Dynamic Travel Display

The car-free San Juan Islands, a scenic escape 60 miles from Seattle, rely on ferries, planes, and trains. To help passengers navigate the main hub, we designed a dynamic, data-driven display prioritizing departures and providing clear travel information.

Project Role: Lead UX/UI Designer
Team: Zhuoying Lin, Fengyi Zhang
Year(s): 2018
Travelers to the San Juan Islands need to get to their destination without missing their scheduled departures, in a terminal that hosts multiple means of transit.
A dynamic travel display that highlights boarding times and separates destinations and means of transit, and provides printable cards to take information on-the-go.

Project overview

We designed a data-driven display for the San Juan Islands' main transportation hub, prioritizing accessibility and user-friendliness for residents and travelers relying on trains, planes, or ferries. Analyzing hub-provided data, we prioritized essential information like live boarding times and weather. User testing revealed a card-based layout, inspired by airport displays but adapted for quicker information access and tourist attraction details, was more effective. We organized complex ferry routes by mode and destination, highlighting the PTF Pass, and used animation for smooth transitions. Printable handouts below each card provided on-the-go information, especially for transfers and local attractions, enhancing the overall travel experience.

By shortening the cards in the boarding section, we were able to include more information. We also used coloring to call attention to boarding or canceled trips.

We highlighted the complexities with ferry destinations: the fact that they're available by transfer and that they travel from Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, and Yacht Haven out to the other islands.

We also highlighted local attractions and the PTF pass to cater to the tourism aspect of the region.