The challenge:
Majority of train ticket sales occur through vending machines in stations. Avanti did not have data about this channel, nor the reason why people prefer to purchase from the machines. They were aware however, of large queues and numerous social media complaints which were undermining their reputation.
The process:
Alignment workshop
Journey mapping
Ethnographic research recruitment and execution
Archetypes creation
Presentation of findings
Usability testing
Analysis of painpoints and strategy proposition
Rachelle Phasey
Retail Product Manager, Avanti
TEAM & ROLE
I worked as a lead in a team of 2 XD, for 6 weeks across 2 research phases
WHAT I DID
I led research and analysis, presentation and outcome and managed project deadlines and provided mentorship for less experienced team members
WHAT I DELIVERED
Alignment workshop, Ethnographic research findings, User testing findings, mapping of the current experience and pain points, design principle and future roadmap
PROJECT OUTCOME
A 124-page usability report with recommendations backed by research and a strategy for future implementations
Alignment workshop and ethnographic research
I prepared an alignment workshop to define what success would look like to the stakeholders. It emerged that they had already an understanding of how the ticket vending machines (TVMs) worked and had collected some feedback from frontline staff but there was a knowledge gap around the typical TVMs buyers and their reasons.
Those findings highlighted the need to focus the discovery on users' travel habits and motivations.
The ethnographic research was based on observing the interaction with the machine (the fly-on-the-wall approach) and asking users about:
1- the experience they just had
2- their usual ticket booking routine.
Our observation lasted 4 days, covering both weekend and weekdays across two locations: Coventry and Manchester, in order to observe a variety of commuters and leisure travellers.
We interviewed a total of 306 people.
Ethnographic findings
I identified which user-journeys were consistently failed by users, leading to high chances of abandonment and complaints.
Data collected on motivations and habits allowed me to draft TVM proto-personas and present them to the client.
Persona 1: Family/couple, unplanned leisure trip
Persona 2: Single, Commuter
I also planned interviews to frontline staff as I believed they had been invaluable witnesses of the users' experience.
My findings were delivered in an 11-section Figjam which took around 3 hours to present. Part of the presentation time was used as workshop as I wanted to involve the client to shape the upcoming usability test.
Please request access to figjam here.