The image features the TransitBloom logo with a stylized leaf and two smartphones displaying a transit app with maps, stop information, and bus details.

🥉 3rd place - UXL Blueprint Competition

Designing a sustainable and accessible travel app.

Despite a growing interest in eco-friendly transit, many commuters still rely on unsustainable travel options. Difficult transit systems, unreliable schedules, and accessibility issues make greener choices feel more difficult for everyday use.

OVERVIEW

TOOLS

Figma, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate

MY ROLE

Product Designer, UX Researcher

TIMELINE

Nov 2024 (3 week design challenge)

VIEW FULL PROTOTYPE

A cartoon illustration of a brown banana with a white necktie in the shape of an exclamation mark.

DESIGN CHALLENGE

How might we design sustainable travel options that increase efficiency while enhancing the quality of life for daily commuters?

THE SOLUTION

Route planning

Routes that account for accessibility conditions and sustainability impact

TransitBloom helps commuters plan routes using intuitive and inclusive design, and rewards that make eco-friendly choices feel practical and achievable:

Know about changes before they affect you, and share your feedback

An iPhone screen showing a notification about service changes effective November 28 for TTC subway and bus services, with a background image of a Toronto Transit Commission bus, and a section at the bottom prompting users to voice their opinion.
Screenshot of a route planning app showing suggested routes from Toronto to Mississauga, with options for various transportation modes and details about the trip duration, costs, and carbon footprint.
Mobile app screen showing a dashboard with 324 carbon points, a message indicating 23 kilotonnes of carbon emissions saved, and options for earning points through activities such as free transit, bike share, and vouchers. The screen also displays individual offers like a free single-use transit ticket, free hour of bike share, and a $10 SportChek voucher, each with associated points.

Eco-rewards system

Earn Carbon Points, track your environmental impact, and redeem rewards

Service alerts

PROCESS

Competitor Analysis

We first looked at what our competitors do well:

Clean, minimal interface— Competitors prioritize simplicity and lets users plan trips without visual clutter.

Detailed transit directions — Competitors provide detailed guidance that walk users through their journey and reduce uncertainty for first-time riders.

Reliable real-time updates — Competitors pull live data across buses, trains, and other transit modes, keeping arrival times as accurate as possible.

RESEARCH

Why aren’t there more sustainable-forward transit apps?

We studied 2 key groups:

  1. Students who value speed and affordability; and

  2. Seniors who require accessible routes.

Through interviews, competitor analysis, and market research, we discovered barriers that shape behaviours of commuters.

User Research

The real problem behind daily commuting

Speaking with daily commuters showed that the challenge was more about uncertainty, stress, and lack of control. Students felt overwhelmed by unreliable transit systems, often relying more on Uber or driving because it felt more predictable. Seniors and users with mobility needs shared how inaccessible stations made many trips feel frustrating.

After, we figured out that commuting decisions were shaped by convenience, and whether the transit system feels like it supports you.

Insights

Reliability and convenience are more important than simply having sustainable options available. If transit feels confusing or inconsistent, people are far less likely to choose it regardless of environmental benefits.

DEFINE

Redesigning Transit Around Real Barriers

From our research, it became clear that commuters don’t dislike sustainable transit— they just feel unsupported by already existing tools. Current apps do not address these three things: accessibility, motivation, and uncertainty.

We defined TransitBloom as an experience that connects real-time information, inclusive route planning, and eco-incentives.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

“Commuters face unreliable, inaccessible, and uninspiring transit experiences that make sustainable travel feel inconvenient and uncertain.”

DESIGN FOCUS

Reduce uncertainty with real-time updating routes

Support diverse mobility needs

Motivate greener choices through rewards

DESIGN

Low-Fidelity

Sketches of mobile app interface designs, including screens for home, rewards system, transit tips, shared bus features, alerts, and account creation, with handwritten notes describing features and functions.

Mapping out the core user structure

Med-Fidelity

Screenshot of a mobile app interface showing suggested routes for transportation options from a location at 178 Victoria St, Toronto, ON. The app displays estimated travel times for various modes, including car, train, bicycle, walking, and bus. The selected route is a low carbon option with a total travel time of 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Screenshot of a mobile app interface showing suggested routes for transportation options from a location at 178 Victoria St, Toronto, ON. The app displays estimated travel times for various modes, including car, train, bicycle, walking, and bus. The selected route is a low carbon option with a total travel time of 2 hours and 12 minutes.
A smartphone screen displaying a transportation app with suggested routes, filter options, and route details such as duration, maps, and icons for transportation modes.
Screenshot of a mobile app displaying suggested routes for a trip, with details on transportation options, durations, and environmental impact, set against a black background.
Screenshot of a mobile app displaying suggested routes for a trip, with details on transportation options, durations, and environmental impact, set against a black background.

Feedback from peers and mentors showed that users felt overwhelmed by the interface. Several screens lacked a clear visual hierarchy, accessibility options were hard to find, and the purple colour palette didn't align with the app's sustainability focus.

Final Design

Screenshots of a public transit app interface, showing options for creating an account, finding friends, enabling location, viewing suggested routes, checking bus schedules, and service updates for transit in Toronto.

We focused on strengthening both usability and visual identity. The original purple colour palette felt disconnected from the idea of green technology, so we shifted to a green-teal primary palette supported by dark green, black, and white for better readability and stronger sustainability branding.

We introduced clearer iconography, accessibility toggles, carbon-saving visuals, and an eco-points reward system. The final design below creates an experience that supports users to make greener commuting choices every day!

Redesign using feedback

RESULTS

What I learned

01. Sustainability needs motivation

Many users already care about the environment, but awareness alone does not change behaviour. Clear incentives and real-time reassurance is what drives intention into action.

02. Accessibility must be integrated from the start

Designing for seniors and users with mobility needs helped reinforce the idea that accessibility cannot be ignored. That way, the experience improves for everyone and not just those with specific needs.

03. Small UX decisions help shape our everyday habits

TransitBloom showed me how details such as colour choices and reward feedback can influence trust. Thoughtful UX decisions can make sustainable commuting feel more rewarding and part of a daily routine.

Designed with ❤️ (and a lot of Figma).

Toronto, ON