Mobility as a Service

The goal of "Mobility as a Service" (MaaS) is to design New Zealand's real-time transport solution that helps you get wherever you need to go. Select where you want to go, then choose from a number of travel options - taxi, bus, ferry, train or shuttle - and see exactly when your transport will arrive, in real-time. MaaS is a new approach to transport that combines journey options from all transport providers into a single mobile service.

When I joined the project, there was already an extensive list of possible app features, based on earlier user polls of what features were well-liked. However there was little clarity on how the features would be prioritised, and how they would come together to create an holistic user experience. Furthermore, it wasn't clear on what the main focus areas for the MaaS app should be, in the launch region of Queenstown, Dunedin and Christchurch.

As the UX Strategist and Researcher, I created a UX research and design framework that took the app from a "feature-centric approach" to a "customer journey-centric" approach. We did this by flipping the mental model from a long list of feature backlogs, and instead focusing on how the MaaS app can fit into everyday life of New Zealanders.

First we needed to understand how Kiwis conducted their journeys, whether it be getting to work, going to the gym or dropping-off kids at daycare. What modes of transport did they prefer to use and why? Once we learned about their motives, we could then understand their behaviour, and thus what mobile app features they needed to help their journeys.