Design Research in SF

Fear And Loathing

In San FranciscoCarolyn Packer | You-Wen “Mark” Liang | Kyle Wolf | Greg Zulkie

California College of the Arts — Prepared for the Mayor’s Office of Innovation | 12.03.2012

Statement of Intent

P. 2

How do people use public transit in San Francisco and what do they value about it?

We observed how San Francisco residents currently engage with their public transit system and its employees.

Through qualitative research, we aimed to discover opportunity areas that the Mayor’s Office might explore in the future.


P. 3

Research SummaryIn order to understand future opportunities, we studied present situations.

Our online survey gathered initial responses that helped us focus our long form personal interviews.


Research SummaryWe conducted 7 In-depth interviews at participants homes and work. We interviewed a broad range of people representing different age groups, ethnic and economic backgrounds. In addition to having them relate personal experiences, we had them play an interactive game in which they designed their ideal seat layout for MUNI buses.

P. 4California College of the Arts — Prepared for the Mayor’s Office of Innovation | 12.03.2012

Research SummaryWe conducted basic observational research before and after our interviews to understand the behaviors of SFMTA riders and see how they correlated with what we learned during our interviews.


P. 6

ZhenTHE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL

She moved to SF recently and is still getting the hang of using MUNI.

FabioTHE TOURIST

It’s his first visit to SF and he doesn’t speak english very well.

DaisyTHE LEISURE RIDER

Prefers to use MUNI to travel around the city on weekends, rather than driving.


P. 7

Fabio’s Arrival to SFHe steps off the plane and manages to find BART, but how do you buy a ticket? No one from SFMTA or any of his fellow travelers stop to help.


P. 8

Success! He rides the BART to Powel. He gets on Muni and says “hello” and “thank you” to the bus driver with no reply.


California College of the Arts — Prepared for the Mayor’s Office of Innovation | 12.10.2012 P. 9

The bus is crowded and awkward.


A few stops into the ride, the bus suddenly screeches to a halt in the middle of the street. Everyone is frantic and confused.


P. 11

The bus driver, not informing anyone of what went wrong or when it will be fixed, strolls away, leaving a full bus full of people without a ride.


P. 12

Lost and confused, Fabio steps off the bus and hails a cab.


P. 13

What Went Wrong?» Lack of communication between

SFMTA and bus riders.

» Overcrowding causes awkwardness between passengers.

» Unreliable system leaves passengers without a ride.


P. 14

Zhen’s CommuteUpon arriving at her bus stop, Zhen is again inundated by those terrible Twilight posters. Rolling her eyes, she plugs into her iPhone and disengages.


P. 15

She realizes that she left her clipper card in a different wallet! Without any cash on hand, she has to sneak on the back of the bus, lest she be late to work.


P. 16

At her transfer stop, the connecting bus’ back doors don’t open, so she can’t sneak on again.


P. 17

Frustrated, and stranded on Market Street, she decides that her only option is to hail a cab and use her credit card to pay the fare.


P. 18

What Went Wrong?» Lack of interest in the physical

spaces at stops and stations encourage people to isolate themselves.

» Outdated, inflexible payment systems makes it harder for people to pay their fair share.


P. 19

Daisy’s SaturdayDaisy knows that MUNI doesn’t necesarily run on time, so she checks Routesy for the next bus to her destination.


P. 20

Thinking she’s going to be on time, she strolls to the bus stop, only to see it driving away just as she turns the corner.


P. 21

She has to wait 20 minutes for the next bus to come. She stands awkwardly at the curb as she watches homeless people use the bus stop as their hotel.


P. 22

20 minutes later, the bus finally comes. The bus is so crowded that it keep driving when it comes to the curb, leaving her to wait another 15 minutes for the next bus to come.


P. 23

Late and frustrated, she takes a cab.


P. 24

What Went Wrong?» Lack of communication of

system status.

» Unsanitary bus stops make it an uncomfortable place to wait.

» Overcrowding causes the peopleof San Francisco to not have access to transportation when they need it.


P. 25

Opportunity AreasThe following questions will help guide the Mayor’s Office of Innovation in determining promising opportunities for citizen engagement.


P. 26


How might we extend the employee’s role to create a more engaging patron experience?

1 -


P. 27


How might we extend the employee’s role to create a more engaging patron experience?How might we create a socially comfortable atmosphere for SFMTA passengers?

1 -

2 -


P. 28



How might we incentivize people to transform public spaces within their neighborhood’s transportation system?

1 -

2 -

3 -


P. 29



How might we incentivize people to transform public spaces within their neighborhood’s transportation system?How might we incentivize public service as an alternate payment system?

1 -

2 -

3 -

4 -


P. 30


How might we make the bus stop a site of interaction to better engage riders and passers by?



1 -

2 -

3 -

4 -

5 -


P. 31


How might we make the bus stop a site of interaction to better engage riders and passers by?How might we encourage collaborative rider engagement through mobile technology?



1 -

2 -

3 -

4 -

5 -

6 -


P. 32

Whenever someone chases down a MUNI bus and actually gets it to stop:

Thank you. Questions?


Fear And Loathing

In San Francisco

-APPENDIX-Carolyn Packer | You-Wen “Mark” Liang | Kyle Wolf | Greg Zulkie


Research ParticipantsThe following pages give a general background on the participants of our long-form interviews.

P. 2

MattSan Francisco, Muni

» Male, 25

» Cole Valley, San Francisco

» Works in Software Sales, Downtown San Francisco

» Takes the N Judah 5-7 days a week

» “I want a milk and honey delivered on my porch feeling from taking the bus”

» “I have faith in technology, I don’t have faith in [bus drivers]”

P. 3

BrendaOakland, Bart & Muni

» Female, 51

» Oakland

» Security Officer, CCA San Francisco

» Takes Bart and Muni 5 days a week

“I love the fact that I don’t have to drive and deal with parking, but I hate having to deal with all that riff-raff [Homeless people at 16th and Mission Bart Stop].”

“It [SF Transit] gets me to work on time, so that works for me.

P. 4

KathyCity, Muni

» Female, 25

» Neighborhood, San Francisco

» Technology Consultant, San Fran-cisco

» Takes MUNI 2-5 times a week

“I love the system, but its hard to get to certain parts of the city.”

“I wish I was able to use my credit card for the MUNI. It would save so much time and be much more con-venient.”

P. 5

ChiyoCity, Muni

» Female, 28

» Oakland

» Property Manager, Downtown San Francisco

» Takes MUNI 6 days a week

“Bart needs better air circulation. People wait at the doors to get fresh air at each stop.”

“I’m so scared of the Civic Cen-ter Bart stop. I usually have Rick [coworker] drive me to the Powell Street station after work.”

P. 6

MarySan Francisco, Muni

» Female, 27

» Mission, San Francisco

» Design Researcher, Oakland

» Takes Bart 5 days a week, Muni occasionally

» “My commute on Bart is me time”

» “I’m just grateful that there is a public transportation system, not all cities have that”

P. 7

FaithSan Francisco, Muni

» Female, 24

» Nob Hill, San Francisco

» Design MFA student, CCA

» Takes muni 5 days a week

“The Clipper card is very convenient but sometimes I forget to bring it.”

“There were people fighting in the MUNI, and the bus driver just kicked everyone off the bus.”

P. 8

AshSan Francisco, Muni

» Female, 25

» Potrero Hill, San Francisco

» Designer, SOMA

» Takes the MUNI 5 days a week

“I would rather ride my bike, but I’m scared of the cars.”

“Caltrain is usually clean and makes me feel comfortable. I wish MUNI was more like it.”

P. 9

P. 10

Bus Seat ActivityWe had participants design their own bus seats in order to help them think about how people interact inside MUNI buses.

P. 11

Synthesis and Mind Maps

Over several session, the team developed the insights gained from our research into actionable data.

P. 12

How might we extend the driver’s role to create a more engaging patron experience?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

The bus drivers are ambassadors for the public transportation system, and when they make mistakes and treat riders poorly, it reflects on the system as a whole. People want to engage with bus drivers who are more sociable, capable and compassionate.

People want to know what is going on, especially when problems arise.

»Bus Drivers have a bad attitude, rude

»Bart cops are unnecessarily aggressive

»Bus drivers don’t know how to solve problems

»Bus drivers don’t enforce payment

»Patrons aren’t confident in bus drivers’ competence

»Bus drivers don’t look at people when they got on the bus

»Wants a “milk and honey delivered on my porch feeling” from riding the bus

»People don’t feel adequately informed when something goes wrong with the system

»People don’t know why a train is late or when it will arrive

»People don’t feel in control when they don’t know what is going on

»The bus drivers and train drivers don’t inform the people about what’s going on if there is a problem

»Public transit is often delayed

»MUNI trains get stuck in the tunnels

»MUNI bus electrical rods come off

P. 13

How might we create a sociallycomfortable atmosphere for

SFMTA passengers?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

People want to have more physical space when riding public transportation, not only for themselves, but also to improve the efficiency of getting on and off.

People want to sit down when riding public transportation.

»Often can’t get on the bus during rush hour because trains are too crowded

»19 and 22 lines really crowded

»50% of time is spent in traffic & loading/unloading

»People are very rude trying to get on the bus before peo-ple can get off

»Easier to get through the back entrance

»Escalator gets really crowded

»Getting a seat makes the ride more comfortable

»Seats are poorly laid out

»Handicapped seating areas affect how people choose seats

»People don’t get up for handicapped or pregnant

»It’s hard to find seats for a big group to sit together

P. 14

How might we incentivize people totransform public spaces within their

neighborhood’s transportation system?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

People want a more efficient payment system that allows for the use of debit and credit cards.

People want to more easily manage the payment system.

»Many people don’t pay for the MUNI»People don’t like it when other people don’t pay for the MUNI»People often don’t have exact change for the MUNI»People don’t know where to find information on the clipper card»Paying cash when crowded slows down the bus»Travelers that get on the back of the bus don’t know how to pay»The bus tickets are small, frail and easily get lost»Bus drivers don’t enforce payment»People wish they could pay with a credit card»People think the transit system is too expensive»Clipper card is confusing to reload

»People often struggle when navigating through the Bart kiosks

»There is no way to add money in bulk to a clipper card at a Bart kiosk

P. 15

How might we incentivize public service as an alternate payment system?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

People often need a reason in order to engage others.

»Only engage for directions

»Public music may spark engagement

»More likely to talk to someone if they are squished together

»Like to help people when asked

P. 16

How might we make the bus stop a siteof interaction to better engage riders

and passers by?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

More security would make patrons feel safer, improving the experience. If people are nervous that the people around them are dangerous they are less likely to engage anyone.

Homeless can be perceived as dangerous, and it makes riders uncomfortable. People don’t want to interact with the homeless.

People want bus stops to feel more safe at night -- better lit, cleaner, less homeless people.

People feel more comfortable engaging with cleaner facilities.

»Bart cops don’t do anything»Lots of criminal activity at Civic Center Station and 16th Street Bart»When bart cops are present at 16th street, homeless peo-ple and criminals clear out»Lots of homeless people»“Asian people don’t go to the back of the bus because they are scared”»Wishes there were under-cover cops on the bus»People have a routine of hiding their belongings before entering a station or getting on a train

»Homeless people make other riders uncomfortable at stations

»Homeless people make other riders uncomfortable on transit

»Homeless people occupy space at stations

»Many bus stops are poorly lit

»It is scary walking to the Civic Center Bart stop at night

»People don’t like to interact with 16th and Mission at night

»People feel unsafe if a stop is dark and sketchy

»The Bart and MUNI need better air circulation»People think the Bart is filthy and unsanitary»People hear stories of bacteria found in the Bart seats»People notice that other cities have cleaner public transportation»16th Street and Civic Center Bart stations are known for being filthy»People say Bart smells really bad»People go out of their way to find cleaner looking Bart carsPeople don’t sit at the MUNI and Bart stops because they are filthy and often are surrounded by trash and homeless people

P. 17

How might we encouragecollaborative rider engagement

through mobile technology?

Opportunity Area

Insights

Observations

People want to see more route maps around the stations and stops, and they need them to be easier to follow.

People often rely on technology for navigation and planning, and they wish to have a more centric and reliable source.

People want to be more consistently, and more accurately informed about their current location and other system details -- arrivals, delays, detours, stops, maintenance issues -- before they get to the platform or stop.

»Google map makes the system easy

»Use Routesy for trip planning

»Never has looked at a physical MUNI map

»Not familiar with MUNI. Look at maps to figure out

»Use phone to plan familiar routes

»The current maps are confusing to read

»Maps are not present at every station

»People don’t know what Train is coming next before they get on the platform»People don’t know how to find out the bus routes and schedules without their phone»People don’t know when to get off the bus or train»People don’t know where they are in the city while on a bus»People don’t know what stop they have to get off at when buying a ticket so they have to ask an employee»The train only announces the next stop sometimes making it confusing for the traveler»Transit information is not well advertised for travelers

P. 18

t

P. 18

Survey ResultsWhat are the main problems in your mind with the San Francisco public transportation system?

“Sometimes the bus doesn’t show when it says it’s going to. it’s usually crowded at peak hours and many buses can pass you by at those times. it takes me over an hour to get to certain destinations. “

“I dont always have cash on me, so credit/debit card functionality would be helpful. Bart is very loud! The breakdowns and delays can be annoying making PT unreliable”

“It is actually a pretty good system. However, it is more difficult to get to certain areas of town-- Richmond, Inner Sunset, Outer Sunset, etc.”

“People regularly do not pay (muni specific) and it really bothers me that most drivers do not care. Buses get overpacked and crowded (sometimes as a result of people not paying). Frequent delays/ not reliable. BART is disgusting and dirty. Restrictions on what people cannot bring on board are not enforced (dogs, garbage bags full of recycling, etc.)”

“It’s not really on time. It’s unbelievably crowded at peak hours, which makes going home or going to work miserable. Going through Chinatown is hell. It’s really slow compared to other major cities. SF desperately needs a real subway system.”

“The issue is, there are far too many transients on the MUNI systems that make it difficult to ride in peace. The MUNI trains (Metro) are very poorly scheduled. For example, if I’m waiting for the M, there could be: L, L, N, O, N, L, T then M. Also the waiting times are totally incorrect. I usually enjoy BART, but even that has security issues. I have had many friends that have been sexually and verbally abused on BART, and it didn’t seem that BART police or BART drivers were prepared to handle such a situation. “

P. 19

t

Survey ResultsWhat are your favorite aspects of the public transprtation system?

I love that I don’t need a car to get around the city - I feel able to get to where I need to go easily.

sometimes it beats traffic, convenient so you dont have to park a car

This city is built to have a great muni system (everything so close together). I do wish it was a little bit cleaner though.

I appreciate that the transportation runs during later hours of the night/ early morning. Its affordable, and I feel secure when I ride the MUNI late at night/Not applicable to some BART stops though. I like the introduction of the Clipper system, thinks it expedites boarding. I also like that most bus routes run frequently

I usually enjoy the MUNI buses, and have significantly fewer problems with these. I like the speed and scheduling of BART.

P. 19P. 19

P. P. P. 20

“Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”

-Oprah Winfrey

11/26/12 Edit form -‐‑ [ Help improve San Francisco public transportation. ] -‐‑ Google Docs

1/12https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/gform?key=0Aua5kQinTokWdGlTQjZsTlVHa2hFM3F0UWhjaEp1T3c&gridId=0#chart

16 responses

Summary See complete responses

What is your age?

22 24 23 26 26 29 24 25 24 23 23 23 19 19 29 18

Are you a student?

Yes 6 38%

No 10 63%

What is your occupation?

Student graphic designer Tech Consultant Application developer Business Owner Property Management Sales Manager Digital Campaign

Manager Student Editor Media planner student student student Staff Member student

How long have you lived in San Francisco?

Less than 3 months 3 19%

3 months to a year 3 19%

1 - 5 years 9 56%



5 -10 years 0 0%

More than 10 years 1 6%

How do you usually get around the city?

Walk 3 19%

Bike 0 0%

MUNI 5 31%

BART 4 25%

Car 4 25%

How many times a week do you use public transportation?

0 - 2 6 38%

3 - 5 6 38%

5 - 10 1 6%

10 - 15 1 6%

More than 15 2 13%



Do you use any mobile apps to aid in the transit process?

Yes 14 88%

No 2 13%

If yes, which ones?

Routesy, Google Maps transporter, google maps iphone maps Google Maps Google Maps none iC SF Lite Google maps, routesy Google

Maps Transporter Transporter, BART lite, Caltrain google maps bart's website transit n ...

Do you ever use physical maps to help you navigate?

Yes 4 25%

No 12 75%



If no, why not?

I don't know where to find one 2 13%

They are hard to read 4 25%

Apps are better 12 75%

They aren't updated 3 19%

I said yes to the last question. 3 19%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may

add up to more than 100%.

How long of a walk is it to your usual stop?

Less than 5 minutes 7 44%

5 - 10 minutes 6 38%

10 - 20 minutes 1 6%

20 - 30 minutes 1 6%

More than 30 minutes 1 6%



How long of a ride is it to your usual destination?


10 -20 minutes 9 56%

20 - 30 minutes 5 31%

30 - 40 minutes 0 0%

more than 40 minutes 1 6%

Do you ride alone or with other people?

Yes, alone 12 75%

with one other person 4 25%

with two other people 0 0%

with more than two other people 0 0%



Do you ever initiate conversation with a stranger on the MUNI or BART?

No 11 69%

Yes 5 31%

If no, why not?

It's awkward 4 25%

I have nothing to say to them 8 50%

I don't have time 2 13%

I'm afraid they wont respond and I'll look stupid 1 6%

I said yes to the last question 5 31%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may

add up to more than 100%.



What do you do when you wait for the MUNI?

I sit on the bench 2 13%

I stand next to the stop 8 50%

I stand far away from the stop and walk up as the bus arrives 3 19%

I keep walking to the next stop until the bus catches up to me 3 19%

I try and initiate conversations with other people who are waiting 0 0%

How long do you usually wait at a MUNI stop before the bus arrives?


5 - 10 minutes 11 69%

10 - 15 minutes 3 19%

15 - 20 minutes 1 6%

More than 20 minutes 0 0%

Has a stranger ever initiated conversation with you on a MUNI or BART line?

Yes 10 63%

No 6 38%



If yes, how did that make you feel?

Awkward 3 19%

Annoyed 2 13%

Delighted 5 31%

Grateful 0 0%

Humbled 1 6%

It hasn't happened 5 31%

Can you please give a brief description of one of these encounters?

usually it's to make a joke or someone who is asking about the bus lines or stop. a lot of times I don't talk because I'm tired. Someone may just ask

where I'm going or how my day is going. Its usually harmless and kind of nice if they aren't too aggressive about it The most that has happened is an old

asian lady with about 100 bottles bumped into me and said sorry 2 common situations: 1) many times I am approached when people need assistance

with their bus route (i.e which bus to take, where to get off etc.) Since I consider myself very well-versed with the bus system, I'm always happy to he ...



Do you feel unsafe when riding the transit at night?

Yes 9 56%

No 5 31%

I don't ride it at night 2 13%

How do you know when to get off the MUNI?

Following friends 1 6%

I look at the street signs 4 25%

I look on my phone 6 38%

I hear it announced 3 19%

I see the marquee sign above the driver 2 13%

I never know and I always miss my stop 0 0%

Do you own a Clipper Card?

Yes 12 75%

No 4 25%



Have you ever not paid for a MUNI ride?

Yes 8 50%

No 8 50%

If yes, why didn't you?

I didn't have $2 3 19%

My Clipper Card was out 2 13%

It was busy and I didn't have time 2 13%

I just didn't want to pay 1 6%

I said no to the last question 8 50%



Do you find it easy to navigate through the MUNI and BART ticket kiosks?

Yes 13 81%

No 3 19%

What are the main problems in your mind with the San Francisco public transportation system?

sometimes the bus doesn't show when it says it's going to. it's usually crowded at peak hours and many buses can pass you by at those times. it takes me

over an hour to get to certain destinations. I dont always have cash on me, so credit/debit card functionality would be helpful. Bart is very loud! The

breakdowns and delays can be annoying making PT unreliable It doesn't cover enough stops throughout the city on an integrated, speedy line It is

actually a pretty good system. However, it is more difficult to get to certain areas of town-- Richmond, Inner Sunset, Outer Sunset, etc. Need more ...

What are your favorite aspects of it?

I love that I don't need a car to get around the city - I feel able to get to where I need to go easily. sometimes it beats traffic, convenient so you dont have

to park a car This city is built to have a great muni system (everything so close together). I do wish it was a little bit cleaner though. 1) I appreciate

that the transportation runs during later hours of the night/ early morning 2) Affordable 3) I feel secure when I ride the Muni late at night/ Not applicable to

some BART stops 4) I like the introduction of the Clipper system, thinks it expedites boarding. 5) I like that most bus r ...

If you would like to answer more questions about the public transportation system, please provide your name, phone number and email address and

we will be in contact with you shortly. Thank you!

Colleen 401.207.7342 [email protected] --- don't sell my contact info please Kathy 2068837100 [email protected] Libby Angst 847-

977-7103 [email protected]

Number of daily responses

Design Research in SF

Design

Transcript of Design Research in SF