MBTA Aboveground

Service & Interaction Design Project, MIT 2014

ABOVEGROUND is a living, interactive map embedded with hyperlocal content. It connects the rider with the surrounding local environment through tangible, visually augmented, and a location specific experience. The re-imagined map is a 3D representation of the area that not only orients the riders but also connects them to the surrounding local environment achieved by embedding a digital layer of location-specific information in an app that can be activated by the user through tangible interactions with the map. .

My Role: UX & UI, ethnographic/user research, journey maps, prototyping, concepts for tangible & digital experience, video documentation

Background Research

In our ethnographic research, we observed the crowd, atmosphere inside and out of the T, and retail locations in and surrounding the public transportation system, we noticed that the static map can not only be confusing, but also static and uninteresting. These maps have a disconnected view of subway stations. We noticed people were looking down at their phones or reading.

Proposal

We thought it was important to redesign the line map aesthetically in a way that achieves simplicity in information display, so our goal was to create a map imbued with the personality of the city. Retail and uniqueness of each location was also a priority — we wanted a way to build a community with their unique local establishments.

How it Works

Using Digital Layar, we can integrate visuals of Boston and icons of hyperlocal content. We can merge digital and physical aspects, creating a tangible interaction in which we can use local establishments to inform and connect users to retailers based on their location.

Team: Annie Han, Suruchi Dumpawar, Stella Kim, Anji Ren
Advisors: Federico Casalegno (MIT Mobile Experience Lab) and Ryan Chin (MIT City Science)