Audrey Tang

d3/
TheRide 
Detour Toolkit





DEC 2023
6 weeks
Content Strategy, UX Research, UI Design

In collaboration with Theo Berry, 
Yichen Hu, and My Dao

Role: Project Management, Book 
Design, Content Writing


A toolkit to help service planners at Ann Arbor’s bus system TheRide to effectively communicate detour situations to riders. While detours may inevitably disrupt some travels, the Toolkit aims to reduce rider abandonment by improving basic text and graphic communication standards and information distribution.

Detours occur frequently in Ann Arbor due to construction projects and other circumstances outside of TheRide’s control. However, these detours should not deter riders from using the bus service, and the passenger communication system should offer recourse to assist riders in adapting their travels to the detours.



How might we optimize detour 
alerts to improve rider experience?


Each summer, Ann Arbor undergoes a number of construction projects that impact roads and forces detours for local bus services. With over a million boardings each year, these detours impact a significant number of TheRide’s ridership experience, and our research has found that the service is ill-equipped to communicate detours with their riders. 

Our team started by conducting a series of exploratory research of the exsisting alert ecosystem to understand how riders are currently navigating detours with the local bus system. From our exploratory interviews and observations of transit centers, we identified key issues in the accessibility of exsiting detour communnications. 

The three areas of improvement were: (1) the difficulty in deciphering text announcements, (2) a lack of visual communication for spatial information, and (3) a passive alert system that requires users to actively search for alerts. 

To address these gaps, we compiled a passenger communication guide targeted for retaining ridership during detour instances. 






Approach

Prior to the design process, we outlined the approach we hope to take with the detour communication redesign. The priorities we defined were rider retention, accessibility, and emphasis. To guide our writing process, we centered on the principles of accountability and clarity. 

The result of our considerations is the Responsive Text Alert System-- where three forms of information (short form text, long form text, and map) are put in different combinations given the context the information is displayed on. This is designed for a quick and east information access at the first touchpoint, while still offering the choice to expand on the information with each following touchpoit. 





1. Confusing Language

The first section of the Toolkit: “Alert Messages” address the first challenge we identified with TheRide’s confusing language when it comes to detour communication. In this section, we rewrite current detour messages for clarity and create a structured template for replication. 

The main design decision we made was to use location and stop names as the primary information to communicate these detours. Because typical riders often do not drive a personal vehicle and may be unfamiliar with street names or navigation terms, using location and stops provide riders adequate context to locate themselves in a detour system.

The alert messages are designed to start broad and end narrow. General information such as impacted route and location and conveyed first, so riders can quickly determine whether or not the detour information pertains to their travel. If riders are unable to grasp the information in the message, it provides additional assistance for visual reference or customer service.






2. Language Barriers

To address the language barriers that may arise from the current text-heavy communication systems, we developed a simple and direct graphic convention for physical and digital implementation under the section “Detour Flyers.”

Physical flyers situated in bus stops help convey detour information to riders without digital access. To ensure that the flyers comprehensively cover as much information as possible without the need for digital access, it includes a complete alert message and detour visualization.

The three flyer templates are designed to work together in informing the rider that they arrived at a closed stop, how their travel is impacted, and where they can find alternative stops. Once they are directed to a new stop, additional flyers can confirm that they have arrived at the correct location for the route.







3. Passive Alerts

 After creating the detour alert message and flyer assets, choosing how to disseminate and publicize them is a crucial step in ensuring that riders receive detour updates in a timely and accessible manner. 

The three main information locations we identified include: in-house digital services (such as TheRide’s exsisting social media and onboard communication), external navigation services (submitted through General Transit Feed Specificaiton), and bus stop postings.

This comprehensively covers both internal and external, digital and physical information sources to reach a wider audience. The Toolkit section “Dissemination” outlines tips and formats on how to best present detour alerts to different riders in different scenarios.









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