Star Bus: Efficient and Sustainable Transport Solutions

introduction

The official online platform for the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) is https-//utconline.uk.gov.in/. The website boasts a sleek and professional design, coupled with a /user-friendly layout. It offers a range of features, including access to bus schedules, ticket booking and cancellation services, fare details, and information on various schemes and initiatives aimed at benefiting passengers. In addition to these services, users can stay informed with announcements and updates related to UTC's offerings.

The website also facilitates online forms for gathering feedback and inquiries. With language support and readily available contact information, the platform aims to deliver a comprehensive online experience for individuals seeking transportation-related information and services in Uttarakhand.

Objective of the application

Optimizing User Experience Objectives on the Website-

Information Precision- The website strives to furnish accurate and up-to-date information concerning bus schedules, routes, fares, and related details. Serving as a central hub, it empowers users to access comprehensive data about UTC's services.
Efficient Online Booking- A primary objective is to provide users with the convenience of online ticket booking and cancellation services. This feature aims to streamline the ticketing process, offering a hassle-free method for users to secure their bus tickets and enhance the overall user experience.
Interactive Communication and Feedback- The website facilitates seamless communication between UTC and its passengers by offering online forms for feedback, complaints, inquiries, and suggestions. This objective empowers users to express their opinions, report issues, or seek assistance, contributing to improved customer service.
Promotion of Schemes and Initiatives- The website aims to spotlight various schemes, discounts, and initiatives introduced by UTC to benefit passengers. By showcasing these offerings, the website seeks to increase awareness and encourage users to take advantage of these services.
Transparency and Timely Updates- Providing announcements and updates is another key objective of the website. By sharing relevant news, alerts, and changes in schedules, UTC aims to keep users informed and maintain transparency in its operations.
User-Friendly Interface- The overarching goal is to ensure a user-friendly experience for visitors to the website. This encompasses features such as a search function for quick information retrieval, language support to accommodate different language preferences, and a well-organized layout that aids easy navigation.

Target Audience

The UTC website targets a diverse audience in Uttarakhand, including commuters and travelers seeking bus information and online booking convenience. It caters to existing and potential passengers interested in schemes and updates while providing a platform for customers to offer feedback. With language support, it appeals to a linguistically diverse audience and aims to provide a user-friendly experience for individuals interested in transparent and timely transportation services.

The Challenge

Enhancing the user experience on the website involves addressing potential obstacles that users might face. These challenges may encompass a complex search process, limited search flexibility, insufficient feedback and information, issues related to data accuracy and consistency, mobile responsiveness concerns, accessibility hurdles, and the need for an intuitive user interface. By strategically tackling these key areas, the goal is to optimize the overall usability and satisfaction of users navigating the platform.

Usability Study Findings

The usability study identified several issues across different aspects of the website, ticket booking flow, user registration flow, and the dashboard after registration. Here's a summary of the insights gathered-

Homepage

Lack of essential components like a sitemap, accessibility options, and multilingual support, deviating from MCAG Handbook.
Improved feedback mechanisms needed during search results to enhance user understanding.
Inefficiency due to the absence of a copy button for emails and improper syntax.
Loading speed compromised by heavy image elements.

Ticket Booking Flow

Compulsory fields lack clear indications, leading to confusion and potential errors during form completion.
Absence of an edit functionality in the form, requiring users to restart the entire submission process for corrections.
Real-time error validation is missing, making it challenging for users to identify and rectify mistakes promptly.
Insufficient field guidance causes users to discover errors only after clicking "proceed," hindering the user experience.
Lack of confirmation prompt for user abandonment increases the risk of frustration and data loss.
Accessibility concerns may affect users with disabilities during the booking process.
Aesthetic improvements suggested for a better user experience.

User Registration Flow

Compulsory fields lack clear indications, leading to confusion and potential errors.
Absence of an edit functionality in the form, requiring users to restart the entire submission process for corrections.
Real-time error validation is missing, making it challenging for users to identify and correct mistakes promptly.
Lack of confirmation prompt for user abandonment increases the risk of frustration and data loss.
Accessibility concerns may affect users with disabilities during the registration process.
Lack of user feedback after successfully logging in contributes to a less engaging experience.

Dashboard after Registration

Limited customization options for personalizing profiles, restricting users from expressing their identity effectively.
Unclear privacy settings without an option to view or understand them.
Lack of personalization, as the website fails to provide personalized recommendations or tailored bus routes based on user interests.
Absence of a retry option for failed attempts in the ticket booking process, hindering users from easily recovering and continuing their tasks.

The website faces critical challenges that impact overall user experience and trust. Outdated data on the homepage creates confusion and undermines the platform's reliability. Inconsistency in the header bar design across pages causes user confusion, hindering seamless navigation. The lack of up-to-date information further erodes user trust, affecting their reliance on the website. To enhance user experience, there's a pressing need for a simplified website design, ensuring clarity, consistency, and current information throughout the platform.

Overall, addressing these issues is crucial for enhancing user satisfaction, improving efficiency, and fostering trust in the platform. Regular updates, clear communication, and user-friendly features are essential for a positive user experience.

Synthesizing Phase

With the insights gathered during the research phase, we have gained valuable understanding of the users' interactions and challenges while using the website of Starbus. Building on this knowledge, we have now entered the Defining phase, where our aim is to deepen our comprehension and transform the research findings into practical design solutions. To maintain a user-centric approach, we have created personas that embody essential user archetypes-

User Personas Persona 1-Riya Sharma, the Commuter

Riya Sharma, a 28-year-old professional residing in Dehradun, frequently commutes within Uttarakhand for work and personal reasons.

Goals-

Her primary goal when visiting the UTC website is to efficiently plan her bus journeys. Riya is keen on accessing accurate and up-to-date information regarding bus schedules, routes, and fares. She aims to save time by utilizing the online booking feature to secure her bus tickets seamlessly. Riya also values a user-friendly interface that allows quick information retrieval and easy navigation to enhance her overall experience.

Pain Points-

Riya often faces challenges related to the complexity of the search process on the website. The limited flexibility in searching for specific details sometimes leaves her frustrated. Additionally, she has encountered instances of data inconsistency, leading to confusion about bus schedules. Riya, being a busy professional, requires mobile responsiveness for on-the-go planning, but she has experienced issues in this regard. These pain points hinder her ability to efficiently use the website, impacting the convenience she seeks in planning her bus journeys.

Persona 2-Amit Singh, the Enthusiastic Traveler

Amit Singh, a 35-year-old travel enthusiast from Haridwar, is passionate about exploring Uttarakhand.

Goals-

His primary goal when visiting the UTC website is to stay informed about the latest schemes, discounts, and initiatives that could enhance his travel experience. Amit appreciates transparency and timely updates to ensure he doesn't miss any changes in bus schedules or exciting offerings. As a linguistically diverse individual, the values language support on the website and aims to explore the various schemes introduced by UTC to make informed travel decisions.

Pain Points-

Amit faces challenges related to insufficient information about the schemes and initiatives on the website. Sometimes, the announcements and updates are not readily available, impacting his ability to take advantage of discounts and services. He desires an intuitive user interface but has encountered difficulties due to limited search flexibility. Amit also values accessibility but has faced hurdles in this aspect. These pain points hinder his ability to fully engage with the website, impacting the effectiveness of his travel planning and utilization of available schemes.

Mapping User Journeys and Extracting Insights

We have chosen to focus on Riya Sharma, the commuter, as our user persona. By mapping Riya's user journey on the UTC website, we aim to gain insights into her specific needs, pain points, and behaviors while navigating the platform. This will help us better understand how to enhance her user experience and address her challenges effectively.

Mapping the journey to a “user story”

Analyzing Riya's user journey on the UTC website has provided us with valuable insights into her actions, emotions, and pain points. We have tailored this journey map to Riya's goals as a commuter, highlighting critical touchpoints where she encountered difficulties and opportunities for improvement.

Riya's User Story

"As a busy professional commuter relying on the UTC website for efficient bus planning, I want a user-friendly platform that provides accurate and up-to-date information on bus schedules, routes, and fares. The website should offer seamless online booking options, ensuring a hassle-free experience and quick ticket retrieval. Additionally, a mobile-responsive design is crucial for my on-the-go planning."

Framing challenges and hypothesis

With a deeper understanding of Riya's user journey, we can now formulate a problem statement that encapsulates the challenges she faces when using the UTC website.

Problem Statement

"Riya, a busy professional commuter, faces challenges in efficiently planning her bus journeys on the UTC website due to complexities in the search process, limited mobile responsiveness, and occasional data inconsistencies. These hurdles hinder Riya's ability to navigate the platform seamlessly, impacting her overall commuting experience."

This problem statement will guide our design efforts, ensuring that our solutions directly address Riya's needs and enhance her overall experience on the UTC website. Building upon this problem statement, we can formulate a hypothesis.

Hypothesis Statement

"If we improve the website's search functionality, enhance mobile responsiveness, and ensure data accuracy, Riya's experience on the UTC website will become more efficient and satisfying. This will lead to increased user engagement and a seamless bus planning process for busy professionals like Riya."

We believe that by addressing the identified challenges and implementing user-centric solutions, Riya will have a more productive and positive experience while planning her bus journeys on the UTC website.