TCAT App

Research

We began our research by dividing it into two phases. In the first phase, we conducted 6 interviews and 4 contextual inquiries with our user group at different TCAT bus stations. This allowed us to gain a better understanding of the context of the problem and the needs of our user groups. Each interview lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes, and we found that conducting the interviews at the bus stations helped the users identify the issues they faced when using TCAT.

In the second phase, we focused on secondary research within the solution space. We summarized and synthesized the data gathered from the previous stage, explored and analyzed existing products and their workflows, and created an affinity diagram, personas, empathy maps, and journey maps. These analyses helped us identify the issues faced by our stakeholder, new Cornellians, when using TCAT bus services.

Survey

During this stage, my aim was to understand the experiences of new Cornellians, specifically freshmen and first-year graduate students who have recently used the TCAT service. I developed a brief 15-minute survey using Qualtrics, and received responses from 26 participants.

Interview

We conducted 10 interviews and 4 contextual inquiries with our user group at different TCAT bus stations. This allowed us to gain a better understanding of the context of the problem and the needs of our user groups. Each interview lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes, and we found that conducting the interviews at the bus stations helped the users identify the issues they faced when using TCAT.

Pre-interview

Analyzing Current Solutions

We looked into the existing solutions in the range of problem space and analyzed how current bus-taking guides and solutions help the newcomers find their way in the city.

Interview settings

Finding Interviewees

We found 10 new Cornellians, including 6 freshmen and first-year graduate students, all of whom consented to record the interview section under the IRB protocol.

Conduct interviews

Immersive Interviews right next to bus station

To truly understand the new Cornellian's experience of using the TCAT survice, we set the interview location just outside the bus station and ride along with them.

Analysis

After conducting the interviews and contextual inquiries, we summarized the data into an affinity diagram in order to help us better understand the problem and start brainstroming the rough, initial design ideas.

Insight

Following with the data analysis, we generalized and concluded several groups of insights that shared similarities. We summarized three major groups that shared their frustrations on their TCAT experiences.

Group 1: First-Time Nuances

Discouraging first impressions. 85% of new Cornellians experienced some challenges when using TCAT for the first time in Cornell. These challenges discouraged them from using TCAT, despite the availability of free bus passes.

Confusing Schedule. 85% of new Cornellians experienced some challenges when using TCAT for the first time in Cornell. These challenges discouraged them from using TCAT, despite the availability of free bus passes.

Limited navigation on the bus. They also face challenges in getting off at their destinations since there is no notification system on the bus to assist them in finding the yellow wire to notify the driver.

Group 2: Concerns from TCAT Bus Service itself

Unclear Info Panels. Signs and information panels at bus stops and on buses are hard to spot and lack uniformity, causing riders to feel puzzled and struggle to figure out which bus they should board.

Communication Issues. Communication issues between TCAT riders and bus drivers hinder passengers from requesting stops, leading to missed destinations.

Late-night safety concerns. Safety concerns arise among TCAT riders when traveling on buses late at night due to a lack of emergency devices, such as blue light boxes, outside campus and on the bus.

Group 3: Unreliable 3rd party navigation apps for TCAT

Limited ways to acquire bus info. Bus riders often have to switch between multiple apps to track the schedule, location, and estimated arrival times. This can create complicated, tiring, and frustrating bus-riding experiences.

Unreliable real-time bus location. The bus arrival estimates provided by Google Maps are frequently inaccurate and do not match the official TCAT schedules.

Lack of alternate options and poor signal. Other apps, such as Ithaca Transit and MyStop, are even less useful for trip planning, navigation, and finding bus routes. To make matters worse, the hilly terrain in Tompkins County can sometimes cause cellular connections to be unstable.

Task Analysis

We also created task analysis maps to further understand the challenges that freshmen and first-year graduate students faced when attempting to utilize the TCAT services in their daily commute.

Task Analysis of Josh's Mindset

We have streamlined and simplified Josh's task analysis when he is performing a series of tasks, from getting up and waiting for the bus, to catching the bus and getting off at his destination. This analysis helps us understand what could happen at each stage of the task and how we can better address any issues in our designs.

Journey Map

After the comprehensive task analysis, we conducted the journey map of Josh's bus trip to further understand and visualize how Josh would process different steps to achieve his goals.

Josh's Task Analysis

Persona & Empathy Map

To gain a deep understanding of the user's issues, experiences, and challenges, we created personas and empathy maps. They helped us summarize the characteristics, needs, and frustrations that users encounter when using TCAT services. We then utilized these insights to develop a product that is truly user-centered.

What's next?

Based on the affinity map, we generated the following insights by grouping similar notes under similar headings. While doing the primary research, we also explored the existing products and analyzed their pros and cons. We hope solution space will give us some directions to improve the entire user experience.

Design

From our prelimary research findings, we first came up with four various design ideas that aimed at the problem space, from each individual team members. These ranged from smart on-bus physical devices to non-tech solutions like the redesign of the bus signs, all aimed to improve the experience of TCAT users.

Based on what we got from the preliminary research and user interviews, we were motivated to move onto the next phase and start prototyping. As shown below in a typical user journey, our designs were grounded in the entire flow of how a campus tour is generated, how campus exploration helps users increase their familiarity with campus and moreover, and how users get timely assistance whenever they get lost on campus.

Design Ideas

Mobile Application

The first method we've looked into is using a conventional mobile application to assist new Cornellians in navigating Tompkins County by utilizing TCAT bus services.

Pros
Accessible to users
Highly customizable features
Addressing the issue directly
Doesn’t need other devices‍‍

Cons
‍Poor performance in mountains
Dependent on the mobile devices
Potential learning curve for seniors‍

Station Display + Ticket

We also brainstormed about some solutions that could be easily transferred to low-tech equivalents, including various versions of actual TCAT bus station designs with the potential for mobile tickets.

Pros
Easy to spot in various locations
High visibility to passengers
Low cognitive cost for most users‍‍

Cons
Requires physical space
Low feasibility for student group
Relatively expensive in every aspect
Low applicability in rural areas‍

TCAT Chatbot

Furthermore, we also explored the option of using a chatbot to familiarize new users with the TCAT transit system. Chatbots are commonly used on retailer and other Q&A websites, and the development of GPT-based platforms has significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of answers provided by AI assistants.

Pros
Accessible to various users
High visibility to passengers
Low cognitive cost for most users‍‍

Cons
‍Less responsive and flexible
More time for experienced users
Difficult to track the chat history
Hurdles in training language models
Inefficient info display‍

First Mid-Fi Version

We conducted expert evaluation and peer review sessions to evaluate our three designs. A set of standard questions were asked to evaluate interest in the designs. We ended up choosing the design with the highest scores – an mobile application with possible extensions to smartwatch devices.

During the first iteration, our goal was to create a design that addressed three key insights we discovered were most important to our target users: first-time nuances affecting bus users, concerns related to TCAT services, and the lack of reliable third-party apps for TCAT.

After that, we conducted a critique of the app within our team, involving peer designers, as well as 6 Cornell freshmen and 3 first-year graduate students, in order to identify potential usability issues.

Iteration

After completing the first version of the mid-fi prototype, we conducted an unmoderated usability test with 6 Cornell freshmen and 3 first-year graduate students to identify usability issues. Although the test process went smoothly, we discovered several issues and iterated on the design to improve the user experience.

Home Page

Home Page Iteration

To improve user experience, we removed the top tabs from our homepage and focused on the user-friendly bottom navigation. The map view was prioritized for planning and locating users.

Notification Page Iteration

In the first iteration, we simplified the app to enhance the bus riders' experience. We consolidated and organized crucial features to improve design efficiency. The top section now presents information with minimal user interaction, and we redesigned key features to reduce cognitive effort for users.

New Bus Info Page

To prevent users from missing the bus, we enhanced our app by improving notifications, settings, and real-time location. However, during usability tests, we found that showing multiple functions on one page confused users. To address this, we moved notification options to a separate pop-up window. This lets users focus on bus arrival alerts and avoid distractions from other features.

Second-round Iteration

We have made additional improvements to our design to address several usability issues that were identified previously. Additionally, we have implemented several incremental design changes aimed at improving the quality of life for users. These changes are intended to benefit not only new Cornellians, but also local Ithacaians, by enhancing their experience when utilizing TCAT services.

Home Page

Initially, our homepage had a top tab for planned trips and a bottom navigation bar. However, after adding more features to the top tab, users were confused by having two tabs on one page. As a result, users preferred a simple map view to locate the bus. We discovered that the map view was better for planning and locating users, so we removed the top tabs to create a less cluttered screen with a focus on bottom navigation, which was more user-friendly.

Navigation & Bus Info

We improved the bus riders' experience by simplifying the app's functionality in the first iteration. We combined essential features and made them modular to simplify the design. The top section displays information with minimal user interaction, and we redesigned key features to minimize cognitive effort for users.

Notification

Users often forget to track the bus and miss it due to distractions. We improved our app by emphasizing notifications, settings, and real-time location to keep users informed. However, we found that displaying different functional layers on the same page created confusion during usability tests. To solve this issue, we moved notification options to a separate pop-up window, allowing users to focus on bus arrival notifications and avoid distractions from other functionalities.

Final Design

After several rounds of design iteration, we polished our wireframes and delivered the final design. This aims to create a cohesive and smooth experience not only for new Cornell students, but also for the residents of Ithaca/Tompkins. The goal is to help them better utilize the local TCAT bus services.

Navigation & Route Planning

Plan your trip conveniently.

The TCAT App now has a better interface to help you plan your route in Tompkins County. It provides best bus routes, plans trips, saves frequent locations, and gives time and mileage estimates.

On-Bus Information

Manage your trip on your hand.

The TCAT app helps you track your location and the distance to your destination in a direct and simple interface.

Settings

Relief your boredom.

We have redesigned the settings pages to simplify navigation with fewer clicks. Now you can create and save your frequently visited locations.

Safety

If you see something, report immediately.

Newly designed safety features allow you to report incidents to local law enforcement agencies immediately. If you feel unsafe, you can now contact 911 directly through the app.

Learn More about the Prototype

Evaluation

To evaluate our application, we conducted a facilited usability test with 10 Cornell freshmens and first-year graduate students separately, following up with an qualitative survey on Qualtrics to ask their feedbacks and thoughts when performing the tasks.

Here's an overview of how the test goes:

Explain the background and concept of the app to the users
Ask them to perform tasks in the process of taking TCAT bus
Create affinity diagram on the pros and cons from the feedback
Analyze the findings from collected data
Review and re-iterate the design based on the data analysis results

Participants gave positive feedback on the prototype. They completed tasks easily and we collected valuable data about users' thoughts. In the next stage of design, I will test another prototype with NFC features to explore its potential.

Appendix & Reflections

My first project at Cornell was a great experience. I learned from my team and TCAT employees, and collaboration was key to our success. We gained unique insights from industry professionals, which helped us choose a feasible solution with convenient features.

To cater to a wider audience, we embraced diversity. As part of our iteration and testing, we proposed and tested various designs, not just for new Cornell students. Our app aims to enhance the bus-riding experience for all TCAT passengers, not just new Cornellians.

Feasibility was crucial. Some students suggested a static map as a low-cost solution, but our research proved otherwise. After consulting with Cornellians and TCAT employees, we found a better solution.

In the next stage, we plan to conduct formal with TCAT drivers, or Department of Transportation representatives with usability studies with managers, bus drivers, and passengers. This would help us identify their needs and improve the TCAT experience for Cornell students.

TCAT Bus Tracking

Research

Surveys

User Interviews

Persona

User Journey

Design

User Flows

Wireframes

Evaluate

User Testing

Data Analysis

Analysis

Josh's Task Analysis

Design Ideas