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Bus Stop: A Case Study

Re-visting a usual place can provide an entirely new perspective.

A random field research for User Research Experience Methods course

Out at the bus stop, I started to observe the area and tested usability.

Field Research

Bus stop observation

Using the field study user research method, I observed the arising interactions, space and environment based on the AIEOU framework.

Re-structuring a Place

Observing usability

An intensive session to think about its acitivites, environment, interactions, objects and users of a usual Place led to some vital but overlooked findings.

A field study at the bus stop

AEIOU framework, open-ended interview, field user experience research

"I really have no choice but to look at the bus monitor to check when the bus is coming, or to look out for it myself. The internet is never up to date, and the driver doesn't know whom to pick up, so I gotta stay put" "

Waiting for the bus is the most alerting activity of the day.

While we wait for the bus, we don't even get to wander off with our phones. The bus is coming, and we have to hop on it. However, without having to look out for it constantly for the bus which we don't know when it will come, we have no choice but to be very alert. Some of the observations I made explicate such a trend and suggest a viable way to overcome it.

Field Study

The two-hour sessions comprised of:

Observations → AEIOU Framework → Interview → User Research → Findings → Suggestion

The AEIOU Framwork

Analyzing the behaviors, surroundings and objects of the space.

Activities

Waiting for the bus, Checking the schedule, Catching the bus, Taking the bus, Pulling off at the right stop, Getting off the bus

Environment

Outside, Later afternoon, Chilly weather, Abundant sunlight, Windy, Concrete Road, Spacy space, Roof

Interactions

People looking at the bus monitor, Talking while waiting, Sitting down at the bench, Standing up while waiting, Stepping forward as the bus comes, Taking out the cards, Waving for the bus to notice, Bus driver checking who is riding, Bus driver pulling off, People hopping off from bus, People riding on the bus

Objects

Bus Monitor, Time schedule (paper), Advertisement poster, Bench, Card

Users

Passengers hopping on and hopping off, bus drivers

Key Behaviors

1. APPROACH → 2. CHECK THE MONITOR → 3. CHOOSE TO STAND OR SIT → 4. BUS APPROACHES → 5. STEP FORWARD → 6. TAKE OUT CARD → 7. HOP ON

Methodology

Stayed at a bus stop (20202) in front of a middle school for 1.5 hours and observed the behaviors of people, actions they take, interactions they perform and their surroundings.


Notes

Every behavior, activity process and environmental characteristics


Recordings

Noise attributes and interview insights


Videos

Time and sequence of activities


Interview

Interviewed with a passenger on her experience waiting for the bus

Findings

Takeaways from the observation

Tools

Time

is the Only Thing They Have to Know. One and only goal at the bus stop is to take the right bus in time. The only information it takes is the bus arrival time. This is only accurately achieved via watching the bus with their own eyes:

Heavy Dependency on Bus Monitor

Regardless of the age, young, middle-aged, old; everyone used the bus monitor as the only tool to check the arrival time.

Waiting and Waiting…

Interview indicated that without the bus monitor there is practically no other way at the bus stop of knowing when the bus arrives.

If the bus does not arrive in the ‘promised time’, the passengers have literally, absolutely no choice but to wait.

We Rarely Use Our Phones

Interestingly, no one seemed to use their cell-phone as the main tool to check the arrival time. Also they seemed to really focus on watching when the bus arrives, pulling out their heads to look for a clue. Unlike many other activities that involves continuous minutes of sedentariness, they are rarely distracted by their phones when waiting for the bus.

Stepping Forward is a Language for Everyone

Whether sitting down or standing up, passengers went 2-3 steps forward while waiting; it was almost like a tacit language to let both the driver know and for other passengers to clear out the ways. This is a clear workaround to the problem of lack of ways to convey their intent to ride.

Implications

What can I do to improve usability and ease out the daily problems we face at the bus stop?

Bus Monitor has to be the Solution

Surprisingly, user experience at the bus stop - those couple minutes waiting for the bus - involves full concentration and barely allows any distractions i.e. cell-phones. Only one goal must be fulfilled – to hop on in time. Given its massive significance the monitor has as the only informative tool at the stop, its proportion is rather small.

The Driver Also Needs a Cue

For each pull over, it took approximately 10 seconds for the bus driver to stop by and ride along. This delay can get into traffic lights and another massive delay. The body language to notify the bus driver to stop by has been insufficient; it requires diligent effort and does not always notify the others.

Design Suggestion

A bus monitor oriented bus stop, with full acknowledgement to the driver's need for the cues.

Conclusion

Mutual Communication Is the Key

Passenger


Primary Goal

Wants to get on the right bus

Derivative Goal

Wants a clue on when it arrives

Driver


Primary Goal

Wants to pick up the passengers in need

Derivative Goal

Wants a clue on who wants to get on
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