Redesign an Experience

Redesign an Experience:
Improving Public Transit Accommodations

In this project, I took on the challenge of experiencing an experience using phenomenological practices of sensory immersion to participate, reflect, and improve upon an experience.

The Challenge

Undergo an experience using sensory immersion to fully observe and reflect on the act of experiencing an experience. Using insights gained from the experience, consider ways to improve on it through design.

Planning The Experience

Experience: Take public transit with my daughter in her stroller. This experience marks the first time I have done this activity.

Expectations: From past observation, I've seen others have both positive and negative experiences using a stroller on a bus. I assumed my experience could be positive, negative or both.

Street view of woman with baby in stroller

Experiencing the Experience

Observations from the trip on the bus:

Backing off the bus was easier than stepping off with the stroller in front, but both methods were stressful
My stroller became an extension of my body as I had to put a lot of effort into tipping it on and off the bus in a gentle manner
One driver was more courteous than the other:
- Asked passengers to clear space for me
- Waited for me to sit before driving again
- This made a huge difference in how I felt about the overall experience of each ride (calm and secure vs slightly off guard and anxious)

Insights from the Experience

Even when the bus lowers to the curb, the height of the bus step is too high to be comfortable when getting on or off the bus with a stroller
This issue likely affects other passengers with assistive walkers, luggage, or any other type of cargo.

Improve the Experience

Incorporate a sensor to the bottom step of the bus platform that adjusts the bus height to a comfortable height in relation to the curb. This prevents drivers and passengers from having to guess how high the bus step is from the curb below.