Project Story - TfL self-service ticketing

© Foolproof 1

TfL self-service ticketing

There are few tougher challenges in design than mass transit systems. Get it right

and you improve the daily lives of millions of people. Get it wrong and… well, you

can’t get it wrong.

The challenge

TfL asked us to help improve the user experience of their self-service ticket

machines. While the hardware itself would stay the same, we were tasked with

improving the touchscreen user interface, helping more people serve themselves

at ticket machines in every station in the capital and its transport catchment.

TfL’s network is used by millions of Londoners every day, from schoolchildren to

commuters to pensioners. It’s also used by most of London’s visitors who come

from the rest of the UK and from every other country in the world. To make things

harder, buying tickets can often happen under stress: the noise and bustle of the

station, unfamiliarity with the ticketing and payment options, and the impatience

of the person behind you in the line.

What we did

When designing for an audience of this breadth and diversity, consistency is key. It

was essential we devised a set of patterns which users could quickly understand.

The vast range of purchase options and travel routes available meant that nothing

Project Story - TfL self-service ticketing

© Foolproof 2

less than meticulous attention to detail would ensure we created a consistent

experience which lowered the barriers to use.

We began by examining TfL behaviour studies and conducted a usability study of

existing self-service kiosks. We took particular note of the pressures in the station

environment and how these impacted travellers’ willingness to engage with the

machines.

Conditions such as heat, noise, vibration and the feeling of being watched were

causing some people to make rushed and inaccurate ticket purchases, or leading

them to abandon their self-service purchase.

We conducted 30, 90 minute interviews at the TfL testing centre with people from

across London, ensuring that we included users of every underground and

overground line plus bus travellers, paper ticket and oyster card users. In order to

capture the spectrum of TfL customers we recruited a wide range of

demographics, taking into consideration varying levels of literacy as well as people

with physical and cognitive disability.

During each interview we programmed the

testing machines to mirror the settings of the

participant’s local station. We then ran a series

of scenarios ranging from simple routes, to

journeys to more obscure directions involving

group tickets and multiple modes of transport.

We tried to make the testing conditions as

similar to the station environment as possible

by putting participants under time constraints

and physiological pressure.

Using this insight we created low-fidelity

concept designs of key user journeys and created diagrams which helped us

develop our interaction ideas and define the improved experience.

The technical limitations of the machines had an impact on our design thinking at

this stage. We realised we needed to provide stronger directional cues to help

guide the user off-screen towards other parts of the machine. We validated our

low-fidelity prototypes through user research, using the insights gained to inform

more detailed screen designs.

We then conducted user research with an interactive prototype. The prototype

was presented on a touchscreen display and housed within a mocked-up ticket

Ticket machine mock-up

Project Story - TfL self-service ticketing

© Foolproof 3

machine. We were then able to hand over detailed visual and interaction design

specifications for development.

The new TfL ticket interface

The win/win

The new ticketing interface shows TfL’s commitment to improving the customer

experience. More people have a successful ticketing experience with the

machines, saving them time and stress in their journey. The new experience also

helps TfL keep London moving, with wider benefits for the city and the national

economy.