CapMetro Redesign for Accessibility
A project centered around redesigning the CapMetro app for people with visual impairments.
Skills
User Interviews
Affinity Mapping
Qualitative Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Team
Anushka Pimplikar
Karishma Makhija
Nimra Ishfaq
Varsha Revandkar
Project Overview
Background
Public transportation stands as a pivotal element in modern societies, fostering connectivity, accessibility, and mobility for diverse populations. However, an often-neglected aspect of its expansive network is the consideration of inclusivity in its design. This project was conducted as part of the Inclusive Design for Accessible Technology course, with the primary objective of enhancing the accessibility features of the CapMetro App, a digital platform that supports Austin's public transit system, specifically focusing on improving usability for individuals with visual impairments.
CapMetro
CapMetro, short for Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, serves as Austin's primary public transportation system. It encompasses a range of services, including buses, trains, and paratransit options, catering to the transportation needs of the city's residents and visitors.
This project takes a targeted approach, directing its focus towards individuals with visual impairments within the context of CapMetro. It scrutinizes the usability of the CapMetro App, acknowledging the importance of digital accessibility in enabling individuals with visual impairments to navigate and utilize public transportation effectively.
Goals
ONE
Identify the key barriers faced by visually impaired users in public transit.
TWO
Improve the usability of the CapMetro App for individuals with visual impairments.
Secondary Research
Overview of Visual Impairments
Types of Visual Impairments:
Refractive errors: Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism.
Age-related: Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts.
Other conditions: Diabetic Retinopathy, Strabismus, Amblyopia.
Impact onNavigating Public Transportation:
Challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in utilizing public transportation.
Barriers encountered: driver assistance, language barriers, accessibility issues, physical challenges, lack of auditory aids.
Barriers Faced by Individuals with Visual Impairments in Public Transportation
Competitive Analysis
During the assessment of transportation systems on a global scale, the examination of mobile applications encountered limitations owing to operational restrictions beyond city limits. As a result, reliance was placed on publicly available sources like articles, AppStore and PlayStore reviews, and Reddit discussions. This collective evaluation led to the establishment of an accessibility scale spanning from Limited to Adequate to Exceptional.
Primary Research
Recruiting Participants
A screener was designed to ensure that participants met specific criteria essential for the study. Our focus was to recruit participants with visual impairments and had experience with CapMetro.
The screener can be viewed here.
To engage potential participants meeting these criteria, we collaborated with local organizations and reached out to them for assistance in the recruitment process.
User Interviews
Participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, guided by a series of open-ended inquiries aimed at delving deeply into their experiences with car purchases. These interviews were facilitated through Zoom calls, providing flexibility in data collection. Throughout these sessions, comprehensive notes were meticulously recorded to capture essential insights and observations.
Conducted remotely using Zoom
Duration: 45 minutes per interview
Facilitated by one moderator and one note-taker
The interview guide can be viewed here.
Emergent Themes
Reliance on External Assistance
- Relying on the assistance of drivers, fellow passengers, and family members for guidance and support while navigating the transportation system.
- Depending on the CapMetro phone service for essential information or aid regarding routes, schedules, and accessibility inquiries.
Infrastructural Challenges
- Facing challenges in relying on drivers for accessibility aid due to inconsistent availability or knowledge of assisting individuals with specific needs.
- Encountering infrastructural limitations while attempting to scan passes or utilize digital tools for ticketing purposes, which affects ease of use for individuals with visual impairments.
Use of Multiple Digital Tools
- Engaging with various apps for different purposes within the transportation context, leading to the necessity of frequently switching between them, impacting user experience and efficiency.
- Incorporating supplementary apps like BeMyAI, BlindSquare, and Lazarillo, alongside the primary transportation app, to aid in navigation, information gathering, or accessibility support for individuals with visual impairments.
Analysis
Emergent Themes
Reliance on External Assistance
- Relying on the assistance of drivers, fellow passengers, and family members for guidance and support while navigating the transportation system.
- Depending on the CapMetro phone service for essential information or aid regarding routes, schedules, and accessibility inquiries.
Infrastructural Challenges
- Facing challenges in relying on drivers for accessibility aid due to inconsistent availability or knowledge of assisting individuals with specific needs.
- Encountering infrastructural limitations while attempting to scan passes or utilize digital tools for ticketing purposes, which affects ease of use for individuals with visual impairments.
Use of Multiple Digital Tools
- Engaging with various apps for different purposes within the transportation context, leading to the necessity of frequently switching between them, impacting user experience and efficiency.
- Incorporating supplementary apps like BeMyAI, BlindSquare, and Lazarillo, alongside the primary transportation app, to aid in navigation, information gathering, or accessibility support for individuals with visual impairments.
Affinity Mapping
We employed affinity mapping as a strategic method to categorize and organize the diverse data collected during our research process. This facilitated the identification of recurring patterns, key themes, and interconnected insights derived from user interviews and secondary research. Through affinity mapping, we visually synthesized and clustered information, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the user experiences, pain points, and priorities related to accessibility within the transportation system. This method enabled us to pinpoint crucial areas for improvement and informed the development of targeted solutions to enhance the overall user experience for individuals with visual impairments.
Major Pain Points
We identified significant pain points experienced by users, recognizing the need to streamline and focus our efforts within a specific scope for our redesign initiative. Through meticulous analysis, we narrowed down these challenges to those that aligned closely with our project objectives, ensuring they were actionable and feasible for us to address effectively. This focused approach allowed us to concentrate on refining and enhancing particular aspects of the user experience within our redesign framework, aiming for impactful and meaningful improvements aligned with our project's goals.
Competitve Analysis 2.0
Building on our initial competitive analysis, our interviews revealed that participants utilized additional apps beyond transportation-specific ones. To understand this broader landscape, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the various apps employed by individuals with visual impairments. This evaluation encompassed applications aiding smartphone navigation and physical assistance. By scrutinizing these supplementary tools, we aimed to gain deeper insights into the functionalities, strengths, and weaknesses of these apps in supporting users with visual impairments in both digital and physical domains.
User Persona
We crafted a detailed user persona based on insights gleaned from user interviews, secondary research, and affinity mapping. This persona embodies a composite representation of our target user—a synthesized profile that encapsulates their needs, goals, frustrations, and behaviors within the context of utilizing the transportation system. By humanizing the user experience, this persona serves as a guiding reference, enabling us to empathize and design solutions tailored to the specific requirements and aspirations of our intended users with visual impairments.
Design
The Scope
Refining the scope for our user persona involved meticulous consideration and adjustments to ensure alignment with our project's objectives. This process encompassed scrutinizing the diverse insights gathered from user interviews, secondary research, and affinity mapping sessions. By distilling and synthesizing this wealth of information, we tailored the user persona to accurately represent the specific needs, preferences, challenges, and aspirations of our target users with visual impairments within the transportation system. The potential solutions were:
Tooltips: It was decided that the accessibility settings would be available for users as tooltips that they can customize according to their needs and preferences. This would also assist them with potential learning curves with using new tools.
Screen reader compatibility by reorganization of information and improvement of screen reader focus for all features (e.g. input fields, buttons, navigation bar and maps)
GPS-tracking and audio directions to provide real time information throughout the full route, including to and from the bus stop
Descriptive and precise verbiage to support navigation instead of inaccessible visual cues
Backtracking throughout routes to allow user freedom and curb stress resulting from missed announcements or stops
In-ear haptic feedback to free the user from having to check their devices and prevent missed notifications about stops
QR codes on physical ticket to eliminate difficulties related to physical scanners
LoFi Prototype
High-Fi Prototype
The full demo can be found here.
Navigation Bar
Icon and icon labels changed to improve comprehension
Information hierarchy improved by combining two tabs under one.
Linking a Physical Card
Added functionality to scan physical pass in order to link it, in accordance with universal design principles.
Settings
Redesigned settings to incorporate drop downs to optimize screen reader experience.
Improved information hierarchy by regrouping settings.
Accessibility
Incorporated visual accessibility settings.
Future Steps
Fix visual contrast of the Nav bar. (Feedback from the audience)
Conduct usability testing to understand whether the redesign solves the intended pain points.
Investigate how the user experience is impacted on the ground.
Convene a thorough accessibility audit to understand how intersecting disabilities may affect transit (e.g. physical or auditory impairments).
Explore ways of enhancing offline navigation functionality in case of Internet unavailability.
Key Takeaways
Unparalleled Value of User Interviews
User interviews enriched our findings, going beyond secondary research by revealing diverse personal experiences, emphasizing their irreplaceable value.
Secondary Research
Relying on secondary research cannot capture the nuanced realitise of individuals' lives and thus cannot sufficiently guide the design process.
Design Systems v. Information Hierarchy
Tried to remain within the restrictions of CapMetro’s visual design to ensure cohesiveness, unless information hierarchy was being affected.
Reflection
Scoping: It's crucial to avoid getting entangled in an endless loop of challenges. For example, prioritizing quick wins, such as fixing visual contrast would be more helpful than tackling bigger problems first.
Unique Lived Experiences: The often overlooked but critical involvement of individuals with disability in the design process was highlighted through this process. Direct engagement through user interviews provided invaluable insights into the challenges faced, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of their experiences.