Journey Planner Redesign
Improving the UX/UI of the company’s first digital journey planner to go along with Fort William’s new colour-coded cycling and walking wayfinding.
Design tools I used
Overview
Marked wayfinding is a colour-coded, safe cycling and walking network for Fort William, Scotland, aimed at promoting active travel and connecting the city. It combines a thoughtfully designed physical wayfinding system with a user-friendly digital journey planner.
As the sole Product Designer at Marked, I led the end-to-end design of the colour-coded wayfinding system from physical signage to the UX/UI of the projects initial Journey Planner web app. Guided by extensive user research and iterative testing, the final solution delivered an intuitive experience where users could confidently navigate using either the signage, the web app, or a combination of both.
Problem
- Fort William’s cycling and walking network felt disconnected, as the signage and wayfinding were outdated
- No reliable digital data existed to help users, mostly tourists, navigate these routes with confidence
- Fort William approached us to create a better-connected city through our colour-coded wayfinding concept, paired with the data needed to make these routes digitally accessible
Design boundaries
- Web app only platform: had to be built as a web app, with no downloadable app option
- Colour-coded, node number navigation: routes had to be colour-coded and follow a node number system which can increase complexity in user understanding
- Clear, user-friendly directions: to understand this complex wayfinding system the directions within the web app had to be thoughtfully designed to stay clear and user-friendly
Design process
I used the design thinking methodology to approach this project, as it allowed me to connect directly with users and understand their real needs around navigation and journey planning. This human-centred approach kept the product closely aligned with what users actually needed.
The first stage is about gaining an empathetic understanding
of the problem area I did this using primary and secondary research methods. I started with online research then went
The first stage is about gaining an empathetic understanding
of the problem area I did this using primary and secondary research methods. I started with online research then went
The first stage is about gaining an empathetic understanding
of the problem area I did this using primary and secondary research methods. I started with online research then went
The first stage is about gaining an empathetic understanding
of the problem area I did this using primary and secondary research methods. I started with online research then went
The first stage is about gaining an empathetic understanding
of the problem area I did this using primary and secondary research methods. I started with online research then went
Outcomes
A user-friendly physical wayfinding system with an experimental colour-coded route approach, paired with a digital journey planner to provide users with an easier and more accessible way to navigate Fort William’s walking and cycling routes.