NEXT - Public Transport
Enhancing Public Transport through Emotional Design
Project
Masters Thesis UE
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
Focus
Experience Design
Date
July 2024 - December 2024
NEXT is a mobile app that reimagines public transport through a more intuitive, emotionally resonant experience. Built during my Master’s thesis, it combines research, UX, and UI into a seamless journey—from live navigation to ticketing. Designed to reduce friction for global commuters, it prioritizes clarity, accessibility, and delight.
Timeline
From foundational research to high-fidelity prototypes in 6 months—developed alongside other academic and freelance projects during my Master’s thesis.
Background
I was always into emotional design and how we could help users and affect them in an efficient manner. So I decided that this app should be all framed through emotional design principles The app adapts to global infrastructure while prioritizing universal accessibility and human-centered interactions.
Research & Findings
Primary research included interviewing individuals from different continents and regions of public transport infrastructures.
Rider’s expected to use the public transport app for navigation as well.
“I thought I'd be able to use the map too but I don't understand it. Also there are some random bus names on the app when I open it.”
In some regions rider’s always had to carry a physical card in order to use public transport
“We cant pay in cash, I need the card. incase If I don’t have a balance I have no way to top it up if I’m already in the bus”
This helped me learn about the design principles I could use to influence a user’s experience to make it better!
Competitor Analysis
I analyzed four direct competitors in this industry with their product features
Multi-modal Transport
Payment & Ticketing
Navigation & Route Planning
Live Updates
Accessibility
User Engagement

This helped me learn about the design principles I could use to influence a user’s experience to make it better!
User Persona / Story
I used the interviewees as persona inspiration.
Name: Chris LeBlanc
Gender: Male
Profession: Sales representative of a Tea company
Age: 32
Quote: "I find it difficult to purchase tickets online"
Chris, born and raised in England is from a family of 4. After his bachelors in logistics management he started his internship at a tea company and later on moved up the hierarchy. He gets on board a sales team going to Dusseldorf for a tea expo because of his professional expertise. After landing in Dusseldorf he wants to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing before he starts his expo work. He uses an app back at home and proceeded to use it here as well. He was recommended routes and navigational instructions but he wasn’t able to find a way to purchase tickets for the suggested transit lines.
As a professional traveler, I want a a mobile app that seamlessly integrates route navigation with direct public transit ticket purchasing to simplify his international mobility experience.
Sitemap
As a professional traveler, I want a a mobile app that seamlessly integrates route navigation with direct public transit ticket purchasing to simplify his international mobility experience.
Wireframes
The wireframes were designed and a prototype of that was developed for testing.
Using the prototype I was able to understand potential pitfalls and mistakes I’d made with the users and further develop it.
As a frequent public transport user myself, I had to empathize other user personas as well to tweak the wireframes just enough to make a balance with emotional design principles.

With the wireframes finalized, the NEXT step was the UI designs with the said principles.
Final Design
Emotional Design Principles
Here are some emotional design principles followed by UX design principles used in this concept.
Personalization
Operational Transparency
Delight
Gamification
Universal Design
Miller’s law
Priming

This helped me learn about the design principles I could use to influence a user’s experience to make it better!
Something great I learnt was to transform technical requirements into meaningful, user-friendly experiences that solve real-world mobility challenges.
The NEXT mobile application concept represents more than just a solution. I believe it embodies a transformative approach to urban mobility.
By exploring the intersection of technology, user experience, and emotional design, NEXT demonstrates the potential to reimagine how people interact with public transportation systems worldwide.