Streamlining Ferry Drive-on
Seamlessly integrate Washington State Ferries with automobiles and across passengers' digital devices, Stream provides precise updates on the ferry's status, ensuring travelers remain well-informed and confident throughout their journey.
Timeline
Feb - Aug 2023
Disciplines
HMI Design
Visual Design
Service Design
Prototyping
Collaborators
3 Product Designers
Me - Product Designer
Washington State Ferries
What is Stream?
"Check In" to skip ticketing.
Stay informed when driving and waiting.
Decide how you wait.
The problem
Washington State Ferries runs the largest ferry system in the US, but drive-on passengers don't feel that they can rely on it to provide accurate information and efficient trips.
10
lines
21
vessels
20
terminals
17.4M
yearly ridership
In 2022,
🚙 80.3%
or nearly 14 million riders were people who drove their car onto the ferry or passengers of cars
The causes behind this phenomenon are complex and diverse, stemming primarily from systemic issues accumulated over years within the transportation system. These include financial constraints, staffing challenges, equipment limitations, and the relationship between the government and the public.
Given these multifaceted challenges, pinpointing where UX design can truly make an impact is not straightforward. Under this circumference, how could design help?
User research
Our research delves into the experiences of passengers using the Washington State Ferries system.
Among ferry riders,
11
passenger interviews
In & out of WSF,
5
SME interviews
Onsite,
4
ferry trips and onsite interviews
On desktop,
Literature
reviews
of media coverage and academic research
Through user research, we achieved three goals
Understand experiences
of a regular, drive-on passenger who depends on at least one of the routes offered by the WSF
Identify common frustrations
passengers might have during their journey, specifically drive on commuters
Explore opportunities
for improvement or enhancement to the current user journey
Several insights were generated which eventually defined the opportunity space for this project -
Non-transparent information. It is not always easy for passengers to apply WSF’s information about the ferry schedules to their own routines. Some information, such as car count, may be inaccurate and/or outdated.
Long wait time. Many feel obligated to stay in car to go through ticketing and then concern that the ferry might arrive soon and they might not be prepared to board. This worry is exacerbated due to lack of sufficient and timely communication.
Community connection. Passengers rely on their island community—often through Facebook Groups—for updates and emotional support.
In practice, various elements of the entire journey influence the experience, including ticketing, wait times, trip planning, wayfinding, and more. So, what are the potential solutions?
Ideation
Through affinity mapping, we transformed our research data into actionable product concepts.
More than 120 ideas and concepts in total was proposed. Based on some of the popular touch points and pain points of ticketing, wait times, trip planning, wayfinding, we narrowed the concepts into three, and began to define the product form factor.
Advanced Navigation
Smart navigation system that uses traffic data near ferry terminals and WSF schedule to predict ETA and & likelihood of making the ferry.
Waiting Assistant
Product that reminds users to prepare for boarding while waiting for the ferry, making the wait experience more pleasurable and less anxious.
Wayfinding mechanism
Heads-up display/AR for signage recognition and navigation guidance.
Drawing inspiration from the "Camp Mode" and "Pet Mode" features in modern electric vehicles (EVs), we envisioned this product as a comprehensive assistant, activated anytime ferry transportation is involved in the trip.
Instead of calling it “Ferry Mode”, we call it Stream. Let’s take a look at the product to see why.
Product experience
Streamlining the pre-boarding process for Washington State Ferry drive-on passengers.
Get notified to leave.
Using real time traffic and ferry capacity data, Stream pushes notifications to let you know when to leave in order to catch your intended ferry.
Check In to go through the ticketing process.
The Check In process validates the car and passenger ferry tickets, allowing them to board directly onto the ferry. Checking In also collects users’ position in line, supporting them with more accurate metrics about wait time.
Customize how you wait.
After checking in, you can decide how you wait by either exploring the area around you or adjusting your car interior to best suit your needs.
Get notified to prepare for boarding.
Whether you're in your car or away from it, Stream pushes timely notifications to prepare you for boarding.
Shawn Wang
Seattle, WA
January, 2024