Objectives
Research and gather information for the FDOT to write an
ITN (Intent To Negotiate) document to procure a vendor to build the transit kiosks software and enhance the UCF mobile application.
My Part
UX Research and Wireframes
Team
UI/UX Designer & Researcher (me) & Product Owner
Timeline
3 weeks to create wireframes and gather research for the client
What Is The Problem We Are Trying To Solve?
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5 needs to procure a vendor to build PedSafe/Greenway Software Development Package which contains two parts:
- Transit kiosk software
- University of Central Florida (UCF) mobile application enhancement
But no one knows what these two parts should contain. So, it was my job to do the research and get the information needed to write the document.
Key Goals That Need To Be Achieved
To complete the research to have a kiosk and mobile app that students could use to select different types of campus transportation.
My Role & Responsibility
To research how students on campus travel and make recommendations on how the kiosk and mobile app enhancements should work.
Week One
Kiosk Overview
Custom-built software to be deployed on transit kiosks will allow users to input origin and destination information to determine the various multi-modal travel options, as well as compare estimated travel time, wait time, cost, and location of each alternative.
Time to talk with some Students
I knew for a fact that these kiosks where going to be placed around the UCF campus and that the main user of these kiosks where going to be college students who needed to travel. So, to build empathy with them I went on campus and interviewed 8 students.
Some of the questions I asked where:
- What information would you like to see displayed in a transit kiosk?
- How often do you take the campus bus or city bus to/from campus?
- Would you like to see other transportation options? What would those be?
- How long would you be willing to walk to the pickup location?
- Please rank the following in importance to you:
- Estimated arrival time
- Pickup Time
- Cost
63%
would use a kiosk for transportation options
25%
only would take
the bus
(campus or city)
12%
would not use it. They would walk
Discovering who our user is
I created a persona of a potential user of kiosk and mobile app based on the interview results and my general understanding of college student movements.
Age: 19
Location: Orlando
Occupation: Undergraduate
Residents: Lives off campus
Jessica is a second-year student majoring in computer science. She used to live on campus but decided to move off with a roommate to save on room and board fees. As any other college student, she participates in many student activities. To get to those activities she either walks or talks the campus bus to them. She often finds herself missing the bus or asking her roommate to drive her to campus.
Needs and Goals- Would like a way to know what times the bus will arrive
- Would like to have other transportation options
- It would be nice to see the where the actual mode of transportation is on a map
- She misses the bus to/from campus
- Does not know where all the bus stops are
- Hates taking the bus
Understand Kiosks
I researched the types of kiosks that Jessica and other students might use. The FDOT was not sure at this time if they wanted a standalone or a wall mounted unit so I investigate both types. Below are some pros and cons to both that I found in my research.
Tower Kiosks
- They’re completely moveable, so installation won’t take as long or be as expensive.
- You can even make them double-sided, allowing two customers to use the same machine at once.
- They can feel a little too large if all you actually need them for is the screen itself.
Wall-Mounted Kiosks
- They looks a little neater.
- They will sit right flush up against your walls without any base being necessary to support them.
- Instead of just having the kiosks set up and plugged in, holes will need to be cut into your walls and electrical wiring may have to be moved.
Week Two
What could a user's Journey look like?
Now that we have been introduced to Jessica, let’s see how she could use the kiosk to select a travel option. I created the wireframe/journey flow for using the kiosk.
We know Jessica could find a kiosk to look for a mode of transportation but what if she could use her phone?
Week Three
Creating the Mobile App
The second requirement was to enhance the UCF mobile app with a feature similar to the transit kiosks but also show the capacity of surrounding surface parking lots using Wayfinding communication.
Jessica's journey through the mobile app
We know Jessica carries her phone on her all the time and uses the UCF app regularly. I wanted to create a user flow that flowed the same navagation as the kiosk workflow.
Time for Wireframes
Once I figured out how Jessica was going to navigate through the app, I began to develop the wireframes.
Conclusions
With these two options Jessica has a way to find a mode of transportation without constantly asking her roommate for a ride.
In my finding I discovered that students would benefit from having transportation kiosk around campus and be able to use the UCF mobile app to choose their transportation needs. The data I collected and wireframes I created will be put into the ITN document by the FDOT. They hope to secure a vendor before the beginning of the next school year.
What is Next?
Once the document is writen, a vedor selected and the kiosk and app built there is a huge protentional for expansion of the application and to move to other campuses around the state. This would require more research and development.