Summary
Problem:
The existing app buries essential travel info like train times, alerts, and transfers under cluttered menus, frustrating time-pressed users.
Goal:
Redesign NJ Transit’s mobile app to help commuters access real-time information faster and with less frustration during trips.
Result:
Users completed key tasks 40% faster, with 3× fewer errors and a 50% boost in success rate during usability testing.
Role: UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Miro, Optimal Workshop
Skills: User research, Prototyping, Usability testing
New trip view showing real-time status and alerts on launch.
Background
The Problem
Commuters don’t scroll through apps; they glance, tap, and go.
Yet NJ Transit’s mobile app required users to dig through cluttered menus to find time-sensitive info like alerts, delays, platform changes, and transfers. Inconsistent labels and flat navigation made it worse during transfers or crowded conditions.
This wasn’t just a design flaw; it was a breakdown of trust in the system.
"Sometimes I just want to know which train to take without clicking through five menus."
The Challenge
Redesign the app for real-world use, where riders are in motion, under pressure, and don’t have time to “figure it out.”
"It’s stressful when I can’t find a clear trip plan during rush hour, I wish it were more intuitive."
Research
Competitive Analysis
We compared NJ Transit with two major regional competitors: MTA’s TrainTime (New York) and SEPTA (Philadelphia). While all three aim to support regional rail users, our analysis found clear gaps in NJ Transit’s usability and information hierarchy.
Key Takeaways of Competitive Analysis
NJ TRANSIT was the only app without a clear default screen showing real-time status
Interviews
We interviewed 5 NJ TRANSIT riders with diverse commuting habits, from daily riders to occasional weekend users. The goal was to understand their routines, frustrations, and workarounds.
What emerged were clear usability pain points and unmet expectations, especially around real-time awareness and navigation confidence.
“I usually check Google Maps instead. It’s just easier to find the info.”
Competitors surfaced current trip info within 1–2 taps; NJ TRANSIT required 4+.
NJ TRANSIT grouped unrelated features under generic menus; competitors used clearer labels and prioritization.
Key Takeaways of Interviews:
Riders felt uncertain and unconfident using the app, especially during service disruptions.
The home screen didn’t reflect user priorities: live updates, next train, and alerts.
Commuters found the labeling vague. “Tickets,” “My Transit,” and “Plan Your Trip” often confused first-time users.
Users needed to see status at a glance, not search for it.
Usability Testing
We conducted moderated testing with five users, giving them real-world tasks (e.g., “Plan a trip to Penn Station in the next hour”). We observed hesitation, misclicks, and delays that confirmed key weaknesses in the app’s IA and interaction design.
Even familiar users struggled with speed and task success.
1
of 5 participants, successfully completed a trip planning task in under 30 seconds
0
of 5 participants, could locate real-time train info on the home screen without guidance
3
of 5 participants, could locate real-time train info on the home screen without guidance
Information Architecture Audit
We dissected the NJ TRANSIT app’s structure using a navigation audit. By evaluating menu paths, icon clarity, and screen hierarchy, we uncovered structural friction that made even simple tasks hard to complete.
Our focus: how efficiently can a user move from “I need to get somewhere” to “I know what to do next.”
Key Takeaways of Audit:
The app had redundant menu labels (e.g., “My Transit” vs. “Plan Your Trip”) with no clear distinction.
Critical features like “Train Status” were nested in unrelated categories, requiring trial and error.
Alerts were hard to access and often outdated, increasing frustration during delays.
The homepage contained 9+ main actions, too many competing priorities.
Ideation
After identifying breakdowns in navigation, task success, and user confidence, we shifted from analysis to solution generation. Our goal: redesign the NJ Transit app to support real-time, low-effort travel decisions.
Design opportunities
Surface Real-Time Info on the Home Scree
Clarify Navigation and Labeling
Streamline Trip Planning Flow
Explorations
We began with collaborative sketching and wireframe exercises to address the most critical usability gaps. Each team member proposed solutions focused on visibility, clarity, and speed.
1. First-Click Testing
We ran a first-click test to evaluate if users could efficiently begin trip-planning tasks. Most participants hesitated, clicked the wrong elements, or misunderstood where to start. This validated the need for clearer primary actions and streamlined information hierarchy.
2. Tree Testing
Tree testing confirmed that users struggled with the current app's navigation structure. Key categories like “Trip Planner” and “Real-Time Info” were frequently miscategorized or overlooked, highlighting confusion in the app’s IA and motivating a restructure.
3. Card Sorting Testing
Through card sorting exercises, we gathered user expectations on grouping and labeling features. Participants often combined alerts with trip tools or expected stations to be separate from schedules, providing a foundation for a more intuitive grouping of app functions.
Final Design
The final design simplifies transit planning by prioritizing clarity, accessibility, and user autonomy. It features a streamlined homepage, intuitive navigation structure, and rapid access to real-time alerts and schedules. Every choice was guided by first-click testing, usability insights, and the pain points identified during our research phase.
2.Real-Time Alerts and Service Changes
Critical service updates are now displayed prominently on the homepage. Users no longer have to dig through menus to learn about delays or disruptions, everything is surfaced clearly and immediately.
1. Smarter Search Functionality
The new search experience eliminates confusion by offering quick suggestions, recent searches, and a cleaner layout. Commuters can now find their line or station with fewer taps and better confidence.
3. Personalized Dashboard for Frequent Riders
A new dashboard gives priority access to frequently used routes, saved schedules, and ticketing links, reducing friction for returning users and making the app feel more personal and responsive.
Insights
Outcomes
Our redesigned experience led to measurable improvements in both speed and success. Users completed tasks 40% faster, reducing average completion time from 45 seconds to 27 seconds. Success rates jumped from 60% to 90%, while error rates dropped from 30% to 10%. One of the most noticeable gains was in navigation clarity, every user was able to find live service alerts in just 2 taps or fewer, compared to 5+ in the original app.
What I learned
This project reaffirmed that real-world UX means designing for split attention and minimal effort. Travelers on the go don’t have time to explore, information must be immediate and intuitive. I also learned that information architecture (IA) often matters more than visual styling in high-pressure situations. Perhaps most telling: when users don’t trust the app to deliver, they default to external tools, even if those tools are less accurate.
What's next?
To deepen the impact of the redesign, I plan to conduct testing with users who rely on accessibility features, such as screen readers or large text modes. I’d also like to explore GPS-based delay alerts and predictive features to enhance real-time awareness. Finally, contextual onboarding could be introduced to improve first-use clarity and build immediate confidence.
Prototype