Mobile App Design
This project involved developing an application that benefit's someone's daily routine in a positive way and which fills a specific need or niche not presently covered by another app. As such, I chose to look at the pain point that is the busing system in the United States. How can we make the experience of getting to school easy and enjoyable for those that don’t have a car?
Year 2: Interaction 1
User-Experience | Gamification | Convenience | Safety Concerns
Problem
If a school doesn’t have busing for any reason (typically from a loss of funding), young students and their families are left to fend for themselves when it comes to finding a ride to class, sports, and before or after school clubs, making the school experience more stressful than it should be.
Pre-Research Exercise
In order to frame my research, I wrote down assumptions that others may have about busing in America, followed by their counter-arguments. This allowed me to figure out what people already think they know about busing in America.
Key Insights
Driver Shortages: Due to health risks, early retirement, or better-paying jobs many school bus drivers have quit.
Parental Stress: Parents reported that transportation needs were the most stressful parts of their year.
Impact on Low-Income Families: For low-income students attending schools outside their neighborhoods, lack of transportation makes it that much harder to get to school.
Attendance: Long commutes to school result in poor attendance and chronic absenteeism overall.
Online Survey
School didn’t have busing.
Carpooled or walked
Ohio Law: School districts must provide transportation for K-8 students living 2+ miles from school.
Sleep Deprivation: If a student has a commute to school that is 15 minutes longer than another student, they are sleeping 20 minutes less on average.
10 minute drive to school.
*Commonly used words by users to describe their experiences
Benchmarking
Asked for a ride.
Defining the App
Competitors
Unlike competitors like Lyft and Uber, this app focuses solely on high school students, providing a safe platform to find rides without relying on random adults. It offers peace of mind for busy parents, ensuring their child travels safely to school, extracurriculars, and more.
Our Users
Defining Our Users
Information Architecture
Primary Persona User Story
Secondary Persona User Story
Paper Prototypes
Testing revealed key issues with the paper prototypes: the map pin was too small, and users were confused that the previews below the map weren’t clickable. Additionally, the flow from login to home needed reorganization, limiting options based on login choices simplified navigation. These insights shaped my final designs.
Developing the App
Low Fidelity Digital Prototypes
Moodboard
Style Tile 1
Digital Wireframing
High Fidelity Digital Prototypes
I refined my high-fidelity screens by utilizing a softer blue gradient instead of a white background to create a more inviting design. This version introduced an activity picker and emoji customization to enhance engagement and gamify the experience for teens without babying them. I reached out to experienced coworkers for feedback which led to improvements in alignment, consistent button sizing, and more intentional use of space.
