Problem Statement

Commuters relying on Google Maps face challenges when trying to stay informed about real-time transit updates. Critical information is often buried within the app’s interface, requiring users to switch views or dig through menus—an inconvenience during stressful travel scenarios. This case study explores how dynamic interface enhancements can simplify a complex system, reduce user friction, and support confidence during commutes.

A. Methodology

To validate assumptions and identify key pain points, I conducted 3 semi-structured user interviews with regular transit users, each lasting between 30 minutes and 1 hour. The goal was to understand how commuters navigate public transit, especially in relation to mobile apps, and where their frustrations lie when dealing with real-time transit information.
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In addition to gathering qualitative insights from interviews, I synthesized these findings into actionable personas that represent key user archetypes. These personas reflect the goals, pain points, and behaviors of different types of transit users, providing a reference point to guide design decisions throughout the project.

B. User Interviews

To gather meaningful insights and identify user pain points, I followed a structured yet flexible approach to conducting user interviews. My primary objective was to create a comfortable environment where participants could freely express their thoughts, habits, and frustrations related to public transit. By beginning with warm-up questions to establish context and rapport, I gradually transitioned into exploring specific challenges and behaviors. This progression allowed me to uncover deeper insights and identify patterns in their decision-making processes, app usage, and expectations for real-time transit information.

Below is the interview script I used, along with my thought process behind each section. I’ve highlighted key insight-generating questions in bold.

• Warm-Up and Baseline Understanding

  I begin with broad, non-intrusive questions designed to establish context and build a natural rapport with participants. These questions explore the user’s daily routines, preferred methods of transportation, and general experiences navigating public transit. This phase not only fosters trust but also helps me gather foundational insights about their decision-making, comfort level with transit apps, and overall perceptions of public transportation.

  • What is your name?
  • What is your occupation?
  • Do you often go outside your neighborhood? Where? How Far?

  • How did you get here today?

    • Why did you choose that method of transportation

  • Did you use an app to navigate?

    • Why did you choose that app?
    • What do you like about it?

• Exploring Pain Points and Behavioral Patterns

  Once the participant is more at ease, I gradually steer the conversation toward exploring their frustrations and challenges with public transit. I ask them to recall specific instances when things didn’t go as expected and probe for details about their emotional responses and coping strategies. This phase helps me identify recurring pain points and behavioral patterns that often go unnoticed in surface-level discussions.

  • How do you normally navigate public transportation?

    • Before starting your journey
    • During your journey
  • Have you ever gotten lost while using public transportation?
  • Have you ever regretted using public transportation? And why? Anything that could’ve helped alleviate your annoyance?
  • Does weather play a role in your choice, particularly for public transportation? If yes, how?
  • Have you ever blended your route between public transit and another mode? (i.e. ride sharing)
  • Does distance play a role in your choice? If yes, how?
  • How accessible is public transportation to you?
  • Tell me about the last time you used public transportation.
  • Tell me about a memorable time you used public transportation.

• Probing App Usage and Feature Preferences

  Building on the previous insights, I shift the focus to the participant’s experiences with public transit apps. I ask about the apps they currently use, the features they rely on most, and any limitations they’ve encountered. This section also encourages participants to articulate their expectations for real-time updates, app reliability, and overall usability—information that helps me understand gaps between their needs and existing solutions.

  • Have you used any public transportation apps before? If yes, which one?
  • How often do you use the public transit app?
  • What feature do you use the most in the app, and why?
  • How reliable is the public transit app in terms of providing accurate information, such as real-time updates or schedule changes?
  • Can you recall a time when the app didn't meet your expectations? What happened?
  • How would you rate the app’s overall ease of use on a scale of 1-10, and why did you choose that number?

• Evaluating Emerging Technologies and Potential Solutions

  As the conversation progresses, I introduce exploratory questions about emerging technologies, such as Apple’s Dynamic Island, and inquire about their openness to integrating these tools into their transit routines. This phase provides valuable insights into how users perceive novel solutions and helps validate concepts that could enhance their transit experience through dynamic, context-aware notifications.

  • Do you use a phone (or tablet, laptop) while taking public transit? If so, for what?

  • Do you had headphones on while using the public transit? If so, how well can you hear what’s going on around you?

    • Do you want to hear anything?
  • What kind of updates would you want to receive while using public transportation?

  • How would you like to receive said updates (audio, vibration, pop-up, etc.)?

    • How do you typically receive updates now?

  • Do you use, wearable technology? If so, which products?

    • What feature(s) do you use the most?
    • Do you use it for navigation? If so, how? Which app(s)?
    • Do you use the public transit app on it? If so, describe your experience.

• Transitioning to Solution-Focused Discussions

  By the time we reach this phase, participants are fully engaged and more willing to provide thoughtful feedback. I focus on validating potential solutions by presenting concepts that address the identified pain points. I encourage users to imagine how these improvements would impact their overall transit experience, allowing me to refine design directions and ensure alignment with user needs.

  • Do you use the dynamic island feature on iPhone?

    • If not, could you see yourself using this feature in general? How?
  • What kind of information/notifications do you use it for?
  • What kind of public transportation related notifications/information can you see it being used for?
• Do you have anything else you want to share?

Scroll to view all interview questions

C. Key Insights from User Interviews

After conducting the interviews, I analyzed the responses to identify recurring themes and patterns. These insights helped surface common pain points, user preferences, and contextual factors that influence transit decisions. Understanding these pain points laid the foundation for exploring targeted solutions that address the needs of public transit users.

• All users use Google Maps to set their routes
• Most users do not use a separate, public transit-focused application
• Users want to avoid walking through inclement weather during their trips
• Users enjoy when using public transit is stress-free and they can sit and relax
• Users find it difficult to hear and understand announcements, especially while wearing headphones
• My interviewed users did not use wearable technology
• My interviewed users did not have iPhones that have dynamic island functionality, but could see how it could bea beneficial solution to some of the problems they are facing

D. Personas

To further distill my findings, I created personas that represent the core behaviors, goals, and frustrations of distinct transit user groups. These personas capture a range of perspectives—from frequent app users who prioritize speed and efficiency to occasional riders who need more guidance and reassurance. By grounding design decisions in these personas, I ensured that the proposed solutions aligned with the diverse needs of public transit users.

Alex Segal Persona

Jason Richards Persona

A. Wireframes: Bringing Structure to Concepts

The wireframing phase was crucial for defining the visual hierarchy and user interactions. I created mid-fidelity wireframes that mapped out the structure of key screens while maintaining a focus on:

• Prioritizing Real-Time Updates: Ensuring that essential information remains visible and accessible.
• Highlighting Contextual Alerts: Displaying safety and accessibility alerts at relevant moments.
• Simplifying Core User Tasks: Minimizing complexity while ensuring smooth task completion.

The wireframes allowed me to test layout variations and gather early feedback before committing to high-fidelity designs.

Wireframes

B. High-Fidelity Prototype: Refining for Usability

Building upon the wireframes, I created a high-fidelity prototype to bring the envisioned experience to life. The interactive prototype demonstrated:

• Dynamic Notifications: Leveraging the Dynamic Island to deliver real-time updates and contextual alerts.
• Simplifying Core User Tasks: Minimizing complexity while ensuring smooth task completion.
• Seamless Mode Transitions: Smoothing transitions between public transit, ride-sharing, and other transportation modes.

Explore the Interactive Prototype

A. Designing with Real-World Insights

Through the process of designing and refining this project, I gained valuable insights into balancing simplicity, leveraging emerging technologies, and iterating based on user feedback.

• Balancing Simplicity with Context

  One of the biggest challenges was finding the right balance between surfacing real-time information and avoiding cognitive overload. Prioritizing key updates while maintaining interface simplicity was essential for improving the user experience. Through this process, I learned how sketching and wireframing early on can streamline later stages of development, ensuring that information is presented in a way that supports, rather than overwhelms, the user.

• Designing for Dynamic Interactions

  Incorporating Dynamic Island features presented an exciting opportunity to enhance context-aware notifications. This experience taught me how to leverage emerging technologies to deliver meaningful interactions that adapt to user context. I also discovered how small design decisions can have a significant impact on user perceptions, uncovering nuanced insights through interviews and usability testing.

• Iterating with User Feedback

  Frequent usability testing and feedback loops played a critical role in refining the design. Iterating based on real-world insights allowed me to continuously improve the interface and ensure that the final solution aligned with user expectations. I realized that some of the problems I encounter as a frequent transit user aren’t necessarily shared by others, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in identifying pain points and opportunities.

B. Opportunities for Future Growth

While the current iteration meets the initial project goals, I’ve identified several areas where the concept could be expanded or refined to further enhance the user experience.

• Wearable Device Integration: Exploring ways to deliver key updates through wearable devices, enhancing convenience and real-time awareness.
• AI-Powered Route Prediction: Leveraging machine learning to predict commonly taken routes and proactively suggest optimal paths.
• Real-Time Rider Feedback: Encouraging users to submit real-time status updates, improving data accuracy and transit efficiency.
• Refining Visual Modes: Offering alternative visual modes to accommodate different user preferences and accessibility needs.
• Standalone App Possibility: Considering whether this solution could evolve into a standalone app that integrates Google Maps as a backend plugin.

By addressing these areas in future iterations, this project could further enhance public transit experiences and deliver greater value to diverse user groups.