Avanti

Project Summary

We analysed user journeys and pain points, identifying several usability failures rooted in UI hierarchy and inconsistent interaction patterns. I delivered a 124-page usability report, including quick wins, long-term strategic recommendations, and a proposal to embed analytics into machines for ongoing insight. A 3-hour client workshop was used to co-create priorities for implementation.

TEAM & ROLE

Role: Lead UX Designer and researcher
Team: 2 Experience Designers and a Project Manager
My Contribution: I led the end-to-end process including research design, fieldwork, usability testing, analysis, and delivery. I managed communication with the client, mentored a junior team member, and facilitated all workshops and presentations.

Problem Statement

Despite promoting digital alternatives, Avanti saw continued heavy reliance on vending machines. The company lacked visibility into the user experience at these machines, and existing feedback was anecdotal. This knowledge gap made it difficult to make evidence-based improvements or understand the scale of usability issues.

Goals & Success Metrics

Goal 1: Understand the behaviours and motivations of TVM users
Goal 2: Identify usability barriers and high-friction points in complex journeys
Goal 3: Define a strategy and prioritised roadmap for improving the TVM experience

Success Metrics:

Creation of meaningful user personas
Identification of critical usability breakdowns
Delivery of a comprehensive insights report and roadmap
Stakeholder alignment around next steps

ETHNOGRAPHY KEY FINDINGS:

The more complex the journey, the more confusing the experience. A user who wants to buy a single ticket from the quick-buy section loves the machine. A user who wants to buy a multi-leg return journey and book a seat for a specific time, hates it.

Overwhelming majority of people travelling for leisure purchased from TVM because they didn't know at what time they would arrive to the station and wanted to jump on the first available train.

WHAT I LEARNED

Front-loading alignment with stakeholders allowed us to identify gaps in understanding and surface key questions early. Ethnographic research proved essential for capturing honest, in-the-moment behaviours that remote methods couldn’t reveal. As lead, I had to balance deep analysis with stakeholder engagement—and I learned that a clear, well-framed insight can do more than solve design problems: it can unite teams around the user.

Overwhelming majority of people travelling for leisure purchased from TVM because they didn't know at what time they would arrive to the station and wanted to jump on the first available train.

ETHNOGRAPHY KEY FINDINGS

WHAT I LEARNED

Process

We kicked off with an alignment workshop to define success and uncover knowledge gaps about TVM users, prompting a discovery phase. Over four days at Coventry and Manchester stations, we observed and interviewed 306 users and spoke with frontline staff to capture indirect pain points.

Insights led to two proto-personas—spontaneous leisure travellers and habitual commuters—which shaped our usability tests based on real-world booking tasks like returns, seat selection, and date changes. We tested with 10 diverse users.

We then mapped journeys and pain points, uncovering issues like unclear UI hierarchy, poor feedback, and inconsistency across channels—especially for complex bookings. I compiled findings into a 124-page report with quick wins, strategic recommendations, and a roadmap, including embedding analytics for ongoing benchmarking. We closed with a three-hour co-creation workshop to prioritise solution

Actions Taken

Comprehensive roadmap
Defined key user segments and expectations
Facilitated co-design workshops
Designed two concept routes with supporting wireframes

Project Outcome

Several interactive boards and a detailed insight report
Final wireframes for two new service concepts
Strong client involvement and buy-in through collaborative design

Recruitment and User testing

For the Usability Testing sessions, I recruited 10 people (+2 spares) ensuring the inclusion of existing and first-time TVM users, 18-75 yo age group and users with a range of disabilities.

Users were provided with 3 tasks/scenarios (and related prompt cards) covering the 3 key tasks previously identified.

Each session lasted approximately 45 minutes with a loose script but a strong focus on specific issues observed during ethnography (ie: return tickets, multi-leg journeys, seat selection, date and time changes).

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