint.
Tested three different prototypes, which enabled me to see flaws in my original design and revise them based on user feedback.

Research

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 5.16.24 pm.png

Key findings - Contextual Enquiry

The layout of the Southern Cross train station is confusing.
The entrances/access to platforms is hard to find.
The timetables for platforms is hard to find.
The readability of information on the screen is poor (text too small, directions too small).
Myki cards are easy to lose or get damaged.
There are not enough Myki machines and they take too long to update.

2 days, 3 methods

I spent about 2 days gathering data for the analysis.

I used the following research methods to gather data:

Contextual enquiry
User interview
Affinity mapping

Key findings - User interview

What information are you looking for?
What would make it easier for you to find this information?
What would happen if you don’t find this information?
How do you normally get home?
What is the reason for your journey today?
What do you find frustrating about travelling?

Affinity mapping

A clear pattern of issues became evident during the affinity mapping exercise.

I selected Where is it as the main problem users were experiencing as it was evident in the user research that many people had issues seeking information at the train station.

Problem statement

“Joe needs a way to easily find the right train information because he needs to get home.”

— Melbourne Metro problem statement

Solution statement

“Create an app that provides platform & timetable information.”

— Melbourne Metro solution statement

HMW's

“HMW....Make the signs in the station clearer?

HMW.....Customize and deliver the right information instead of letting the commuters search for it?

HMW.....Direct commuters to their correct train on time without them asking the staff or customer service rep?”

— Melbourne Metro HMW statements

Ideate

Storyboard

In order to convey the user journey and and emotional connection, I developed a storyboard to show how the app improves commuters' travel.

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 8.09.49 pm.png

Joe is going home from work. He’s tired and looking forward to a stress-free commute back home.
Joe arrives at the station and looks at the timetable. It’s not easy for him to find the information because the text is too small.
Joe take out his phone and checks his app that shows the information (platform, line, time, GPS map of the station).
Joe walks to the platform and boards his train when it arrives.

User Flow

I iterated the user flow a few times to achieve a more simple and linear process.

Original user flow

The first version was too complex.

Improved user flow

The second user flow is more linear.

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 8.18.12 pm.png

Prototyping & Testing

Wireframing

Once I created the user flow, I began to draw the wireframes for the app.

I tested the first paper prototype version with classmates and then reiterated my design based on their feedback.

I created a second paper prototype and re-tested on different classmates and received different feedback, which I later incorporated into my final version.