A guide to designing a mobility platform. Part 2: Journeys

When designing a mobility dashboard, you’ll to want to design something user-friendly and attractive, but above all you will want to create a tool that is really useful for the target group for your product. As part of the TMaaS project, we have studied the needs and wishes of end users in order to gain an understanding of the functions to be included in the mobility dashboard. Our researchers have broken down their findings into four different themes. We share a number of tips that are essential when designing a mobility dashboard. Today we focus on ‘Journeys’.

Journeys

Include first and last mile solutions

The dashboard should support intermodal journeys by including first- and last-mile solutions and alternative transport modes. Users should be able to insert their preferences for first- and last-mile solutions and to indicate if they have a drivers’ license or a travel pass (public transport, shared service…). They should also be able to set the maximum amount of time / distance that they want to travel.

Alternative modes of transport

When supporting intermodal journeys, you should notify users about the existence and opportunities of alternative modes of transport. If people are not familiar with certain modes or services, it is helpful to show them how these work, how much they cost and how they can be used.

Areas of interest

Users will appreciate being kept informed about the areas in which they make frequent journeys, so they are aware of potential problems on any unplanned trips (support unplanned journeys). Give them the option of inputting areas of interest that they would like information on. Suggestions for areas of interest can be set to a radius around the home and work location or a radius around recurring routes.

Recreational journeys

You might also want to think about including information about recreational journeys. Recreational journeys include journeys in which the journey itself and not the destination is most important. In fact with many of these journeys, the destination will be the same as the starting point. Recreational journeys include leisure and sports activities. In order to support these recreational journeys, make sure to provide information about disturbances in areas where there is frequent recreational transport and that may be suitable for recreational transport including bike lanes and running trails.

Let users express their appreciation

If you want to enhance the travel experience and make the system more rewarding, include tools that enable users to express their appreciation. Help users choose modes of transport by highlighting the advantages; the physical exercise gain from using active modes, or the relaxing qualities of certain options.

Take account of attitudes towards certain modes: if users find the bus or bicycle relaxing, highlight them, if not then don’t. Provide users with qualitative, real-time and reliable information. Make it clear which information is included and why or if not why not. Users should also be able to communicate negative experiences they’ve had; these can contribute to improving road safety or the mobility system itself. Examples include dangerous situations, broken infrastructure, bad road surfaces and glass on bike lanes.

Option to override preferences

Users should also be able to override their usual preferences to match their travel circumstances, for example when travelling with others (social travelling), or in order to give more importance to certain factors (safety when travelling with children for instance).