Reimagining Singapore’s Public Transportation Experience
As part of the Specialist Diploma in User Experience and Digital Product Design with Singapore Polytechnic, this project required us to apply the Design Thinking methodology to critically examine and improve Singapore’s public transportation experience. We were tasked to select a mode of public transit—such as buses, MRT, or other mass transport systems—and explore how users interact with both the digital and physical aspects of the service.
The objective was to uncover pain points in the commuter journey through research and empathy-driven methods, define key challenges, ideate user-centred solutions, and prototype and test design concepts aimed at creating a more accessible, efficient, and enjoyable public transportation experience for all.
The Project
Our team chose to focus on the SMRT train network, which operates several key MRT and LRT lines in Singapore. According to SMRT, these lines—namely the North-South Line, East-West Line, Circle Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, and Bukit Panjang LRT—serve over 2 million commuters daily. Additionally, data from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) indicates that Singapore’s entire rail network, including both MRT and LRT systems, sees more than 3 million daily riders, with the LRT lines alone accounting for over 200,000 of those trips.
The Research & Findings
We began with user research and desktop research, which informed the development of both a user journey map and an empathy map. These tools helped us capture a deeper understanding of commuter needs, behaviours, and frustrations. Insights gathered from user feedback revealed several key pain points across both the physical and digital aspects of the SMRT train experience.
01
Wayfinding Confusion
Commuters, including international users, found the system difficult to navigate:
“Of all the mass transit systems I have navigated around the world, this one was very confusing.”
“Hmm… let me find my way to transfer lines. This is confusing…”
02
Lack of Real-Time Information
Commuters expressed uncertainty about their journey and missed contextual updates:
“I better keep a lookout for where I am in case I miss my stop.”
Digital screens often displayed advertisements or were non-functional:
“Couldn't even see where I was going and 90% of the time was ad placement when the other screen blacked out.”
03
SMRTConnect App Usability Issues
User reviews of the SMRTConnect app revealed:
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Absence of interactive and engaging tools
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Inadequate visual and navigational aids
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Lack of real-time updates and notifications
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Insufficient real-time support or assistance features
The Persona
Jenny Lim, Millennial living in Singapore
Meet Jenny Lim, a 28-year-old Singaporean millennial working as a Marketing Executive in the advertising industry. While she has lived in Singapore all her life, her use of the MRT system is limited to a few fixed routes—mainly her daily commute to work and familiar weekend destinations. Outside of these well-trodden paths, Jenny feels less confident navigating the broader MRT network. Transfers, unfamiliar stations, and intermodal journeys often leave her feeling unsure and reliant on signage or mobile apps for guidance.
The Journey
Click image to expand
Jenny is preparing for her first trip to Malacca, with a coach scheduled to depart from Woodlands station at 7:30 AM. Knowing the route is unfamiliar, she checks the travel time from her home in Simei to Woodlands two days in advance to ensure she can arrive punctually.
On the day of travel, she begins her two-leg MRT journey from Simei. As this is her first time taking this route, she feels uncertain during the line transfer and momentarily disoriented by the lack of clear wayfinding within the station. While on the train, the absence of real-time travel updates heightens her anxiety, making her unsure of how far along the journey she is and increasing her fear of missing the stop.
Upon reaching Woodlands MRT station, the pressure to stay on schedule intensifies. She struggles to locate Exit A and the coach boarding area, and becomes visibly frustrated when she can’t easily find basic amenities like restrooms. With no intuitive signage or digital support, she turns to station staff for help. Ultimately, Jenny makes it to the coach boarding point just in time—relieved, but mentally drained from the stressful experience.
BEHAVIOURS
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Prefers to travel on set routes and sticks to known paths.
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Relies heavily on MRT for commuting due to its predictability and convenience.
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Takes time to research and plan her trips to new places meticulously to reduce stress and uncertainty.
GOALS
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Navigate to destinations efficiently and with confidence.
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Reduce anxiety related to traveling to unfamiliar places.
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Plan her trips in advance to avoid unexpected situations.
NEEDS
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Confident navigation in unfamiliar areas
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Reliable routes with minimal surprises
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Effective trip planning to ensure smooth journeys
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Intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces
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Enhanced sense of security during travels
PAINS
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Feels apprehensive when visiting new destinations.
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Has a poor sense of direction, which makes navigating challenging.
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Experiences anxiety when needing to find her way to unfamiliar locations.
Technical Proficiency
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Comfortable with using smartphone apps and digital maps.
Regular user of navigation and public transport apps.
Appreciates user-friendly interfaces that offer clear and straightforward directions.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
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Lack of comprehensive travel information.
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Difficulty in planning journeys to unfamiliar destinations.
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Complex navigation within MRT stations, including transfer lines and platforms.
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Lack of resources to familiarise users with the station.
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Challenges in knowing real time location and updates and when to disembark
"How might we simplify journey planning and navigation for travelers in unfamiliar locations, including seamless MRT station transfers and real-time updates, to enhance their travel experience?"
THE SOLUTION
To address the key pain points identified in Jenny's journey, we propose the following features to be integrated into the SmrtEZ app:
Background Location Tracking
Enables continuous journey monitoring without requiring constant user input, allowing timely prompts and assistance.
Personalised Real-Time Journey Updates
Context-aware prompts, such as upcoming stop alerts, estimated arrival times, and transfer notifications, tailored to the user's live route.
Help and FAQs
Provides instant access to travel support through smart FAQs, live chat, or direct call—ensuring help is always available when needed.
Step-by-Step Navigation Guide
Provides clear, turn-by-turn directions from origin to destination, including line transfers and exit locations.
Cabin Crowd Density Tracker
Offers real-time updates on train congestion levels to help commuters make informed boarding decisions and improve comfort.
AR Navigation Assistance
Augmented Reality scanning helps users easily navigate complex station layouts by overlaying directional cues onto their surroundings.
VR Station Tours
Virtual walkthroughs of stations enable users to familiarise themselves with exits, amenities, and platform layouts before travelling.
The Prototype
Trip Research
#Step-by-Step Navigation Guide
#Station Info
#Cabin Crowd Density Tracker
Two days before her trip, Jenny opens the SmrtEZ app and selects her destination—Woodlands MRT Exit A. The app immediately generates a personalised journey plan from her home in Simei, including step-by-step navigation with estimated travel time and transfer instructions. Using the Station Info tab, she checks the timing of the first East-West Line train towards Tuas to ensure it aligns with her coach departure. The interface clearly shows platform directions, transfer points, and alerts for possible delays, giving her the confidence to plan her route without second-guessing.
Station Exploration
#VR Station Tours
#Station Info
Using the Station Explore feature in the SmrtEZ app, Jenny selects Woodlands MRT station to familiarise herself with the layout before her trip. The interactive interface allows her to drag and browse through a detailed 3D map of the station. She taps on key landmarks such as restrooms, escalators, and Exit A—her target for coach boarding. Instantly, the app generates clear, step-by-step directions from the platform to the selected exit, highlighting walking paths and estimated travel time. This feature gives Jenny clarity and confidence, reducing uncertainty before she even sets foot in the station.
During the Journey
#Background Location Tracking
#AR Navigation Assistance
#Personalised Real-Time Journey Updates
#Cabin Crowd Density Tracker
During her journey, Jenny relies on the AR Navigation feature in the SmrtEZ app to confidently navigate train transfers. As she exits the train at the interchange station, she activates the camera and follows real-time AR overlays that guide her step-by-step to the correct connecting platform—eliminating guesswork and confusion. Throughout the trip, live prompts and contextual updates keep her informed of her exact location, upcoming stations, and transfer points. The app notifies her a stop in advance before she needs to alight, ensuring she’s mentally prepared and never caught off guard. This continuous guidance provides Jenny with a sense of control and assurance from start to finish.
Help and FAQs
#Help and FAQs
During her journey planning, Jenny wonders whether there are restrooms and other amenities at Woodlands MRT station. She opens the Help section in the SmrtEZ app and types her query into the smart FAQ. When the results aren’t detailed enough, she initiates a live chat with an SMRT support agent. Within moments, she receives clear directions to the nearest restrooms and information on other available facilities. The ability to ask questions and get quick, reliable answers gives Jenny confidence and assurance for her upcoming trip.
Usability Tests & Iterations
We tested three key tasks aligned with real commuter needs. Each task focused on critical moments in the user journey, guided by our How Might We (HMW) questions.
01
" HMW help users plan ahead with confidence? "
Task: Plan the fastest route from Simei to Woodlands and check first train timings.
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Misclick Rate: 43.7%
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Avg Task Duration: 269.7s
Issues:
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Users didn’t associate Station Info with train timings
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Travel durations were not clearly visible
Fixes:
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Adde train timing info into Journey Planner
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Highlighted travel duration and transfers in UI
02
" HMW help users find the right exit confidently in unfamiliar stations? "
Task: Virtually explore Woodlands MRT and locate Exit 1.
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Misclick Rate: 57.9%
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Avg Task Duration: 67.4s
Issues:
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Users expected an SMRT station map, not a generic SG map
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‘Saved Route’ confused users due to lack of route input
Fixes:
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Replaced SG map with interactive SMRT station layout
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Contextual prompts added to explain ‘Saved Route’ function
03
" HMW ensure users can access support and give feedback easily? "
Task: Locate restrooms via FAQ or live chat and submit feedback after the support session.
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Misclick Rate: 32.4%
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Avg Task Duration: 90.2s
Issues:
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Users expected to give feedback right after ending the chat/call
Fixes:
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Added feedback prompt immediately after session ends
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Clarified chat/call flow and introduced confirmation messages
Outcome:
These iterations improved clarity, reduced user confusion, and enhanced the overall sense of control and confidence throughout the journey.
General Feedback on Prototype (Summary)
✅ Easy to navigate; users found the design intuitive and user-friendly
✅ Favourably compared to Google Maps in terms of route clarity and guidance
✅ AR/VR features were well-received and seen as useful for orientation and exploration
✅ Current MRT stop visibility was appreciated for helping users track progress
⚠️ Font size too small, especially on mobile—affected readability
⚠️ Accessibility concerns for older users (e.g. font contrast, icon sizing)
⚠️ Information hierarchy unclear—users found it hard to prioritise key info
⚠️ Call-to-action buttons not obvious due to grey-scale colour scheme; lacked visual emphasis
Next Steps
With design iterations completed based on usability testing, the project will move into final refinement and validation:
Final Validation Testing
Conduct another round of usability testing with new users to confirm that key issues have been resolved and improvements are effective
Stakeholder Presentation
Prepare a concise presentation of findings, prototype, and outcomes for stakeholder review and alignment.
Design System Finalisation
Document UI components, patterns, and accessibility standards for consistency and developer handoff.
Development Handoff Preparation
Package all design assets, annotated screens, and user flows for smooth transition to development.
Post-Launch Success Metrics
To measure the real-world performance and user impact of the SmrtEZ app after launch, we will track the following key metrics:
Task Success Rate
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What it measures: % of users successfully completing journey planning, navigation, and exit-finding without errors
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How to track: Funnel tracking via analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Firebase); monitor task completion events
Time on Task
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What it measures: Average time users take to complete core actions (e.g., finding a route, locating an exit)
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How to track: Event timers within app analytics; identify friction points in user flow
Misclick/Error Rate
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What it measures: Frequency of incorrect taps, backtracking, or feature misuse
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How to track: Session recordings (e.g., Hotjar), custom error events, path deviation tracking
User Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
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What it measures: User feedback on clarity, usability, and confidence post-journey
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How to track: In-app surveys or feedback prompts at key journey points
Feature Adoption (AR/VR, Help, Station Info)
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What it measures: Usage rates of key features like AR navigation, VR tours, and Help tools
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How to track: Feature event tracking; compare engagement vs. total sessions
Support Request Volume
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What it measures: Frequency of users needing help via live chat or calls
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How to track: Integration with support backend (e.g., Zendesk), monitor volume over time
Repeat Usage & Retention
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What it measures: How often users return to use the app for future trips
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How to track: Daily/weekly/monthly active users (DAU/WAU/MAU), retention cohorts