Nakshatra Kumar

Move Better

A research project with a systems design approach to understand the usage of public mobility through the lenses of sustainability.

About the project

The aim of this short project was to understand public transport experience and how it fits within the industry of urban multi-modal public transport systems and what can be done to improve the existing situation.

Project deliverable: To create a service for commuters that increase the adoption of public transport.

Timeline- 2 Months, December 2023- January2024

Role- Systems Thinking,UI, UX Design, Service Design

The project at a quick glance..

Approach

We took a systems design approach to address the challenge of increasing public transport adoption among environmentally and civically conscious users. Given the complexity of urban mobility and the multiple stakeholders involved, we conducted quick workshops and mapping exercises within a limited timeframe. This approach enabled us to identify systemic barriers, user behaviors, and key intervention points, ensuring that our solutions were both user-centric and scalable within the existing transportation ecosystem.

Discover

Public transport can significantly reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and commuter costs. However, it struggles with adoption due to perceived inefficiencies, lack of visibility on environmental impact, and gaps in user experience. Many cities and transit authorities have sustainability goals but lack effective engagement strategies to encourage behaviour change among commuters.

Define

Our research revealed that one of the biggest barriers to public transport adoption is that commuters cannot see the direct impact of their choice—both on the environment and in terms of personal benefits. Without clear incentives and impact visualization, commuters often default to private transport, despite its higher costs and negative environmental footprint. We saw this as our opportunity for intervention.

Develop

Through multiple interviews and brainstorming sessions, we realised that a consumer-facing approach would be most effective in shifting user behaviour. Our service, Move Better, is a digital platform that encourages commuters to choose public transport by visualising their environmental impact, providing personalised rewards, and offering real-time data on cost savings and emissions reduction.

Deliver

The service follows a business-to-business (B2B) model, designed for integration within existing public transport apps, mobility-as-a-service platforms, and city transit systems. The seamless integration ensures ease of adoption for transport providers while allowing for customisation to align with regional transit branding and policies. By making public transport choices more engaging, rewarding, and transparent, we aim to break the cycle of low adoption and create long-term behavioural change.

The Elevator Pitch

Background & Impact : Defining project context and future impact

Research : Key Insights

App Prototype : Play the video with sound to learn more…

Project Learnings

Rapid Knowledge Acquisition: Quickly grasped the complexities of public mobility through a "blank slate" approach.

Expert Engagement: Effectively elicited crucial information by actively trusting and questioning industry professionals.

Systems Thinking: Employed a holistic approach, integrating service design principles to identify key leverage points within the public mobility ecosystem.

Market-Driven Iteration: Agilely refined the service based on continuous learning about market demands and consumer behavior.