MARTA
Improving public transportation in Atlanta.
In 2017 I was tasked with redesigning the Marta mobile app for my team. My role in this project was to guide internal and external development teams through a holistic redesign of the Marta Digital UX.
The Existing App
Identifying What to Fix
Looking at the google analytics of the existing application identified design opportunities. There were long lists with small fonts, in-app PDF's, and a ribbon menu with hidden features.
Low Ridership
Atlanta has a traffic problem and a large number of citizens unwilling to ride MARTA regularly.
Poor Usability
Pages are hard to find, hard to read, and hard to interpret.
Bad Experience
Planning a trip from door to door involves a pen, paper, and a calculator.
Brand Perception
When looking into the user's perception of the Marta application and the entity as a mode of transportation, there was a disconnect between the brand that MARTA was attempting to project and how the public was perceiving it.
New Features
Google Maps API
Allowing users to plan trips and view MARTA specific information in place.
Trip Planning
Giving users multiple options to complete their journey in the way that works best for them.
Location Services
Providing realtime information on bus and train arrival times.
Trip Planning
Trip Planning uses a Google API to allow door to door navigation within the MARTA app. This gives MARTA more control over their brand and provides a focused, single app experience for the user.
Favorite Routes
Favorites give users the option to add and remove frequently visited routes to the landing page. Users can view favorite bus routes, train stations, or trips with a single click.
Points of Interest
Points of Interest highlight local businesses in MARTA's POI network. When a user rides MARTA to one of these locations and shows their "ride receipt" they will receive an incentive. In turn, the point of interest gets free advertising and MARTA gets increased ridership.
Involving the Community
Root allows members of the same community to message each other to coordinate deliveries, but validates any new messaging with mutual connections and community engagement.
Results & Reflection
This experience was extremely eye opening as a designer. It was my first time creating a product for a real company, however, this app was never shipped. That doesn't make any of the lessons I learned while working for MARTA any less valuable.
Other Work
