BuSafe
Overview
This project tried to solve the problem for the older people who have experienced uncomfortable bus trip and encourage them to go outside more often. We went through user research, prototype design, usability testing, and iteration several times. The tool usage in this project including Figma, 3D printing and Arduino.
Reduce elderly’s anxiety by
↓ 33%
Raise the bus trip comfort by
↑ 30%
Outcome
Created prototype combined with senior-friendly mobile application and lanyard hardware.
Proposed and got $1000 USD funding to conduct usability testing and continue refinement.
Selected as one of the six among 20 teams to represent Asia final-round contest.
01 Empathize 🔎
Field Research
Observed the elderly at the public transportation, and recorded their behaviors and difficulties in journey
Interviews
7
sub-health seniors were interviewed to understand their experience of taking transportation in the urban region
In-depth interviews
82
-year-old seniors in average who experienced difficulties when taking public transit were recruited to deeply understand their demands
Key Findings
We’ve concluded the elderly’s behaviors patterns and habits when taking public transportation, making us in line with their living context.
The majority of the elderly told us they have taken bus at least one time in the past two weeks rather than taxi or online riding app, showing that the bus is the main transportation mode to go out. Most of the elderly said they would give up driving vehicles by themselves in the near future because of the degeneration of their physical health.
According to the elderly, they are easily to have physical fatigue and get discomfort when waiting for the bus under bad weather, and also have difficulty with long-time standing. Moreover, when the buses are about to arrive at the bus stop, they will move to the entrance in advance for fear of missing the time to get on or off the bus. Over 80% of the elderly have experienced getting hurt when taking the bus. For example, falling down when boarding the bus lurching in a hurry or being caught in the bus doors when getting off.
03. Most elderly have adaptive measures for a smoother bus trip
In Taiwan, where the elderly are concerned about inconveniencing others, they often opt for unobtrusive tools to facilitate their bus journeys. For instance, many seniors prefer using an umbrella instead of a cane for walking support. Additionally, they commonly attach a lanyard holder to carry their transit cards when using public transportation. These measures allow them to get on and off buses with ease, ensuring a swift experience for both themselves and other passengers.
02 Define 🎯
Based on the above user research results, we located our problem on improving the experience of taking bus in the urban region
User Journey Map
Pain Points
01. Navigation system on the cellphone is inconvenient for the elderly
Unlike younger people, seniors cannot using their cellphones while walking, and the directions on navigation maps are often too small for them to discern clearly. Consequently, they are unable to rely on cellphone navigation to assist them in exploring unfamiliar routes.
02. Their slow mobility makes every bus journey a risk for injury
The fear of missing bus arrivals make the elderly rush towards the bus stop. Therefore, they get on and off the
03. The unclear bus status makes them feel anxious during the whole bus journey
Because the bus status information is inaccessible to the seniors independently, they cannot prepare in advance and feel nervous about not knowing when and where their stop is. This requires them to keep a hard focus on the bus stop sign during the whole trip.
Problem Statement
03 Ideation ✨
Design Solution
Design Features
01 Trip Schedule and Reminders
02 Route Navigation and Real-Time Information
BuSafe lanyard device can show the bus real-time information and provide voice-guided route navigation to elderly users. In this way, they don’t need to frequently check the map application on their cellphone but keep focus on their journey to reduce the risk of accidents.
03 On/Off Reminders
When the bus is approaching, the lanyard device will vibrate to prompt the elderly to prepare for boarding. Similarly, when the bus nears their expected stop, the lanyard will vibrate again to remind them to get off.
These vibrations help them maintain a comfortable pace during the bus trip, so they don’t need to board and exit the bus in a rush thus leading to injuries.
04 Prototype 🖌
We conducted the product prototype from three aspects, software application interface, hardware Arduino device, and technical programming.
To make the prototype closer to the real product, we tried to integrate all the features in this prototype to realize all the functions and imitate the appearance.
Interface Wireframe
We used Figma to create the interface wireframe, including the mobile application and lanyard screen display.
Arduino
We utilized Arduino to fulfill the features that allow the lanyard screen to display route navigation and and make it vibrate.
Technical Attempt
We connected Google Map API to acquire the elderly’s location, bus timetable information, and route navigation system. With these data, our system can process elderly’s input and get the expected information such as estimated duration and arrival time.
In order to make lanyard device receive processed data from the cellphone, we use Arduino bluetooth module to fulfill this feature. When the elderly click the “confirm” button on the cellphone, the data will be sent to the Arduino and display the correspondent information such as texts and images.
05 User Testing 🛠
Testing Process
We invited 5 sub-health older people to join our usability testing sessions, and all of them encountered uncomfortable experiences when taking the bus, for example, falling down the bus. To ensure all the functions we designed were fully explored by the elderly and gather precise feedback, we structured the testing process in advance.
Follow device guidance and walk from home to bus stop
Check the bus arrival time through the lanyard
Board the bus via the vibration alert from the device
We accompanied the elderly participants along the way to ensure their safety but didn’t directly instruct them to use specific functions of the device to ensure the accuracy assessment of its usability
Insights from Users
Positive Feedback
Arrow on the lanyard screen is a clear and intuitive affordance for route navigation.
The design of the transit card holder aligns well with their preferences.
Areas to be improved
Text size are too small to read
The dark background color strains the eyes
Vibration reminder is easily to be unnoticed when wearing coat
One minutes is insufficient to prepare to board the bus
Evaluation Metrics
To quantify the effectiveness of our device and better identify areas for enhancement, we developed a survey for participants before and after each testing round. The survey measured participants' levels of anxiety and willingness to travel, in terms of pre- and post-use of the device. Additionally, we employed reliability and validity scales to assess the device’s usability and user satisfaction level.
Anxiety Level
33
%
decrease 7.5 → 5
(out of 10)
Usability Test
80.4
out of 100 (SUS scale)
Bus Trip Comfort
30
%
increase 5 → 6.5
(out of 10)
User Satisfaction
8.5
out of 10 (NPS scale)
Willingness to Travel
23
%
increase 6.5 → 7
(out of 10)
Actionable Items
Interface Adjustment
Legibility: Remove redundant information on the display and enlarge text size as well as pictures to enhance readability.
Contrast: Modify the background color from pure black to a gentler and warm white.
Hardware Adjustment
Enhance Alert System: Integrate adjustable “beep” sound reminder with the vibration to cater to the elderly with varying degrees of hearing and tactile sensitivity.
Extend Preparation Time: Increase the alert timing from one minute to three minutes before the bus arrives, ensuring more time for the older people to prepare.
System Adjustment
Feedback Mechanism: Include a quick and simple survey after finishing several trips, allowing the elderly to rate their experience of the trips to make further refinement.
06 Reflection 🧠
Result
We were selected as one of the 6 teams to represent the Asia contest among a total of 20 teams and were awarded “the most popular” project by the invited guests in the final-round contest, including health-aging foundations, elderly-topic-focus scholars, and city government representatives.
We got funded by the government to keep conducting product testing and refining the device from different aspects. After having a more comprehensive prototype, we presented it to them and transferred all the materials before concluding the project.
Key Takeaways
01. User Testing and Iterative design
The project went through numerous iterative process. Surprisingly, we found out that even in short 15-minute testing sessions, we gleaned valuable insights from users' expressions and behaviors. Both direct and indirect user feedback proved invaluable for refining our device functions. Observing the progression through each version of the product was delightful and added significant meaning to the design process.
02. Story Telling and Presentation Skill
Given the contest-oriented nature of this project, our team spent considerable time on designing slides and practicing presentation. We discovered that effective storytelling was key to capturing the audience's attention. We put effort into making the problem scenario more intriguing for those unfamiliar with the topic and adjusted the slide sequence to keep the whole presentation engaging.
03. Project Timeline Management
As the team leader, I started with a Gantt chart in our first meeting to plan the work. However, we faced challenges sticking to the timeline due to unexpected schedule issues and delays in recruiting participants. To address this, I facilitated meetings, adjusted scopes, and learned important lessons in adaptability and leadership to keep the project on track.
04. Financial Budget Planning
With the project funding secured, we aimed to optimize budget utilization in each phase. This presented an opportunity to learn effective money planning in the design process, ensuring the funding added maximum value. We allocated the budget to participant recruitment, prototype purchasing, and technical consultant costs with careful consideration, gaining insights into strategic budget allocation for project success.
Team Members
