Transit Sense
Transit Sense
Transit Sense
My Role
My Role
Frontend Developer/ Designer
UX Research · Interaction Design
Type
Type
Concept App
Concept App
Concept App
Platform
Platform
iOS Mobile
iOS Mobile
Time
Time
Dec 2024
Dec 2024
Key Insight
Key Insight
Transit anxiety isn't a data problem. It's a timing problem. The fix is a heads-up before things fall apart — not an alert after they already have.
Transit anxiety isn't a data problem. It's a timing problem. The fix is a heads-up before things fall apart — not an alert after they already have.
(01)
(01)
Project overview.
Project overview.
I missed too many buses in Berkeley. So I designed the app I needed.
As a student commuting across Berkeley — catching early buses, walking poorly lit streets, waiting on the wrong side of the block — I realized every transit app I used was reactive. They told me what went wrong. None helped me avoid it. TransitSense is the fix: an AI-assisted commute app that warns you before problems occur, across bus, metro, walking, bikeshare, and ride-hailing.
As a student commuting across Berkeley — catching early buses, walking poorly lit streets, waiting on the wrong side of the block — I realized every transit app I used was reactive. They told me what went wrong. None helped me avoid it. TransitSense is the fix: an AI-assisted commute app that warns you before problems occur, across bus, metro, walking, bikeshare, and ride-hailing.
By the time your app tells you the bus is on detour, you're already at the wrong stop. For students on tight schedules, that's not a minor inconvenience — it's daily anxiety. Which side of the street? Will it skip me if it's full? Is this route even safe at night? Current apps don't answer any of that.
By the time your app tells you the bus is on detour, you're already at the wrong stop. For students on tight schedules, that's not a minor inconvenience — it's daily anxiety. Which side of the street? Will it skip me if it's full? Is this route even safe at night? Current apps don't answer any of that.
By the time your app tells you the bus is on detour, you're already at the wrong stop. For students on tight schedules, that's not a minor inconvenience — it's daily anxiety. Which side of the street? Will it skip me if it's full? Is this route even safe at night? Current apps don't answer any of that.
(02)
Problem
Problem
(02)
Problem
(03)
Process
Process
56 surveys,
12 interviews,
10 commute diaries.
Four pain points kept surfacing: late alerts, skipped stops, stop-side confusion, and ignored safety needs. The finding that reframed everything: riders would wait for the second bus if they knew it was less crowded. They weren't irrational — they just had no information. From there: two personas, a co-design workshop, lo-fi to hi-fi, and two rounds of usability testing with 13 participants.
56 surveys,
12 interviews,
10 commute diaries.
Four pain points kept surfacing: late alerts, skipped stops, stop-side confusion, and ignored safety needs. The finding that reframed everything: riders would wait for the second bus if they knew it was less crowded. They weren't irrational — they just had no information. From there: two personas, a co-design workshop, lo-fi to hi-fi, and two rounds of usability testing with 13 participants.
(03)
Process
56 surveys,
12 interviews,
10 commute diaries.
Four pain points kept surfacing: late alerts, skipped stops, stop-side confusion, and ignored safety needs. The finding that reframed everything: riders would wait for the second bus if they knew it was less crowded. They weren't irrational — they just had no information. From there: two personas, a co-design workshop, lo-fi to hi-fi, and two rounds of usability testing with 13 participants.
(04)
(04)
Solution
Solution
Solution
Six features, one through-line: warn me before I leave, not after I'm lost.
Departure countdown synced to your calendar, calculated from live transit data
Proactive detour alerts with an alternate route already ready
Crowding comparisons so you can pick speed vs. comfort
Safety Mode with route ratings, lit paths, and benches surfaced upfront
Curb-side indicators so you always wait on the right side of the street
Last Bus Safety Net with a backup auto-selected if it's delayed.
Six features, one through-line: warn me before I leave, not after I'm lost.
Departure countdown synced to your calendar, calculated from live transit data
Proactive detour alerts with an alternate route already ready
Crowding comparisons so you can pick speed vs. comfort
Safety Mode with route ratings, lit paths, and benches surfaced upfront
Curb-side indicators so you always wait on the right side of the street
Last Bus Safety Net with a backup auto-selected if it's delayed.
Six features, one through-line: warn me before I leave, not after I'm lost.
Departure countdown synced to your calendar, calculated from live transit data
Proactive detour alerts with an alternate route already ready
Crowding comparisons so you can pick speed vs. comfort
Safety Mode with route ratings, lit paths, and benches surfaced upfront
Curb-side indicators so you always wait on the right side of the street
Last Bus Safety Net with a backup auto-selected if it's delayed.
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