National Rail Enquiries - App Redesign
The National Rail Enquiries App is a mobile application that gives information about train timetables, tickets, and delays on the United Kingdom's National Rail network. The app is intended to assist travellers in planning their itineraries, checking train timings, and purchasing tickets.
Timeline :
2022 ; 8+ Weeks
Tools :
Figma, Photoshop
Category :
UX Design, App Redesign
The Process
01
Defining
The Problem
02
Formative
Testing
03
Redesign
Development
04
Summative
Testing
The Problem
The Nation Rail Enquiries app is a unique idea for a community of travellers in the UK assisting them in planning travel, staying updated on train schedules and booking tickets. However, the users complain that the app has a number of shortcomings such as inefficient structure, branding and design strategy, which causes accessibility issues and hence an overall bad user experience.
Formative Testing
The following methods were selected for formative testing to obtain both qualitative and quantitative feedback from users. Four individuals from different backgrounds were chosen for the testing in order to gain diverse perspectives.
Tasks & Severity
Users performed three tasks on the mobile app and rated them on a scale from 0 to 4, reflecting usability. The scores were analysed, resulting in a 35.5% overall usability rating.
SUS
Users answered a 10-question questionnaire, including both positive and negative aspects, using a 5-point scale to rate their overall app experience. After analysing the scores, the results revealed a 13.4% rating.
Product Card Reaction
Users were given a list of 118 words (both positive and negative) and asked to select five words that best described their overall app experience. The outcome indicated a mere 15% of positive responses.
Observations & Challenges
Navigation
Improve the overall navigation
of the app to make it more accessible for the user
Improve UX
Relocating redundant sections to a different page to simplify user experience
Colour
Use a minimal and clean colour palette to make each element easily distinguishable
Logo
Improve the visual appeal of the logo for a more inviting and professional appearance
Add New Features
Add more features and capabilities thus expanding the usage of the app
Redesign Development
This section describes all the changes made to the app based on the feedback received during the formative testing phase, aiming at making the app experience better and easier to use.
User Flow
The navigation of the app was fine-tuned to enhance overall user experience.
Lo-fidelity Screens
Colour Palette
In an effort to streamline the app's aesthetics, previous gradients were replaced with solid colours.
Typography
A sans serif font was used for its clean and minimal letterforms, creating a clean and contemporary feel.
Iconography
A range of new icons were introduced in the app redesign to align the interface with real-world symbols.
Hi-fidelity Screens
Click here to view the final prototype!
Key Features
A dedicated personal profile section accommodating individual preferences.
A user-friendly experience is ensured by a simple, straightforward homepage designed for easy navigation and quick access to train information.
Tickets are conveniently accessible, allowing users to view both upcoming trip tickets and those purchased previously.
The navigation bar has been fixed, with links to all essential and useful pages. The chosen page icon is accentuated with a bright colour to enhance visibility and clarity.
An exclusive feature allows users to bookmark specific journeys, providing a convenient way to revisit them repeatedly.
A call-to-action button has been provided for swift booking on preferred journeys.
A newly introduced feature in the app allows users to choose their preferred seats for their upcoming journey, providing a personalised experience.
Summative Testing
The same evaluation methods, namely Nielsen's Heuristics (Tasks & Severity), SUS, and Product Card Reaction, were applied for the summative testing. Repeating the same tasks with the new design allowed for a comparison between the old and new versions of the app.
Tasks & Severity
Upon completion of the identical three tasks, the scores were assessed and yielded a result of 91%.
SUS
The score, derived from the overall experience of using the redesigned app, amounted to 92%.
Product Card Reaction
About 85% of users gave the revised app good feedback on their overall experience.
In essence, the comprehensive redesign significantly improved user accessibility and experience, yielding markedly superior results.
Future Scope
While the redesign markedly improved the overall user experience of the app, there are opportunities to enhance its usability and significance among other apps. Future possibilities for the app include:
Mode of Transport
Include other modes of transport (buses, trams, ferries) for complete journey planning experience
Social Features
Build a sense of community by connecting with fellow travellers and sharing travel tips
Gamification
Include incentives, achievements, and leaderboards to increase usage & experience
Offline Mode
Some features can be easily accessible when internet availability is restricted
Light Mode
Include a light mode for people with minor disabilities to use the app with ease