Research
In the course of our research, we discovered many tools that will help us achieve the project goal. This document contains the research that was done for both [Dance] and [Dance Console], thus it is the [Dance Project] Research. To read about the conclusions drawn from the research one should read the complete Dance Project Description and its accompanying documents.
Building a public transport app requires thorough research to ensure it meets user needs, stands out in the market, and is technically viable. Research typically falls into several categories: user research (understanding pain points and behaviors), market research (assessing demand and trends), competitor analysis (learning from existing apps), technical research (feasibility of features), legal/regulatory compliance, and business/monetization strategies. Below, I'll outline key questions to ask in each area. These are drawn from best practices in app development, UX design, and transit-specific studies.
Aim to gather data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, analytics, or tools like web searches for industry reports. For user-facing questions, consider using multiple-choice, scales (e.g., 1-5 satisfaction ratings), or open-ended formats for deeper insights.
- User Research
- Technocal
- Business
User Research: Focus on Target Users' Needs, Behaviors, and Pain Points
This helps identify who your users are (e.g., daily commuters, tourists, people with disabilities) and what features would solve their problems, like real-time tracking or route planning.
Question - Answer -
Question - How often do you use public transportation per week? Answer -
Question - Which modes of public transport do you use regularly (e.g., bus, train, subway, tram)? Select all that apply. Answer -
Question - What is your primary reason for using public transportation (e.g., cost, convenience, environmental reasons)? Answer -
Question - On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the punctuality of services? Answer -
Question - How would you rate the cleanliness of vehicles and stations? Answer -
Question - What factors discourage you from using public transportation more often (e.g., overcrowding, unreliable schedules, safety concerns)? Answer -
Question - How accessible are public transport stations from your home or workplace? Answer -
Question - Have you experienced safety concerns while using public transport? If yes, what were they? Answer -
Question - How do you typically pay for your public transportation fares (e.g., cash, card, app)? Answer -
Question **Question** - What improvements would increase your public transport usage (e.g., better real-time info, integrated payments)? Answer -
Question - Do you have any mobility challenges when using transportation (e.g., wheelchair access, visual impairments)? Answer -
Question - How accessible do you find public transit vehicles (e.g., low-floor buses, ramps)? Answer -
Question - How effective are digital tools (apps, websites) for trip planning in your current experience? Answer -
Question - Why do you abandon certain features in existing transit apps (e.g., ticket purchase process)? (Adapted from general UX questions.) Answer -
Question - What percentage of users in your target demographic prefer mobile apps over websites for transit info? Answer -
Question - How can the app meet accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG for screen readers, voice commands)? Answer -
Technical
Evaluate Feasibility and Tools, Focus on data sources, integrations, and development requirements.
Question - What data do we need to create a good app? Answer - We need the asics, times, stations, price, etc. eventualy, lice location, croud and addicinal data can be very useful.
Question - How will the actual service work locally and remotely Answer -
Question - How will we handle payments and payment proseccing? Answer - Charges: Payments should happlen instantly, as soon and the user starts a trip, if we are not sure what the total is we should place a hold and an estimate amount and once the payment has need succsefuly process, we relewase the hold. the User should also have the option to load thier account with money or a card like RavKav. For member ships the user can set to manualy refill or automatily we will chnagre based on the plan, monthly, weekly, etc.
Payouts: this will depend on each api but we should try to only pay monthly so we always have good cashflow.
Provider: To start we should use strip since it is what I am familiare with but we can also do research to find a cheaper one and in the fiture we should add many as they each may have better rates in diferent markets.
Question - What transit APIs are available in your target area (e.g., for routes, schedules, real-time data)? Answer -
Question - What tech stack is best for features like GPS tracking, notifications, and offline mode? Answer -
Question - How can data analytics be used to improve the app (e.g., user behavior insights)? Answer -
Question - What are the key purposes of similar apps (e.g., data collection, trip planning)? Answer -
Question - How do we ensure scalability for high-traffic periods (e.g., rush hour)? Answer -
Conclusion -
Sources
- [test]
Question - What are the legal requirements for integrating with public transport services? Answer - On Grok
Question - Are there privacy/data regulations that impact how we store user payment or location data? Answer - Anredy answered in previus question.
Question - Do transport authorities require certification or approval before we can use thier apis? Answer - On Grok
Question - Who owns the rights to QR codes placed on public transport stops/vehicles, and do we need agreements with them? Answer - Typicly by the transport company, detailed answer on Grok
2. Market Research
Here we want to understand ssess demand, trends, and opportunities. We want to understand the broader market, including size, growth, and regional variations (e.g., urban vs. rural needs).
Question - What is the current market size and growth rate for public transit apps in your target region? Answer -
Question - What percentage of people in your area use public transportation daily, and how has this changed over time? Answer -
Question - What socioeconomic factors influence public transport usage (e.g., income, age, urban density)? Answer -
Question - How do economic trends affect travel patterns, such as remote work impacting commute frequency? Answer -
Question - What are the visible impacts of real-time information on user perceptions of reliability and wait times? Answer -
Question - When do frequent users travel, and for what purposes (e.g., work, leisure)? Answer -
Question - What emerging trends in transit apps should we consider (e.g., integration with ride-sharing, sustainability features)? Answer -
Question - How often do users check transit apps for updates, segmented by demographics (e.g., millennials)? (Adapted from UX research.) Answer -
Competitor Analysis
Learn from Existing Apps, Analyze apps like Transit, Moovit, or Citymapper to identify gaps.
Question - What are the strengths and weaknesses of top competitors (e.g., user ratings, feature sets)? Answer -
Question - How do competitors handle real-time updates, and what user feedback do they receive? Answer -
Question - What revenue models do they use (e.g., ads, premium features), and how effective are they? Answer -
Question - What unique features could differentiate our app (e.g., social elements, fun integrations)? Answer -
Question - How do competitors address accessibility and equity (e.g., for elderly or low-income users)? Answer -
Legal, Regulatory, and Accessibility Research: Ensure Compliance
Question - What data privacy laws apply (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) for location tracking and user data? Answer -
Question - Are there partnerships needed with transit authorities for data access? Answer -
Question - How do we handle equity issues, like affordability or discrimination reports? Answer -
Business and Monetization Research: Plan for Sustainability
Question - What monetization strategies work best (e.g., in-app purchases, ads, subscriptions)? Answer -
Question - What partnerships could enhance the app (e.g., with cities, payment providers)? Answer -
Question - How will we measure success (e.g., user retention, download rates, satisfaction scores)? Answer - We will build in gamification, rewards for inviting frends, discounts on top of what the transport company offers, rewards for watching ads, etc.
Question - What is the estimated development cost and timeline? Answer - the cost of development is 2M shkels as that will be allowcated to the development partner plus any server or setup costs. The timeline should be about two months for a prototype and maybe 4 months for a functional MVP, hoever a more acurate timeline will be establish with the developer.