I interviewed nine LIRR travelers to gather insights on how they plan their trips and their experiences with the LIRR website and app. The feedback provided valuable suggestions, including the desire for an option to reserve seats in advance, as well as frustration over the inability to purchase tickets directly from the website. It seemed as though other people shared my sentiment of wanting the website to have more capabilities.

What would enhance the LIRR website?

I developed a feature roadmap to outline the key elements for my redesign, categorizing them from essential features to desirable, but non-essential, additions. This roadmap was informed by my user research, competitive analysis, and an evaluation of the current website. It served as my north star throughout the design process, helping me stay focused on the core objectives and ensuring I included the right features to achieve my goal of enhancing the website

I focused on three key tasks for the redesign: purchasing tickets, searching for trains, and checking in. For each task, I created user and task flows, aiming to replicate the ease and satisfaction I experienced on competitor sites. One of the main concerns raised by survey participants was the need for a streamlined process with fewer steps when searching for and booking travel. I made it a priority to address this feedback by simplifying these workflows to ensure a more efficient and user-friendly experience.

Since my primary focus was improving the structure and functionality of the website, I opted to retain the existing visual design with minimal changes. I always found the blue used as the LIRR secondary color appealing, so I decided to build a monochromatic color scheme around it. By featuring this blue, rather than the current black and white, the design feels brighter, more approachable, and fosters a sense of trustworthiness.

Another visual change I made was making the search feature the central focus of the homepage, as finding a train is the primary task for most users. Placing it front and center, similar to other travel sites, guides users directly to what they need. 

How does my redesign resonate with LIRR travelers?

Fifteen LIRR travelers participated in the usability test of my redesign, providing valuable feedback on how to improve content hierarchy, enhance the booking experience, and refine other aspects of the interface for better accuracy and functionality.

After the usability tests I made several improvements, including adding Apple Pay as a payment option, incorporating confirmation messages after completing tasks, and reorganizing sections on the homepage. Overall, users expressed satisfaction with the redesign, noting that the process felt intuitive and that it provided a more seamless web experience, eliminating the need to download the app.

The purpose of a LIRR redesign

LIRR riders should be able to visit the website and complete all essential travel tasks without needing to download an app. Without these key features, the website doesn’t have much value. The LIRR is underutilizing the website, resulting in an inefficient and unsatisfactory experience for users. My redesign resolves this issue.