Pisicorre
- IN BRIEF -
Empowering Collective Transportation in Puerto Rico
This project aims to strengthen the economy and prevent the disappearance of this unique transportation system.
Real-time Tracking public transportation
Human-Centered Design
Role
UX Researcher
UX/UI Design
Toolkit
Figma
Illustrator
Duration
2 months
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Problem
The shared-taxi system, known as “Pisicorre” (Step-and-Go), is the collective transportation system with the greatest number of routes on the island, serving both the urban and rural areas.
However, due to urban development and the general dependency on the privately-owned car, the Pisicorre is on the verge of disappearing.
The reduction of service hours, elimination of routes and a decrease in the number of drivers contribute to a decrease in customer use. Factoring in little to no economic support from the government, the survival of Pisicorre is exclusively dependent on client demand.
Is it possible to stimulate the public transportation system in Puerto Rico with little to no investment?
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Product Overview
Pisicorre is a smartphone application that allows passengers to track bus locations in real-time, check arrival and departure times, and plan their trip with the Pisicorre system. This platform supports passenger needs and increases demand for drivers.
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Design Process
In the research process, I discovered that the general attitude in Puerto Rico is that public transportation is unreliable. Loss of motivation is most often noted as occurring when clients wait for the bus to arrive or depart. Lack of itineraries and unpredictability were found to be the main reasons why potential users prefer to use other modes of transportation. Secondary research demonstrated that the lack of options for reliable public transportation contributes to social inequality.
Pisicorre bus terminal also serves as passenger pick-up and drop-off points.
Reseach Findings
The research highlighted passenger social needs and lack of resources. I identified a type of passenger that could help improve the system, increase the demand and benefit other users.
Those passengers were the “occasional users”, a younger generation that currently uses the shared-taxi system on an infrequent basis. The Journey Map revealed the high and low points of the travel experience, as well as the reasons occasional users are generally dissatisfied with the Pisicorre experience.
Puerto Rico has the 2nd worst inequality score in the hemisphere, according to the Gini Index. *Table is based on Dr. Criseida Navarro Diaz's research.
Pain Points
I mapped out the passenger experience based on interviews and informal conversations. The main loss of motivation happened when waiting for the bus to depart or arrive. Lack of itinerary and unpredictability are the main reasons why potential users would rather not use the Pisicorre. I later synthesized those findings into a Journey Map.
In this map there are find 2 pain points where users are commonly frustrated, which may be the primary cause for not using the service: pick-up location and wait-time for departure.
Users Profile
I was able to identify a type of passenger that could help improve the system, increase the demand and benefit other users. Those passengers were the “occasional users”, a younger generation that currently uses the shared-taxi system on an infrequent basis. These Personas were developed from this user.
Persona of a college student: an occasional user.
Persona of young worker without a car access.
Experience Map
The Experience Map revealed the high and low points of the travel experience, as well as the reasons occasional users are generally dissatisfied with the Pisicorre experience.
Opportunity Spaces
Occasional Users of the Pisicorre and the possibility of strengthening the system by converting them into Frequent Users: By converting Occasional Users into Frequent Users, the system increases its capacity to grow.
More passengers mean more demand and, more demand means more opportunities to supply. If the buses fill to capacity faster, the departure wait times are reduced. This improves the experience for the Frequent User, typically elderly, who may not have the means to improve their experience.
Insights
The experience should be flexible and build trust in the system.
The system should empower the users and give them a voice.
The system should motivate and reward good behavior in users.
The system should be predictable and allow users to plan their day.
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Design Strategy
To develop confidence in the system, it is important to establish visibility and communication between passengers and drivers. Knowledge of the status or location of the bus gives passengers the visibility that they need. This encourages trust in a system that is reliable and capable of meeting expectations that trips will be completed within an acceptable time frame.
Design Solution
Pisicorre is a smartphone application that allows passengers to track bus locations in real-time, check arrival and departure times and plan a trip using the Pisicorre system.
Trojan
Horse
This platform supports passenger needs and increases demand for drivers. To increase trust in the service, a social connection is established through driver profiles. The design leverages users with smartphones and internet connection (a large number of people in Puerto Rico either have internet or already use smartphones).
Drivers could increase customer base by providing more visibility to their service, thus improving the reliability on this form of transportation.
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Setup Flow & UX Design
The top priority in designing the UI is to establish a visible connection between passengers and drivers. Visibility into the current status and real-time location data give passengers the information they need in order to commit to using Pisicorre as their means of transportation.
User Flow
This sequence describes the user flow that a passenger has when using Pisicorre: entering the desired route, arrival at the bus station, bus departure and trip completion.
User flow of app of the shared transportation system.
Platform Main Features
Real-time Tracking for visibility of buses that are already en route.
Seat Availability Monitoring allows users to estimate departure times without setting specific schedules. Increased usage gives the system a level of predictability in terms of waiting time.
Favorite Routes allows users to access their most commonly used routes, speeding up the process.
Service Alerts inform the users of changes in routes, delays and traffic updates.
Feedback System monitors the system’s functionality and stimulates good service. This is a key feature that gives users a sense of contribution, ownership and empowerment.
System Overview
By leveraging users’ GPS enabled smartphones and cloud-based technologies, this system can be implemented with very little investment. There is no need to develop or purchase hardware, other than the smartphones that users already own.
Flowchart of system overview.
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Conclusion
This project envisions innovative ways to increase the social and physical mobility for the population of Puerto Rico. Having used public transportation for many years, I understand the anxiety of depending on a public transportation system that proved to be unreliable. This project cannot be envisioned without a sense of urgency to create a realistic tool that will have real social impact. While there is still a lot of work to be done in this Service Design Project, it is easy to envision the impact that its implementation can have on the Puerto Rico transportation system.