Pick

One day while I was using public transport, I noticed a visually impaired woman struggling throughout her journey. She was struggling with something most of us take for granted, and it encouraged me to do something about it.

2019 Best Design Awards,Gold - Interactive
2019 Best Design Awards,Silver - Public Good
2019 Best Design Awards,Bronze - Product

2018 / 2019

I started exploring the problems that people with disabilities face within the public transportation system.
Using my skills as a UX/UI designer, my goal was to find a solution to help people with disabilities use the public transportation system in New Zealand with ease. Helping them to get the right bus from the bus stop safely.

“Pick” is a prototype tag system which helps people with disabilities make the most of public transport.

According to Statistics NZ, 35% of people with disabilities are over the age of 65 and may not have access to a smartphone. Therefore, this prototype uses a tag system, rather than a mobile app.

The system allows for communication between the passenger and the bus driver by using near field communication (NFC).This NFC system ensures that the passenger gets safely onto the correct bus.

Lean UX

Three steps solution journey ~ Plan, Notify and Ride.

Planning your journey

This can be done either online or via the phone. People with disabilities can call the transportation support centre to help plan their journey. Otherwise, they can plan their journey online through the Pick responsive website.

Either option is achievable without the need for a smartphone. The journey will be loaded to their NFC card and will be activated when tagging on.

Activate the journey

Activate the journey by tagging onto the Pick tag system, located at the head of the bus stop. The yellow sign at the head of the bus stop helps the visually impaired to easily find the tag system.
The tag system will be easily recognisable to its users, as it will be located at the same height as the button they push when crossing the road.

It will also use colour and sound during ‘tag on’ process, which will tell the passenger that they’re at the right stop. A tag error will appear to highlight if the wrong stop is being used, compared to their planned journey. This error will also appear if the card is empty, and no journey is planned.

Once the passenger tags onto the system, a notification will be sent to all planned buses following the same route as the passenger.
Disability details will be made accessible to the bus drivers, so they can be prepared to meet the specific needs of each passenger.

Once the passenger has been successfully picked up, the bus driver will acknowledge the notification. The system provides communication if the passenger has been waiting for more than 20 minutes without acknowledgement from the bus drivers.

The brand visuals follow the idea of the human form, hinting towards equality.
The five points (representing the head and four limbs of a person), are portrayed through the five circles.

Each circle is formed differently, to communicate that though people are formed in different ways, in the end we’re all the same.