Figma final redesign 

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MYmta Unsolicited Redesign

Problem Statement

The MYmta app is known by anyone who has touched it to be atrociously designed and an absolute nightmare to navigate.

The app buries almost every necessary, useful feature within long, confusing menus and unfamiliar, inconvenient user journeys.

Goal of Redesign

Showcase the great features that the MYmta application already possesses, and introduce new features to drive app downloads, Monthly Active Users, and App Revenue.

Research Methods

  • Reviewed analysis completed by Milka Montero

    Completed my own competitor analysis, comparing features and User Journeys of top transit applications

  • Identified key user groups of MYmta (The Long Time Local and the New Neighbor), and researched their motivations and values

  • Conducted interviews with 10 individuals to gather their perceptions of interfaces from the current MYmta, City Mapper, and the MYmta Redesign

  • Two rounds of prototype testing with 10 individuals; gaining insights on what worked, what didn’t, and visible points of frustration or joy

Research Findings

,

“It Pays to Look This Good”

In 2022, the MTA lost $500 million in fare evasion. While this issue is being addressed through increased fares (ouch!) and spending $1 million/month on security guards in subway stations, in-app advertisements present another, unexplored revenue opportunity.

With higher engagement from a pleasant-to-use application, MYmta has the potential to make up a percentage of profit lost to fare evasion.

Who is This All For?

Through my Research Methods, I uncovered what the MYmta application most direly needed, and who would be the most impacted and excited by these changes.

I found that the application is most relevant to two types of users:

The Long Time Local: An individual already familiar with the MTA who has lived in the area for many years.

The New Neighbor: An NYC transplant used to other navigational tools, looking to get acquainted with New York City Transit.

What do They Need?

The Long Time Local wanted an application that could be easily navigable, with accurate information that helped most in situations regarding commute times, delays, and reviewing maps offline.

The New Neighbor wanted an application that was catered to a New Yorker, with a specific knowledge of the transit systems that could better situate someone from out of town while allowing navigational routines to be built within the app. 

The current MYmta app was failing them in multiple ways: The arrival and departure information was frequently incorrect, pages didn’t load what/when they were supposed to, and while 25% of New Yorkers are not English-proficient, the MYmta app is only available in English — even when carrier language settings are changed.

Design Process

Aesthetic-Usability Effect

One of the first things that I noticed about the current MYmta app was just how harsh the interface looks and feels.

The straight lines feel entirely out-of-sync with the pre-existing, round visual language of the subway.

Even on visuals alone, this was not an app people wanted to use.

Takeaways

  1. Copy must be direct and understandable

  2. Visuals must be rounded and organic

  3. Embrace transit color schemes to introduce fun into the app experience

  4. There are advertisements on the subway — we can see ads on the app

Clear Pain Points

Icons were inconsistent with their typical meaning and the app did not anticipate user error.

It took a lot of digging to find certain features, and, on multiple occasions, I lost them when trying to find them again.

Imagine if I had been in a rush to go somewhere!

Takeaways

  1. Icons need to be consistent and meaningful

  2. Less is more

  3. Everybody makes mistakes, so make it easy to “undo”

Design Scope

I set out to…

…Create more intuitive visuals

…Make the application easier to navigate and more pleasant to use

I did not set out to…

…Flesh out detail-specific navigational tools

…Incorporate every feature that I think the app should eventually have

I plan to…

…Expand upon these designs and make impact through user testing

Design Implications

User Interviews signaled that 5 out of 10 users interviewed would choose the MYmta redesign over popular competitor City Mapper, and 3 out of 10 users would use the MYmta app to navigate the MTA over Google Maps. This data can be compared to 0 out of 10 users who chose the original MYmta app.

A redesign is the ideal outcome for the user and for the MTA itself.

With more users on their platform, advertisements can be implemented to increase the Average Revenue Per User and uncover previously untapped funds.

For example, many user complaints concerned the accuracy of the MYmta information: Funding could be allocated here to improve arrival and departure timetables, further strengthening the User Experience.

My Closing Thoughts

I loved creating a new digital identity for MYmta through this redesign.

I feel strongest in the features that I added and showcased:

  1. Putting Accessibility front and center

  2. Modeling the visual language of subway car maps in my Maps section

  3. Highlighting transit timetables in Navigation Details

Of course, I see areas of improvement, too.

I want to continue to design more pages for the application, and spend more time with users that reflect all kinds of people who interact with the MTA and MYmta.

Using 10 people to test might be adequate for a passion project, but it certainly is not enough to gauge the true needs of our users.