NYC Metro Cardless System Design.
NYC Metrocard has been unchanged for decades due to
- Cost of machine infrastructure
- Cost time waiting in line to buy a metrocard
- Touching a dirty machine
- The potential losing of the metrocard
- Cost of gamifying the swiping system
CHALLENGE
DESIGN a SYSTEM that allows a daily use of the metro everyday, in and out of town users who will use it
once just to access the metro on time without a need for a physical NYC metrocard.
THE OPPORTUNITY (Thinking Process)
Then I now thought it fun to delve into the User Experience Research sooner than I wanted, here the fun begins… What is a NYC metrocard: Launched in 2006 by MTA is a smart contactless card that
helps users and New Yorkers pay for rides, this doesn’t accept the use of physical use of dollar bills.
During the swipe the card is read, rewritten and then check-read to verify encoding, the card comes with a 10digit serial number, this card also enables you load values directly from your prepaid metrocard balance or even from your debit card. COMPETITIONS: Chicago Card and Tren Urbano
(research Wikipedia.com)
Pause…😂
Unpausing…
Looking at the different payment methods, I found out the Single Ride, Pay-Per-Ride. EasyPayXpress, Unlimited, Student, Disabled, and Emergency payment methods that has different features based on users… at this point, I thought “what sort of interface can be created to have all this without being
‘ghen ghen’ 😂😂”
Looking at the different use cases above, clearly seen are also different user persona (Workers,
Students, the Elderly, and the sick) Common among these persona is the issue of TIME TIME TIME...
Anything Time… Already the NYC metrocard system isn’t too unfriendly currently for them because it gives them a bulky 18minutes to complete a single booking/payment… 😭’’’ this can be solved by deploying the use of a clean minimal app that allows the user concentrate on the
particular task they want to do and ‘waka pass’…(Nigerian Creole)🙎🏽
Once in while I get to pull out my wallet or open my beloved bank app to view my
balance…unfortunately this system doesn’t allow you check Balance left from your last usage… a feature that aids the view of your balance would do the trick and a notification that pings you when to refill.
Lest I forget, the NYC metrocard allows the Santa Claus among us swipe their card for other
passengers to get on board… Sounding like ARK by Cregital…
My Big Question is, what happens when I lose my card either to theft or carelessness?😯
That means someone can pick up my card and then swipe it and board.. This leaves us to face the fact that no serious security measures has been taken… integrating also a feature that notifies you when you are about to use the ‘machine’ and gives you that feeling to approve or not, how ,
How about Block and Unblock that gives you room to block a metrocard using Serial Number, this will help you in case of theft of an unforeseen card attack.
In the case where you have to refill your card value, why head to join a queue?
Fun is where a feature that helps you link your Debit card to your metrocard, 3 clicks and
that is done and dusted.✅
THE OUTCOME
Thereafter I sketched this wireframe with my best friends (ink and sheet)
OK…NOW…WHAT
Be the first to go through the usability journey (product) with me
Step 1 – metrocard Serial Pin Activation and Signup
Step 2 – User Profile Confirmation
Step 3 – Link a Debit Card / Account / Account setting
Or
Step 4 – Refill Card value or Check Balance
+
Step 5 – Booking
=
Step 6 – Booking Report
Learnt Anything?
Yeah, I must say its quite a lot to digest, lots and lots have gone down in the process of creation and
assembling of this bunch of pixels… tell me what you think? I’ll be sure to include a few more features in the redesign process much later, also would try being more inclusive as to creating a Dark versioned UI of the app for …(you know them)
.
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Expect my publication on MyFirstExperienceOnAUXChallenge
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👏🏽
