I often find myself juggling three different mobile applications when planning my commute from New Jersey to New York. First, I turn to Google Maps to figure out the fastest route to my destination. Then, I switch to the Transit app to confirm that my bus or train is running on time. Finally, I open the NJ Transit app to purchase my ticket. While the NJ Transit app has made buying etickets convenient, even after 6 years of using the app, I still struggle to navigate to the features I need. Would the NJ Transit app be better if it adopted some of the features that Google Maps and the Transit app excel at?
The navigation in NJ Transit feels cluttered and requires multiple taps to plan trips, buy tickets, or view schedules. The home screen lacks a clear hierarchy, making it difficult to perform simple tasks. Buying a ticket takes more than five clicks (shown in the image below) , and for first-time users unfamiliar with specific origin/destination stations, bus numbers, or zones, making a purchase can be challenging. Steve Krug advises, “Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left” (Krug, 75). This emphasizes clear and concise communication. NJ Transit should adopt this principle to simplify the most common user tasks on the home screen and use clear, recognizable icons to guide users.
In contrast, Google Maps features a clean, intuitive design with clear icons, structured hierarchy, and a color scheme with interactive elements that help users navigate easily. Steve Krug argues that "As a user, I should never have to devote a millisecond of thought to whether things are clickable or not" (Krug, 32). We see this principle play out in the Transit app as it knows exactly what information the user is looking for without confusion about the interactable elements. The Transit app prioritizes information hierarchy with real-time transportation recommendations on its home screen, often delivering the needed information without requiring additional clicks. The bold color scheme to distinguish different transit information and large, easy-to-tap buttons make the Transit app intuitive. By learning from Google Maps' clear iconography and Transit App's transit-focused interface, NJ Transit could make its app more user-friendly.
Planning a trip with the NJ Transit App can be overwhelming due to the vast options presented. "Your goal should be for each page or screen to be self-evident, so that just by looking at it the average user will know what it is and how to use it" (Krug, 36). NJ Transit should apply this principle to simplify their trip planning process. The app should offer multimodal trip planning that includes buses, trains, light rails, and bike/walking options. While planning for a trip or looking for a bus route, users shouldn't have to struggle with identifying their nearest station. The app should allow input of a street address and handle the rest, providing alternative route suggestions, estimated travel times, and clearly displaying the number of transfers. NJ Transit could significantly improve their user experience by learning from Google Maps, which excels in this area.
NJ Transit could become a one-stop solution for route planning, real-time updates, and ticket purchasing by integrating the best features from Google Maps and the Transit app. This would simplify the commuter experience both within New Jersey and trips to New York or Philadelphia, potentially making public transit a more user-friendly option for thousands who make these in-state and interstate journeys daily.
Krug, Steve. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. New Riders, 2014. pp. 32, 36, 75.