Work

SL App Redesign

Team
Andreas Stavrakis
John Pinsky
Nevra Banu AslanMegan BalschunNono Saito
Yuti Huang
CONTRIBUTION
Research
User Journey
Strategy
Storytelling
Duration
3 weeks
Tools
Miro
Figma
OVERVIEW

Background

Urban transportation is essential for city growth, enabling commutes, economic activities, and social interactions. In Stockholm, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) ensures efficient public transit across the metropolitan area. However, many SL customers still prefer physical tickets over the digital options offered by the SL app. 



To address this, SL collaborated with Hyper Island students to redesign their digital ticketing experience.

Why don’t travelers use the app to purchase tickets for daily transportation?
overview

Product preview

Single ticket purchase
Physical ticket top up
Purchase history
Re-designed purchase flow
RESEARCH

Secondary Research

We began by examining a variety of transportation applications from different companies, analyzing their design approaches and functionalities in relation to the volume of daily travelers they serve.
(Picture from the team’s Miro board)
RESEARCH

Interviews & Questionnaire

To gain direct insights from SL app users, we conducted an online survey with 160 responses and 20 on-site commuter interviews. 


We found that 67% of users struggle with navigating the app due to unclear menus, confusing icons, and inefficient search functions. 



Additionally, 40% distrust the app with large transactions, preferring accessible receipts and stronger security measures found with physical tickets.
Conducting Interviews
RESEARCH

Service Safari

We conducted a service safari during rush hours and observed that travelers were often stressed preparing tickets near gates, leading to rushed app interactions or a preference for physical tickets. 



Additionally, many users didn’t realize their digital tickets had expired until it was too late, causing last-minute scrambling or additional purchases. 



These findings highlight that real-time ticket validity alerts and reducing cognitive load during peak times are essential for a smoother transit experience and more reliable digital ticketing.
Field observation
Reframe Design Question


The insights gathered from our research activities enabled us to refine our problem statement, culminating in our final design question:



How might we design a user-friendly SL app that provides trust and an overall smoother experience?
DEVELOPMENT

Ideation

During our brainstorming sessions, we identified key components essential to enhancing the SL app’s usability and trustworthiness. 



Our solution comprised four main features:

  • Quicker and Easier Access to Tickets, QR ticket is the home screen
  • Top-Ups: Digitalizing Physical Tickets, Auto charge
Purchase history,
  • Receipts After Ticket Purchases

  • Notifications About Ticket Expiry Dates



Low fidelity prototypes
DEVELOPMENT

Concept Validation – Stakeholder Feedback

During stakeholder meetings, SL emphasized enhancing the app’s self-service features to increase revenue, improve communication, and unify data collection. They acknowledged the long-term goal of moving towards app-only usage but remain committed to supporting non-digital riders.  



Stakeholders preferred focusing on UX and communication solutions over marketing campaigns, aiming for practical app improvements rather than pursuing radical innovations. 



They stressed the importance of accessibility and maintaining SL’s role as an essential public transport service for all users.
DEVELOPMENT

Concept Validation – User Testing

We conducted Guerrilla usability testing with 4 users using low-fidelity prototypes created with Figma. 



The testing provided valuable feedback focused on application visibility and user efficiency:


“The top-up is easier to understand than the current app.”


“It’s quicker and easier.”


“I dislike the notification feature since I get many notifications on my phone already.”


“The different footer doesn't work for me and confuses me.”

DEVELOPMENT

High-Fidelity Prototyping

We developed our high-fidelity prototypes using Figma, ensuring that visual changes remained minimal to maintain user familiarity and ease of transition from the existing SL app.



Based on the results of our user testing, we decided to keep the footer similar with slight re-arrangments and leave the notification feature aside.
This is some text inside of a div block.
This is some text inside of a div block.
Key Features
  • Direct Access to Ticket screen.
The application now opens directly within the Ticket section when a user launches the app.
  • Added a step of choosing ticket type instead of sliding it to decrease mental load by keeping consistency.
  • The payment requires one less tap to be completed by having the prefered payment method already ticked.
  • The Ticket History feature allows users to easily access and download receipts for their transactions.
Direct Access to Ticket
Consistent purchase steps
E-receipt access
Access to Ticket History
We also redesigned the SL app’s physical card top-up to enhance user control and intuitiveness. When travelers scan their SL cards, they immediately see ticket status, including expiration dates and balances, along with prominent “Top Up” buttons for easy recharging. 



By prioritizing essential functions and adding an auto-charge option, the new design is more intuitive, empowering users to manage their transit needs effortlessly and feel in control.
Top-up purchase flow
CONCLUSION

The Value

Our solutions enhance key ticketing functions in the SL app, making them more accessible and user-friendly with minimal development effort. By reorganizing existing features and adding receipt exports, we promote self-service and increase user engagement, reducing reliance on physical tickets and ticket agents. 



These feasible improvements align with SL’s goals, improving user experience and lowering operational costs. 



The project concluded with a successful presentation to SL stakeholders, demonstrating the value and practicality of our enhancements.
Presenting our solution to SL
CONCLUSION

Project Outcome

Our group’s pitch successfully inspired Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) to implement a receipt system for their users' purchases, enhancing transaction transparency and user trust.
CONCLUSION

Personal Contributions

I was part of the development of the survey, service safari, interviews, user journey and revamped the interface design with Nevra Banu Aslan integrating research insights and visual hierarchy principles to enhance user experience.

Special thanks to Elisabeth Aguilera for her guidance and support, the Hyper Island community for providing a collaborative environment, and SL stakeholders for their valuable feedback and willingness to implement our design suggestions. We also appreciate the input from our peers and mentors, which significantly contributed to the success of this project.
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