Introduction
First Rail is one of the most experienced rail operators in the UK, carrying more than 260m passengers across many contracted and open access routes.
They operate three of the UKs largest train companies - Avanti West Cost, Great Western Rail (GWR) and South Western Rail (SWR), providing long distance, commuter, regional and sleeper services up and down the country.
Project type
iOS app
Industry
Transport
Role
Senior UX Designer
Duration
2018 - 2019
Project background
Over a six month period, I worked with Future Platforms to redesign the iOS and Android apps for several of these operators. For the purposes of this case study I will discuss the work done for South Western Rail (SWR) on iOS.
As many of the different operator's apps had the same functionality, there was also a requirement to create a component library that could be shared accross the different apps to speed up the design and development process.
The challenge
The SWR app faced several issues. Several of the customer journeys needing improving and much of the functionality needed updating.
The visual design of the app itself was also in need of improvement as there were issues with typography, whitespace, colour contrast and general accessibility.
Planning
Workshops were held with senior stakeholders from First Rail to identify different customer needs and improvements that needed to be made.
Planning was then done interally between the product manager and myself to identify a roadmap of new features that would be rolled out accross a 8-12 month period.
UX Design
Based on the planning and the roadmap, the re-design was undertaken, working on each piece of functionality one by one and then working with the development teams as it was built and released in parallel to the design work.
Onboarding
The first step of the customer journey, onboarding, introduces the user to the new experience and shows them the key areas of the app. Uers can choose to either swipe through each individual screen or skip to begin using the app.
Journey planning
Users are able to plan their journey by selecting a departure and arrival destination, then choosing the dates of the journey as well as the type of ticket or fare they require, such as a single, return, season etc
Ticket purchase
After planning their journey and purchasing a ticket a user is able to choose how they would like to use the ticket, either by loading it in their wallet (Android), downloading a mobile e-ticket on the app or collecting the ticket at a station.
Users are able to access and manage their tickets in the 'My Tickets' section of their account.
Train times
Users are able to check live train times for their chosen journey by checking departure and arrival times between specific stations. This feature allows them to see arrival times, as well as the individual calling points of a journey and any delays or disruptions that may be expected.
My account
The 'My Account' section of the app allows users to manage their personal details, alongside things like season tickets, smart cards, vouchers and payment details.
When accessing 'My Account' for the first time, users are prompted to either sign in with existing details if an account already exists or create one through the registration process.
Users can purchase season tickets directly through their account as well as manage and update existing or expired tickets.
Users can apply for an SWR smartcard (a type of physical, contactless ticket) which allows them to store all their tickets and journeys on one card.
Component library
The component library houses shared components in the house brand/style for company and is shared accross multiple apps.
Outcomes
Over an 8-12 month period the new experience was released incrementally resulting in an improved customer satisfaction rating on the app store.