Strategic research to elevate mobile UX across a group of train companies

• Aligned on strategic competitors and key criteria to evaluate high-value journeys.
• Adopted an agile mindset to deliver interactive ‘mega-matrix’ of 70x insights to inform a roadmap digital experience improvements all train operators in the group.

Project duration: 8 weeks

Summary of findings from gap analysis and evaluation of key journeys

Context

• First Rail is the holding company for a number of UK Train Operating Companies (TOCs), accounting for 24% of the UK rail market
• In recent years rail delivery and customer confidence had been affected by industrial action and disruption.
• Consequently the rail industry was under pressure from central government to improve performance, provision of disruption information and access to customer support.

Challenge

• The UK network is formed of separate franchises. Each of the First Rail TOCs used their own limited budget to meet the needs of regional customers. Individually TOCs struggle to innovate.
• First Rail’s Web Product Manager commissioned a piece of ‘meta research’ to identify best practice in the travel sector in order to elevate the digital customer experience across all TOCs in the group.

My role

• Senior Designer: Led workshops and day-to-day activities, working closely with an Early Stage designer and oversight from UX Director
• The Client Success Manager and Project Manager helped manage the engagement.