When identifying which issues might be most impactful to solve and redesign it seems obvious that the most sever issues would get priority here. This is an area which I have put a lot of thought into as I feel that most severe doesn’t mean that it’ll be the most impactful change.
In my mind I am searching for the issues that stop or significantly hinder core tasks, affect the most users and carry the highest risk.
The first issue I have flagged as being a priority for a redesign would be issue 1 on my table. This being “No accessibility indicators during trip planning”. I think this issue is top priority as trip planning is probably the most important feature on the website. If users with accessibility needs cannot determine if a journey is suitable for them then the system is effectively unusable for them.
This directly excludes users with visual, mobility or cognitive impairments. It forces users to rely on external support or even guesswork and even risks failed journeys and ultimately could result in a loss of trust.
If I were to redesign and improve this aspect of translinks site it could enable independent travel planning for those with accessibility requirements. Additionally it could reduce the need for customer support and accessibility advice requests. It would also improve translinks compliance with WCAG and inclusive design standards.
The next issue I have identified as being a top priority would be issue number 2 on my table. This is “Overwhelming fare selection”. I have placed this issue under top priority as it occurs at the conversion point of translinks site. This is where users are committing money. Presenting users with over 20 tickets options leads to cognitive overload and increases the chances of users selecting the wrong fare, abandoning the purchase and losing confidence in the system.
Unlike issue 1 this affects every user not just those with impairments and additional needs.
If I was to redesign this issue it could result in faster decision making and reduced ticket purchasing errors as well as reducing refunds. Additionally this change could contribute to higher completion rates and and increase in user satisfaction.
The last issue I identified to be of top priority can be found in issue 6 of my table. This issue is “Delays shown without explanation”. I chose this issue as real time services tend to be used in time sensitive and high stress situations. Imagine myself rushing to university, possibly running late.
Currently delays are shown without any explanation. Important updates are hidden within a dropdown list in the navigation bar. On this update page information is text heavy and hard to digest. This undermines trust and directly affects decision making.