

I worked with London-North East Rail (LNER) as Lead Designer, and led a team of 3 (1 researcher, 2 designers) to design multiple iterations of a new seat sensor display system. I also ran a week long sprint with my team and the client. This entire process was lean and took roughly 3 weeks.
Client
LNER Digital Signaling System
Role
Design Lead
Direct Reports
3
LNER
Leading the design of the UK’s first seat capacity app
Leading the design of the UK’s first seat capacity app
I worked with London-North East Rail (LNER) as Lead Designer, and led a team of 3 (1 researcher, 2 designers) to design multiple iterations of a new seat sensor display system. I also ran a week long sprint with my team and the client. This entire process was lean and took roughly 3 weeks.
I worked with London-North East Rail (LNER) as Lead Designer, and led a team of 3 (1 researcher, 2 designers) to design multiple iterations of a new seat sensor display system. I also ran a week long sprint with my team and the client. This entire process was lean and took roughly 3 weeks.
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The Challenges
Lots of work was done of this before I started…but it wasn’t very systematic or user and outcome-centric. LNER didn’t know how to move forward, so I had to come up with a new path, and get buy-in from the team. I devised a new process and roadmap using usertesting.com, low-fi wireframing, and design sprints to get us where we needed to go.
Lots of work was done of this before I started…but it wasn’t very systematic or user and outcome-centric. LNER didn’t know how to move forward, so I had to come up with a new path, and get buy-in from the team. I devised a new process and roadmap using usertesting.com, low-fi wireframing, and design sprints to get us where we needed to go.



The Solution
To start, and to get consensus and buy-in, I ran multiple workshops with key stakeholders that began with the above challenges. We formed a consensus on the key aspects of the journey that needed improving: namely showing individual seats, showing 'part-time' occupied seats and showing a detailed view of occupancy. I paired participants in groups, provided them with the ‘building blocks’ of wireframes, and let them ideate on improvements. We voted on the most impactful and effective-seeming designs. We then used the low-fi wireframes to conduct user testing via whatusersdo and guerilla testing. My team analysed the findings and found that changing the graphics to look like a train rather than an abstract visual aided comprehension, and showing carriage and seat-level occupancy at once situated the user effectively. We then designed the full UI for the app, web-app, and station screens. This involved scaling individual elements of the designs and removing some to ensure visibility from various distances.
To start, and to get consensus and buy-in, I ran multiple workshops with key stakeholders that began with the above challenges. We formed a consensus on the key aspects of the journey that needed improving: namely showing individual seats, showing 'part-time' occupied seats and showing a detailed view of occupancy. I paired participants in groups, provided them with the ‘building blocks’ of wireframes, and let them ideate on improvements. We voted on the most impactful and effective-seeming designs. We then used the low-fi wireframes to conduct user testing via whatusersdo and guerilla testing. My team analysed the findings and found that changing the graphics to look like a train rather than an abstract visual aided comprehension, and showing carriage and seat-level occupancy at once situated the user effectively. We then designed the full UI for the app, web-app, and station screens. This involved scaling individual elements of the designs and removing some to ensure visibility from various distances.
To start, and to get consensus and buy-in, I ran multiple workshops with key stakeholders that began with the above challenges. We formed a consensus on the key aspects of the journey that needed improving: namely showing individual seats, showing 'part-time' occupied seats and showing a detailed view of occupancy. I paired participants in groups, provided them with the ‘building blocks’ of wireframes, and let them ideate on improvements. We voted on the most impactful and effective-seeming designs. We then used the low-fi wireframes to conduct user testing via whatusersdo and guerilla testing. My team analysed the findings and found that changing the graphics to look like a train rather than an abstract visual aided comprehension, and showing carriage and seat-level occupancy at once situated the user effectively. We then designed the full UI for the app, web-app, and station screens. This involved scaling individual elements of the designs and removing some to ensure visibility from various distances.



The Outcome
The system made a pretty big splash - given it was the first in the world. Several articles were published such as on in the Daily Mail The system is available now on LNER wifi hubs in the UK, on trains and in stations
The system made a pretty big splash - given it was the first in the world. Several articles were published such as on in the Daily Mail The system is available now on LNER wifi hubs in the UK, on trains and in stations
The system made a pretty big splash - given it was the first in the world. Several articles were published such as on in the Daily Mail The system is available now on LNER wifi hubs in the UK, on trains and in stations



Leading the design of the UK’s first seat capacity app
Client
LNER Digital Signaling System
My Direct Reports
3
My Role