Valley Metro
Project Overview
Observed and interacted with current app users, and put myself in their shoes to identify pain points.
Conducted user surveys and interviews to identify pain points as well as things that work well with the current app.
Utilizing empathy and research, a problem and main hypothesis was identified, launching the rebranding of the Valley Metro app.
During this part of the process, I started to ideate on a solution. This became a time and space to brainstorm freely, and to conjure up a solution from all angles.
In the prototyping phase, I designed wireframes that ranged from low to high fidelity, at which point I was able to prototype the app and prepare it for user testing.
During the testing phase, I had participants test the prototype and provide feedback to improve the app.
In order to fully grasp the problem and to be able to ideate a great solution, I needed put myself in the shoes of the users. I was able to accomplish this through surveys and interviewing participants about their current experience with the Valley Metro app.
Ryan is a college student currently working on his Associate’s Degree at GCU. He likes to go out every weekend and has serious FOMO.
20 years old
Single
Low income
Agnostic
Part-time Barista
Lives in Central Phoenix, AZ
Spending time with friends.
Going out every weekend.
Playing in his band.
Graduate from college and get a good job.
Move back Tennessee to get married and settle down.
Buy a house.
Getting around town without a car is a hassle.
He spends a lot of time commuting to school.
Needs to be frugal, as he is only working part-time as a barista.
Uses iPhone and Macbook.
Commutes to school and work via public transportation.
Does most of his school work at his local coffee shop, where he often hangs out with his friends.
Gloria is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two. She enjoys family time on Sunday mornings after church. When hubby is able to watch the kids, you can catch her poolside with a good book in her hands.
37 years old
Married
Low-Middle income
Christian
Lives in Glendale, AZ
Spending time with family.
Serving at her church.
Discipling women to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Open her own pastry shop with her sister.
Pay off their house.
Send her kids off to good colleges.
Shares a vehicle with her husband.
Making sure her kids get to school and extracurriculars regularly and on time.
Staying within a budget to pay for things.
Uses iPhone and iPad.
Runs errands on public transportation when her husband goes into the office.
Spends a lot of time at the library with her kids.
Define: Problem and Solution Statements
After conducting research, I came up with a lighthouse to guide me in this project- a problem and solution statement.
Users have a hard time getting around Phoenix due to the Valley Metro app not communicating bus and streetcar locations accurately. Purchasing fare and plans need to be streamlined for greater convenience to the user.
An application in which the user. can purchase passes and plan out their trips confidently, knowing that both the app and transportation are reliable.
After having conducted my research and defining a problem and solution, the time came to conceptualize the solution. Through site maps and wireframes, I was able to get to the prototyping stage.
Site Map
User Flow
Styleguide
Key Insights
Through the research, I was able to uncover the following key insights:
It is essential to have real-time updates for the locations of buses and streetcar to get riders to their destinations on time.
Form of payment can be simplified and streamlined to make it more convenient for both the drivers and the riders.
A wider variety of fare purchase options should be available through the app to make it more convenient for the user.
