Translink Activation
Reimagining reality: designing interactive extended reality for physical spaces.
PROBLEM
As a part of metro Vancouver's public transport system (Translink) Brentwood Skytrain station is currently undergoing construction developments, creating commuter inconveniences.
SOLUTION
Alleviate inconveniences of ongoing construction for commuters by creating an experience that highlights the goals and benefits of Translink’s project!
Design Process
User Personas
My team and I created user personas based on who might be impacted the most by Translink's construction.
Persona 1
Leisure commuter - frequent visiter
Needs + Expectations:
Have time to kill
Wants to spend time in the area
Expects to be able to get from point A to point B
Pain Points:
Have to carry bags from their shopping experience
Couldn't find info on when construction will end at station
Didn't match the aesthetics of the rest of the mall
Goals + Motivations:
Wants to meet friends and study and eat dinner with family
Do some general shopping in the mall
Wants to wind down and relax from the week
Opportunities for delight:
A fun way to spend his day off
Gain some information about the area he frequents
Persona 2
Full-time mother of 3 kids
Needs + Expectations:
Needs to know where to go for elevator ASAP
Need to access elevator quickly for stroller
Pain Points:
Takes longer to walk around construction
Doesn’t know immediately where the only elevator access point is
Goals + Motivations:
Have a successful, low-stress outing as a single mother
Take care of kids, show them a nice activity day
Not have a mental breakdown
Opportunities for Delight:
Create distraction for her kids so she can remain focused
Have clear directions to elevator, and entry points
Be able to learn more about construction project, ask questions interactively
Persona 3
John - Business Man - first time visit
Needs:
The fastest and easiest way to get to the destination so that he can spend more time working
Pain Points:
The construction blocks off the way and he doesn’t know how to navigate to the station
Pedestrian starts to accumulate during rush hour bc one of the pathway has blocked
Goals + Motivations:
Meet his client on time at 4pm
Opportunities for delights:
Knowing why there is construction everywhere in the city
Ideation
Next, we came up with potential solutions to address each user's individual needs.
Idea 1
Build the Future with Us!
Take a walk through the construction timeline and experience the transformation as we renovate the space together!
See the progress that has been made, discover how these changes will benefit you, and watch how this all comes together in the end.
Join us and help build the next phase of the station through AR!
Idea 2
Chat with Charlie, Your Virtual Transit Guide
A QR-activated VR chat with a train conductor character, providing real-time updates, accessibility directions, and a fun way for commuters—especially kids and families—to engage with TransLink and give feedback.
Idea 3
A Better Tomorrow
The goal is to showcase TransLink’s efforts toward a cleaner, more convenient, and accessible city. By highlighting key milestones, climate actions, and future plans, the project reassures commuters with a clear vision of a vibrant, sustainable Metro Vancouver.
Interactive Timeline: highlights past achievements, current initiatives, and future goals and helps commuters understand TransLink’s impact on transit and the environment.
Data Visualization: progress bars showing construction updates and visuals that communicate TransLink’s positive impact.
Prototyping
We combined visualizations, kid-friendly engagement, and an educational timeline into our final direction, then created assets in Figma for our Unity prototype.
Interactive and informative kiosk provides kid-friendly distractions, construction progress, QR for AR guidance and more!
AR guidance on mobile device guides you to your destination around Skytrain station; elevator, bus stop or nearby shop, avoiding construction barriers.
Final Presentation
We created our pitch deck and walked through our Unity prototype.
https://suglory.itch.io/elite
Reflection
Through this quick design challenge, I learned how to think about user needs and design solutions in a more holistic way, involving physical and digital environments. Rapid iteration and edits were made throughout this project by giving and receiving feedback constantly. I became more comfortable directing my team in aligning our design decisions with the intended outcome. It was exciting to think about solutions through more than one medium.