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Role
User Research
Tools
Figma
Team
Solo
Duration
on progress


NextStop ensures you never miss stop!



Ever dozed off on the train and suddenly found yourself in a totally new place or missing important meeting? It's happened to all of us! Going back costs time, money, and energy. How can we avoid this nap-induced adventure? 🚂💤






Problem 


Passengers frequently experiencemissing their train station due to unintended or intended naps during their journey, leading to delays, and frustration.



Design Goal


To design a platform with easy accessibility and straightforward user interfaces spending less time on inputting information and have more time for sleep.
  



   






What are the main problems in missing user’s stop?

Problems 





The Solutions 


  1. Alarm in advance.
  2. Vibration alarm to wake up users without disrupting other passengers.
  3. Offer option to enable audio announcements.
  4. Detect prolonged user inactivity and automatically begin the alarm.
  5. Provide a simple and straightforward map.
  6. Dark Mode to not disturb the sleep





User Research

User Interviews



Through user interview, I tried to gather valuable insights on and user preferences and habits related to alarm usage such as alarm timing, alarm sound choices, reliance on alarms, and the impact of alarm frequency on sleep during their commutes.

Questions:
  • Experience of missing stop because of fall asleep.
  • Preference for wake-up methods: vibrations, sounds and the effects.
  • How passengers currently manage avoiding missing stop.
  • How frequently they commute.
  • How much time users need to be fully awake.
  • User’s alarm patterns and preferences in methods : vibration, sounds and other.







Approach


I first began with researches to gain people's alarm-setting habits, identify the most effective alarm type and investigate how individuals adapt to vibration alarms.




User’s habit of setting alarms

Half of people set their alarm at the exact time, and other set alarms 10 to 20 minutes in advance, typically with 10-minute intervals. They use combo of sound and vibration or sound only.

Figuring the passanger’s status

The heartbeat and breathing rate can be used to estimate the sleep stage of passengers.

Vibration Analysis

People become accustomed to specific vibrations quickly. Physical proximity to the vibration source is more effective. In the realm of vibration alarms, wearable alarm clocks are the most common choice.

Most effective alarm types

Sound-based alarm clocks can wake people regardless of their sleep stage. Vibration alarm provides more gentle experience waking up and is useful to prevent distribution to others.



Design Stratgies
Design direction after research 📚️🍎️

  • Use Random vibration style.
  • Priotize the use of vibration for public space.
  • Set alarm 10-20 mins before the intended stop.
  • People set their alarm a bit different depending on their sleep stage.
  • Think of methods to wake passanger who unconsciouly fall asleep.






Competitor Research

Research on features


NEXTSTOP features two primary components: tracking and map visualization, along with an alarm function.
To gain a deeper understanding of its functionality and design, I conducted a comprehensive review of applications associated with delivery services, ride-hailing platforms, and map-centered software and examined alarm settings of various phone brands.



What to refer:


  • Emphasize the last stop
  • Allow users to identify location directly from the locked screen.
  • Simple button for users to easily modify their destination.
  • Show the user's current location on the navigation interface.
  • Highlight the significance of the destination arrival time.

What to avoid:


  • Avoid overwhelming with complex or unnecessary details, keeping the interface straightforward.
  • Limit selection presented to users to prevent confusion, ensuring a user-friendly experience.









User Personas


I created three user personas to help identify potential needs for individuals in various scenarios, allowing to understand their goals, pain points, and ultimately devise effective solutions.



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Realization :









I created a sitemap and userflow for beginning trip to understand the required features of the app. 










Low-fidelity wireframes & prototypes








User Testing


Tasks to be tested
1. Start trip
2. Move wake station during the trip
3. Save their route after finishing trip.
4. Set their alarm preference.
4. Wake up from alarm.


After feedbacks

Refinements




#1
Checking passanger’s condition


The initial idea was to ask their expected sleep stage directly.

USER FEEDBACK
The question and choices appear to be awkward, unnatural, and a bit confusing to answer.

SOLUTION
To provide comfort and evoke empathy for tired users, I adopted an approach of engaging in conversation and give out natural selections.








#2
Adjusting locations during the trip


The initial idea was to have everything settled, and straightforward map.

USER FEEDBACKS
  1. Can I change stations during the trip?
  2. Differences between the "end trip" and "I'm awake" ?
  3. Train image is insufficient to convey the exact location.

SOLUTIONS
  1. Add panel below for easy re-entry of the destination and allow users to adjust their wakeup station directly on the screen.
  2. Eliminate the "end trip" button and replace it with a prominent "I'm awake" button for an early trip termination.
  3. Enhance the user experience by incorporating a dotted line and changing the color of the completed journey on the map for improved visual tracking.









Based on the research on colors,
yellow and orange light does not affect sleep the most and have little impact on the circadian rhythm. I chose dark mode as it’s more relaxing to the eyes.






Building foundation

Design System










Final Solutions








Enable audio announcement

Absence of Announcements

For passengers missing their stations due to the absence of audio announcements, solution involves providing audio announcements directly to users' earphones. This ensures that even those in light sleep can be awakened and remain aware of their surroundings.










Vibrate before the stop

Early Notification

Given that the subway/train is a public space, I have chosen to prioritize the use of vibration as the alarm method.
The vibration will commence as an alert at the "wake-up" station in advance.








Move around wake up station

Adjusting route

User-friendly panel below for easy re-entry of the destination and allow users to adjust their wakeup station directly on the screen.









Unconscious sleep

Automatic alarm detecting inactivity













Figuring depth of sleep

Short question before sleep


Users customize their alarm settings based on their sleep depth, emphasizing the need to determine their level of fatigue for tailored alarm configurations.








Please Wake me!

Emergency

Oh no! I missed the stop! 
What happens now?

It automatically sends a preset message to the designated emergency contact
soyoungpark429@gmail.com