mbta: ui/ux In motion
Personal project
As a Massachusetts native and lover of all transportation, I naturally have strong feelings about the MBTA system. Good feelings; when my trains come on time and I find the right one, and bad feelings; when every train’s late and I can’t find a ticket station for the life of me.
With all these emotions in mind, I wanted to make a plan for a new and improved MBTA app that would help tourists and locals alike get where they need to go.
Since the MBTA has no one unified app, I took inspiration for the MBTA’s website to divide and colorcode their different systems: Commuter Rail, Subway Lines, Bus Routes, and Ferry Routes. I used the same colors the MBTA uses, and decided to create a very straightforward home page with two sections.
I chose to incorporate motion into this prototype, so I considered how each piece would grow or disappear when you moved into a particular section. I wanted everything to feel smooth and simple.
Homepage
System sections
For the individual sections, I again looked to the MBTA website to see how the fares are divided and organized.
I kept the general concept, but chose to feature the ‘Point A - Point B’ program on this front page, since I find it especially useful for understanding the commuter rail, which goes in and out of Boston and throughout the state. I also made sure to include a direct search function for easy access.
Above: the current Commuter Rail page on the MBTA website
Right: the Commuter Rail ticket page for the proposed app
Ticket Buying
One of the biggest things I wanted to do with this app prototype was simplify the in-app ticket purchase process as much as possible.
In this case, I added a weekend selection dropdown menu, a very simple payment section, and a commuter rail chart to help inform user purchase decisions.
The screen can be swiped away to exit to the previous screen, or the Submit screen can lead users directly back to the homepage.
Final version
On the left is the final demonstration video of my prototype! I’m very happy with how everything came together. In the future, I might return to this project to hone the details and motion, as well as decide how other subsections might be organized. Maybe I’ll add a feature for saved payment methods, or flesh out the trip planner to ensure it remains quick and easy.
This project made me excited to handle future passion projects in the field of transportation, which has always been close to my heart.