Introduction to the Design Thinking Process
To demonstrate my expertise in solving complex design challenges, I am undertaking a case study that showcases the full cycle of the Design Thinking process. This approach will allow me to address real-world user needs through a structured, human-centred framework, focusing on empathy, ideation, and iterative design. The case study aims to explore a specific problem space and develop innovative, user-centric solutions by applying the following key phases
Empathize
Gaining a deep understanding of users' needs, pain points, and motivations through research and user interviews.
Define
Clearly articulating the problem statement and identifying the core challenge based on user insights.
Ideate
Brainstorming creative solutions, generating ideas, and considering multiple design possibilities.
Prototype
Creating low- and high-fidelity prototypes to test design concepts and visualize potential solutions.
Test
Gathering user feedback, iterating on designs, and refining the solution to ensure optimal user experience.
This project will demonstrate my ability to apply Design Thinking principles, critical problem-solving skills, and a user-centred approach to deliver impactful and innovative design solutions. Stay tuned for each step of the process as I document my journey from discovery to implementation.
Capstone Proposal
As part of a Design Thinking course at IIT Delhi, I was tasked with a capstone project where I was provided with a single image. The challenge required me to apply design thinking principles to carefully observe and analyze the image, identifying key insights and underlying patterns. This exercise allowed me to sharpen my observational and analytical skills, helping me to translate visual elements into actionable design insights. My ability to synthesize observations and generate thoughtful, user-centred conclusions was a key learning outcome from this project.
After these observations, I decided to analyse the travel experience of people of India who chose to travel by Indian railways.
To gain a deeper understanding of the core problem, I plan to conduct user interviews with individuals across key demographic segments. The selected age groups for this research will include: (16-25, 26-40, 41-55).
User Interviews and Surveys
Direct Feedback: Conducted interviews and surveys targeting different age groups
(16-25, 26-40, 41-55) to understand how often they use the railway to travel and what their experience are.
Questions can include:
1. How frequently do you use the railway?
2. Why they chose railway to travel?
3. How do they book their tickets?
4. What challenges or frustrations do you face while booking tickets offline and online?
5. What would encourage you to use the app more or offline bookings?
These age ranges were chosen based on the assumption that they represent the most frequent travelling personas. By interviewing participants from these groups, I aim to gather diverse insights and identify the unique needs and pain points that vary across different stages of life and travel behaviours. This approach will help ensure that the design solution addresses the broader spectrum of user requirements effectively.
What first thing comes to user's mind about the train journey?
The user's Response is as follows
How do special persons (handicapped) book train tickets?
How many people know the concession in rail fare and quota for bookings?
The user's response is as follows
"Divyang" is "Orthopedically Handicapped/Paraplegic Persons" or someone needs a wheelchair they can book at the station, someone needs to go to this wheelchair room by the navigation boards or ask someone and can take one chair with a document to be submitted as a deposit so that chair will be returned properly. This chair is only for railway premises.
Solutions which is in the trial phase
Offline Reservation Form
Based on the interviews, some of the comments made by users about the problems they face during train travel are as follows:
“I don’t know who to call if I feel unsafe in trains. Reaching out to the police seems scary.”
“I am afraid of asking strangers for directions. Once I asked for a ticket counter at the station and a person misdirected me in the opposite direction and I ended up spending 30 minutes more than it was required.”
“I witnessed someone stealing an unattended bag, but I didn’t know who to inform and reach out to the police might have wasted my crucial time so I had to ignore it.
Based on the user observations, I created the following personas.
These personas target the different groups of targetted audiences.
These personas target the different groups of targetted audiences.
User Research: Enhancing the Train Ticketing Experience
As part of a UX research initiative, I conducted interviews with users who frequently travel by train using physical tickets to understand their pain points and gather insights for potential digital solutions. The user research aimed to explore opportunities for improving convenience, accessibility, and overall travel experience.
Research Approach
User Group: Frequent train travellers using physical tickets.
Method: One-on-one interviews focused on their experiences with purchasing, storing, and using tickets.
Key Questions:
1. What challenges do you face with physical train tickets?
2. How do you keep your tickets secure while travelling?
3. What features would you find valuable in a digital ticketing system?
4. Can you show me where is your PNR number on your ticket?
Ease of Ticket Management
Many users expressed frustration with keeping physical tickets safe,
especially during long journeys or transfers.
Accessibility Issues
Users highlighted the inconvenience of locating ticket counters and waiting
in lines to purchase tickets.
Security Concerns
Lost or damaged tickets were a recurring issue, leading to stress and potential fines.
Digital Preferences
Most users were open to using mobile-based ticketing apps that offered
real-time schedule updates, notifications, and QR-based ticketing.
This research provided valuable insights into user pain points and preferences, guiding the ideation of a user-friendly, digital train ticketing solution that emphasizes ease of use, security, and enhanced travel convenience.
What’s Our Scope?
