GT-Bushub
A Mobile App solution to a Service Design Dilemma
PROJECT SUMMARY
- Project Type: Individual Project
- Role: Service Designer
- Skills used: Research, Sketching, Wireframing, Logic&Task flows, Visual Design, Entity-Mapping, Video Editing.
- Tools: Sketching, Balsamiq, Photoshop, PremierPro, Sony a5000 Camera, Illustrator.
- Process: Service Safari, Stakeholder-meetings, Customer Journey Mapping, Stakeholder Mapping, Co-creation, Service Blueprint, Sketching, Interaction flow, Wireframing, Visual mockups, Testing & Evaluation.
About
GT BusHub is a single touch-point solution to a service design problem. It improves the experience of the transportation service from a customer as well as organizational standpoint. It provides customer with the most recent and holistic information about different routes while also providing service providers with real-time feedback.
why
Georgia Tech's Parking and Transportation Services Department (PTS) serves an average of 30,000 people on a daily basis. About 27,000 of these customers are students who pay for transportation through compulsory transportation fees. Some of these customers are used to the system, while a good number of customers are new to the system. 64% of students said they are late to their destinations due to delays in transit. About 48% of these students blame it on unreliable bus service. This is a service area that clearly needed to be improved.
objective
The objective of this project was to explore service design methodologies in designing a solution to service problem. The solution had to solve a problem both both an organizational and customer standpoint.
SERVICE SAFARI
For 3 weeks, I immersed myself in the service experience offered through different channels. During this phase of research, I looked at things from a customer standpoint, as well as from a service provider standpoint. I gathered information about:
- Different stages in the service lifecycle
- Frontline service providers & their actions
- Objects and Artifacts used
- Problems and challenges
- Strengths and Success
Stakeholder meetings
While meeting with the Assistant Director of transportation, it was important to already have an appreciation of problems plaguing the transportation service. The Service Safari helped with this. Through out the project lifecycle, (especially during Co-creation), we collaborated via E-mail and physical onsite visits. Major concerns raised included:
- Poor organization of service channels.
- Poor community Engagement
Customer journey map
Next, I created a Customer Journey Canvas with a service map in it. Here, I included different stages of the service with areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Customer Journey Canvas - Part A
Stakeholder map
Georgia Tech's Parking and Transportation Service (PTS) was the major stakeholder of the service being offered. However, there were other stakeholders involved in delivering the service. While piecing together parts of the service during the service safari and customer journey canvas, I came up with a stakeholder map of all stakeholders involved and their relationships. This helped in connecting service touch-points & channels to corresponding parties with vested interests.
Solution
In coming up with a solution, I took as input, all the problems unravelled during the Service Safari, Stakeholder meetings, Customer Journey mapping and stakeholder mapping.
Design
Problem points from the first four steps of the process were turned into design action points. GTBusHub was the solution to these problem areas. The design process followed ideation, logic&task flows, mockups & wireframing and final design comps.
final design
Service blueprint
In this service blueprint, I mapped a customers journey as a use-case across different stages. At different points of the journey, customers actions are mapped to employees actions and supporting background processes. The service blueprint shows how the service solution - the mobile app, would support the customers actions.
