<aside> 💡 To truly understand rider challenges, we spoke with them directly to uncover opportunities to improve their trips on the T.

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Goals

The CTD screens team conducted research to help define a typical rider journey and key edge cases for several purposes:

• Validate assumptions and fill gaps in our understanding
• Build empathy for riders through their emotional experience of the system
• Map their decision points to available communication channels
• Determine appropriate content to support common behaviors
• Inform content formatting and distribution on various displays

Methods

We collected and analyzed qualitative data from a number of sources:

• Multi-day journaling survey with 14 frequent riders
• Ride-alongs with 6 riders with disabilities
• Interviews with T Ambassadors in stations plus 10 riders with disabilities
• Informal review of existing research
• Studied other transit system screens
• Monitored incoming customer service logs

Summary

Riders and the MBTA share the goal of quality information in the right place, at the right time

Rider Journey Map v1.0

Top takeaways from rider research