Project background

Metro Taipei has to carry around 2 millions passengers per day. As the trend of digital development, it also dedicate the time to promote the digital transformation. Additionally, to promote the strategy of multi-service development on the transportation and our daily life, the Taipei metro company hope to find the talented designers through the competition and focus on the current product to do the innovative creation and professional proposal to optimize this app be a necessary assistant when we are in the MRT station.

The needs of Metro Taipei

Mobile device is indispensable tool in our daily life. Metro Taipei company hoped we can strength the current function and connect currently different services on the app and make the experience smooth to appeal the users to download the app and be our membership to enjoy the personal services.

Target user

20-49 yrs

commuter、student

According to the official survey to passenger of Taipei Metro in 2020, Gender：Female account for 67.7%、Male account for 32.3% Age： The highest is 20-29 yrs accounting for 29.3%，and then is 30-39 yrs, 25.5%，and is 40-49 yrs, 15.7%. Why MRT：The highest is commuting, 41.3%，and is to school, 15.6%

Research goal

• To understand the past experience of passengers

• To figure out the behavior while using the current app to see if they are any pain point

• By the analysis of competitive product to find the direction of our design

Hypothesis

1. The rate of usage and using period are not high for the current app of Metro Taipei

2. Most of people rely on the mobile device when they are in the cabin, so the rate of reach to the advertising on the app will also increase.

3. While commuting, people will be attention to the traffic information, time, and even the amount of passengers. These reason will influence the experience while commuting.

4. During the pandemic, government launched some public policy to prevent from infection, people have already used to use smartphone to access to some places by scanning the QR code. Thus, more people will hope to just use a phone to tap on or tap off instead of still use physical traffic card.

Research tools

1. User interview

2. Survey

User investigation

We did questionnaire and got 117 responses. By this investigation, we focused on analyzing the percentage of using the app of Metro Taipei and the users’ motivation. Afterwards, we filtered 8 participant from this survey to do the personal interview. It aims to understand the goal, needs, motivations and weakness while using current app, and then refined the information architecture and ideated new function to acquire new users to promote the app.

The experience of using physical card

The preference of physical or digital card

The percentage of register membership

The motivation of download the app

The weakness of the app

User interview

Setting the goal of interview

• To understand the habits, needs and motivation of users when they are using “Taipei metro Go app”

• To understand the habits, needs and pain points while taking MRT or any public transportation

• To understand the experience of taking the MRT and to see the pros and cons

Participants

Gender：8 female, 1 male

Age：18-25yrs old

Period：25-35min / online meeting

Persona

Based on the user interview, to understand the pain points of users, we created two personas

Takeaway

According to the analysis of former investigation and personas, we conclude the POV and give several HMW questions to reflect the needs of passengers and users of this app.

POV

We met:

Passengers who have used the Taipei Metro Go App when they are on the car of MRT.

We were surprised to notice:

1. Losing physical traffic cards is a common problem.
2. They always find the card in front of scanner.
3. It is inconvenient to top up quickly by physical card.
4. Getting rewards will appeal people to download the app.

We wonder if this means:

Passengers need a good experience to assist them to get on the car quickly and smoothly

You can get on the MRT by the mobile device.

HMW

• How might we launch a smoother experience of taking the MRT and get the information of timetable easily?
• What function can we add to attract people to use this app even if they are not in the MRT at that moment?
• How might we provide a product connecting the online an offline experience to meet the needs of users, in the meanwhile to create business value?

Product MVP

According the needs of personas and our HMW questions above, we optimize current app experience and create new product “ Metro Passport”, which is the identification of every passenger. Furthermore, we develop three main functions below based on the membership system,

(1)Virtual traffic card

• Add point mechanism, ”Metro Points(MP)”, which can get the exchanged ticket of the stores in the station.
• By integrating multiple method of payments, increasing APP usage, and promoting smart transportation.

(2) Membership point system

• Add the functions of “top up online” and “tap on/off by scanning your unique QR code”
• It’s helpful to push the strategy of diversification and use precise push notification to accumulate the loyalty of membership.
• To integrate the service of online and offline to increase the user experience

(3)Gamification

• Add gamification design “Metro Mascot”
• To build the gamification economy with membership point system to increase costumer engagement, and boost the reach of Ads.

Product value propostion

Our product value proposition is to increase the convenience and strengthen experience between online and offline for passengers, and boost the development of circle of life of MRT with collaborated stores through the membership economy.

Business model

You can get your Metro Passport by registering the membership and easy to top up online or tap on/off smoothly by unique QR code. Due to the membership, MP (Metro points) mechanism and collaborated stores, we built an economy ecology to support the revenue streams for Taipei Metro company. They are “Ads benefits from the stores” and “Fare from passengers.” In the mean while, the collaborated stores can promote their brand on this app. The small game in this app will also increase the engagement of customers.

Project background

The needs of Metro Taipei

(1)Virtual traffic card

(2) Membership point system

(3)Gamification

The three main functions of new product, “Metro Passport”:

Clearer interface

QRcode

Metro passport/ virtual ticket

Payment

Membership benefits

My coupon

Metro Mascot

Visit your friends’ home

Walk your Mascot everyday