Taking over the traditional route itinerary used by bus drivers. Transit Driver Buddy provides drivers bus itinerary, schedule adherence performance, check list, passenger count, and an emergency help line.
We wanted to transform outdated method of navigating bus stops with charts and create a responsive yet simple interface in order to give drivers exactly what they need and nothing more.
Methods
Sketch, wireframes, Invision, Adobe Illustrator, Persona development, user flows, Zeplin
Process
In collaboration with Jasper Lim.
We started out with observation of San Luis Obispo city bus drivers and collected data on their views of the traditional 'paddle' route schedule. During this process, we received requests from the drivers on features that could increase awareness during "bus bunching". When enough data was collected, we created low-fi and high definition wireframes and prototypes to reconstruct the current bus information systems. Advice and consultation from the transit specialist and public transit administration were routinely sought to ensure functionality.
Gregg has been a bus driver for the City of San Luis Obispo for 12 years. He is 65 and coping with type II diabetes. Gregg’s level of technological competency is low. He can use the TV, look up emails on his desktop, and use the telephone and walkie talkie. Gregg has been driving the same route for the past two years until he was assigned the new bus system the City had come up with to manage the growing number of college students using public transit. Gregg’s new schedule consists of rotating between two routes both following an impacted timetable. Gregg feels nervous due to the unfamiliarity of his new itinerary sheet.
Instead of matching columns with rows information to get the time on the schedule, our new paddle feature uses a simple linear visual similar to subway stop displays. It highlights the next stop and destined arrival time for the driver to see in real time. Transit driver buddy also allows drivers to toggle between two paddle patterns for ease of access, making it easier on drivers like Gregg to transition into a new itinerary system.
The dashboard, which is also the home screen, increase drivers' schedule adherence and provides aid during a more complex problem, bus bunching.
Bus bunching occurs when buses run close to one another instead of being equally spaced along the route, which is caused from delays in at least one bus.
We tackled the problem by building a wait time countdown in the schedule adherence status (SAS) meter. Since the drivers reference the meter for their adherence status when driving, it makes sense that directions from transit coordinators are displayed in the same place.
The UI takes on a dimmer visual theme as to not distract the driver when on route and ensured that the dashboard consists only of crucial information needed during the drive. Other features displayed alongside the SAS meter on the dashboard include the APC (Automated Passenger Count), manual inputs for bikes and handicap, next stop information, including expected arrival time, and an emergency button. We simplified the SAS meter much more in our visual design process to guarantee that a quick look would provide a sound delivery of information.