The bus app that nobody uses
A town builds a bus app. It is clever. It shows live buses on a map.
But it cannot show a timetable. It takes 30 seconds to load. It does not work on older phones. It has no help button. And when the town updates it, it stops working for a day.
The app works. But it does not meet the needs of its users.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | What a system can do. | Show a timetable and buy a ticket |
| Pain point | A part of using a system that makes users annoyed. | A page that takes 30 seconds to load |
| Response time | How long a system takes to answer. | 2 seconds |
| Accessibility | Designing so people with extra needs can use it. | Large text, or a tool that reads the screen aloud |
| Compatibility | Working well with other systems and devices. | Works with old and new phones |
| Legacy system | An older system that a business still uses. | An old stock program |
| Availability | How much of the time a system is up and working. | Open every day, all day |
| Downtime | Time when a system is not working. | A site is shut for repairs |
| Future proofing | Building a system so it can work with changes later. | Allowing space for new features |
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Quick check: the bus app
Have a go
Quick check: the bus app
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Seven things a good system gets right
| Need | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | Users can do all the tasks they need | The bus app shows times and sells tickets |
| No pain points | Fast answers and simple tasks | A ticket in three taps |
| Accessibility | People with extra needs can use it | Large text, or a tool that reads the screen aloud |
| Compatibility | It works with old, new and outside systems | Works with the old ticket machine and the payment company |
| Availability | It is up when people need it | Few breaks for repair |
| User support | Help is easy to find | A help chat and a guide |
| Easy to install | It is simple to set up | One tap to install from an app store |
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Reduce pain points
A pain point is a part of using a system that makes people annoyed.
Two common ones are slow answers and tasks that are too hard.
If a task takes time, tell the user how long it will take. If the wait gets longer, tell them again. "About 5 seconds" is better than a blank screen. And break a hard task into short steps.
Compatibility
A new system is not alone. It must work with a legacy system (an older system still in use), with future systems, and with outside services such as a payment company.
If it does not, staff must type the same data twice, or the old system must be thrown away.