Ironhack’s Prework: Challenge 1

Citymapper proposes a challenge for us to solve: creating a feature for their app aimed to solve the pain of having to purchase different public transportation tickets by different channels.

The goal of this Challenge is to apply Design Thinking methodology in order to satisfy our client’s request. To do so, we’ll split this article into different parts as we move through the process.

Image from Jobientation.es

Empathizing

• Our problem is clearly defined by the client: solve the main pain point in their user’s experience, as previously stated.
• Our audience is composed of the Citymapper users. The client did not provide hard data about them, so we’ll define the target group according to the interviews. The assumption is for the audience to be young, modern and with an active lifestyle; probably no car users and prone to go on urban tourism while on holiday.
• Our client’s competition is formed by many other mobility apps that we will more precisely identify through the interviews. We are expecting for the main competitors to be Google Maps, Waze and local public transportation apps.
• The tone Citymapper uses is relaxed, friendly and aimed to a modern audience. Their color scheme and the wording on the app are both aimed to create an easygoing, close feeling.

We interview 12 people, both in the target group we assumed and out of it in order to reassure our assumption. The only requirement to be valid for the interview was to be a public transportation user. We inquired a total of 10 questions in order to identify several questions:

• Is Citymapper used by the interviewee? Used to define our audience, the results show that only a small percentage of them used the client’s app. Under-35 active people who travel abroad at least once per year were the ones who used it over other options.
• What other similar apps to they use? Used to identify competitors, the main actors showing were Google Maps and EMT Madrid, with Waze following them. Other apps like Bicimad, Zity or Ecooltra were also mentioned.
• Why is adquiring tickets a problem when at home? The answers show that it is time-consuming, the options to purchase them are quite limited and it can be the cause of sub-optimal routes because of having to purchase them before being able to access public transportation.
• Why is adquiring tickets a problem when abroad? The answers massively point at not understanding where to buy them and how much do they cost, or being unable to tell the difference between options and therefore not knowing if the purchase was correct.

Defining

Our goal is to allow Citymapper users to avoid the problems related to ticket purchases when using the app to plan their movements. These problems range from wasting time and having to change or adapt their movements to not being aware of the best-fitting options they may adquire.

Ideating

After brainstorming, three main ideas arise as possible ways to reach our goal.

Idea 1: The e-ticket

Developing a feature that would allow the user to directly purchase the tickets they need for their movement through the app. They would receive a digital ticket that would let them get into the different public transportation services through a QR code reader or a NFC sensor.

However, most of the public transportation networks do not have those options and are currently only working with their own cards or physical tickets. So, while this idea would be the optimal solution for the users, it is not feasible.

Idea 2: The combined card

This iterates from the previous concept, implementing a physical card that would host the different tickets for public transportation services. The card would be sent home to the Citymapper users so they could purchase tickets directly through the app and get them charged into their card. Most of the services do read a card, so making the Citymapper one compatible with their readers should be feasible.

The idea has two major drawbacks. First, postal mailing the cards would probably require a payment by the user in order to offset the costs. That would create a new pain point and it does not fit with the image and monetization system of the company. Second, some services do not have a card reader of any type and would be excluded from this solution. It does not entirely eliminate the problem and it creates a new one in the process.

Idea 3: Improving recommendations

Developing a feature in which users could indicate which public transportation services they normally use, which of their apps are installed on their systems and how many tickets do they already have for each of the services they use. Citymapper would then take this information into account when proposing routes, trying to avoid ticket-buying procedures if possible.

If, in their selected route, the user would have to use a public transportation system which is not registered in their account, the app would offer a step-by-step guide of the system. That would include a general explanation of the different tickets available, the way to purchase them (mostly answering where and when) and the best-fitting option for the user according to the route they are planning. The format should combine text and video guides. That would be specially useful for users when searching for options abroad.

The idea does not eliminate the pain point, but it does mitigate its impact on the users. Most importantly, it is totally feasible and could be inmediately integrated in the app. As a negative point, it does require maintenance, as the user has to introduce their data and update them when purchasing new tickets. But it is considered to be the most practical way to go.

Prototyping

We have developed the third idea in a visual way, implementing it into the app flow. Users would be able to access their transportation details into their account, register their tickets and give permission to open other apps in order to improve the suggested routes and avoid unnecesary stops.

The app would automatically update the number of tickets available according to the movements the user searches on it. Ideally, the app would use the location system on the smartphone to be sure about the user performing the movements they search for. The location could also be used to send push notifications to the user when the app recognises a movement pattern that resembles a use of the public transportation network. If the user confirms they are using a method which requieres ticket purchasing, the app would update the spent ticket on the user’s account.

During this challenge, we have learned how to apply the Design Thinking methodology when faced with a problem. Having the user’s needs in mind during the whole process, and clearly identifying the problem to solve through investigating, were key to reach a solution. We have also learnt to explore different ideas, identifying their potential and their problems, and reaching a realistic and satisfying solution.