Orbus: Automated Transportatoin
Creating an application for an autonomus public transit system.
Timeline: 14 weeks
Software: Figma
Prompt
Orbus is an autonomous, electric vehicle rolling out in the city of Rochester as a public rideshare system. Each Orbus can fit about 6 riders, and will take them directly to their destination.
Create an application for users order an Orbus, and to better connect to their community and city through improved public transportation.
Opportunity
Rochester is the 4th largest city in New York state. Their public transit system relies on solely on buses, which can be crowded, unreliable, and often stop frequently.
Orbus is not your average bus. Users can order a ride to any destination, and have their route timed out before even stepping foot into the shuttle. Users will ride comfortably, never facing a crowded bus or delay again.
Research
Olli – Local Motors
This autonomus bus can schedule your ride ahead of time, check live traffic, and save your frequented routes for convenience. This vehicle is made up of 3D printed parts, and can reach a top speed of 25 mph.
Local Motors plans to test their shuttle at college campuses, hospitals, or even as a city's public tranit.
Estação Tubo (Station Tube)
The transit system in Brazil is known for its effeciency and modern bus stops. The process of boarding the bus has been streamlined, as riders pay the fare before entering the waiting area.
Some stations are equipped with small libraries, where riders can grab a book, then return it to any other station.
I was heavily inspired by rideshare apps Lyft and Uber, as well as various bikeshare apps that felt more community driven.
Design System
I took inspiration from Duolingo's collection of illustrations sued throughout their product, studying their use of shape and color.
I also traced over a map of the city, which is used throughout most of the screens. I took inspiration from Uber, Apple Maps, and Lyft to choose which colors would represent different elements on the map– orange highways, blue rivers, green parks.
These colors are recognizable to users, so sticking with the established system will make it easy for all to understand what each color represents.
Component Systems
During this project, I committed to obtaining a better understanding of using Figma's components.
I created several small prototyped animations by using variants, and prototyping smart animations between each one.
Lessons learned
I made a lot of progress with prototyping in Figma and creating small, yet noticable, animations and interactions through use of components and variants.
I also learned a lot about what goes into building a design system, and how to use a design system when building out a product.
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