Overview
Kitsap Transit currently faces several systemic challenges in how transit information is distributed and managed. An estimated 5–10% of residents do not have access to mobile phones, making paper schedules essential, yet there is no reliable way for riders to find them. At the same time, pamphlet distribution is supported by unstructured data management, making it difficult for staff to track where materials are placed or needed. This lack of organization is compounded by the absence of clear KPIs to guide outlet placement decisions, resulting in inefficiencies across the system. Altogether, these gaps contribute to unnecessary operational costs and limit both accessibility for riders and effectiveness for transit staff.
Thus, our problem statement is: How might Kitsap Transit Staff and riders use a shared dashboard that visualizes where service and transit schedule pamphlets are located to better connect service communication and rider needs?
My Roles
UX Design: Wireframes, Prototypes, User Research & Synthesis, User Testing
Client
Kitsap Transit - A public transit agency in Washington State that connects communities throughout Kitsap County with commuter services.
Teammates
Isabel Saccone
UX Design
Oscar Rincon
Data Science
Tyler Nguyen
Software Development
Matthew Miller Martinez
Software Development
Tools
Figma
Miro
Webflow
Leaflet
Timeline
Jan 2026 - Jun 2026
(22 weeks)
Process
From Research to Deployment
We executed the project over two academic quarters, following a structured process that progressed from market research and user interviews to iterative prototyping, development, and final deployment.
Market
Research
Understanding the Current System
We analyzed existing platforms used for route planning, inventory tracking, and field operations to understand how transit materials are currently distributed and managed. This helped us identify what existing tools do well, where they fall short, and how our solution could better connect staff workflows with rider access.
TrackStock
Tracks inventory across warehouses, field locations, and delivery workflows.
Limitation: Limited visibility into where public-facing materials are most needed.
FieldEquip
Manages field service operations, inventory, and replenishment workflows.
Limitation: Designed for staff logistics, not rider-facing access.
Route4Me
Supports route planning, driver workflows, and delivery optimization.
Limitation: Prioritizes delivery efficiency over public accessibility.
Commusoft
Tracks inventory, service workflows, and stock movement across locations.
Limitation: Operational data is not translated into clear placement decisions.
Market Research Findings
Logistics over accessibility
Existing tools focus on internal efficiency, but they do not help riders locate physical transit resources.
Data without direction
Many systems collect inventory and delivery data, but lack clear visual tools for identifying gaps or demand patterns.
Disconnected experiences
Staff workflows and rider needs are often treated separately, creating a gap between where materials are placed and where they are needed.
Key Insight
Existing systems support logistics, but they do not fully address the accessibility and decision-making needs of public transit material distribution.
These findings shaped our direction toward a shared platform that supports both staff decision-making and rider access.
Interviews
Conversations with our Stakeholders
We conducted semi-structured interviews with Kitsap County residents, transit users, and community service providers to understand how people access transit information and how printed schedules are currently used.
Method: Semi-structured interviews
Focus: Transit information access
Goal: Validate core assumptions
Interview Findings
Digital tools are the primary source
Most participants relied on phones, Google Maps, or transit websites to find route and schedule information.
Printed schedules are situational
Paper schedules are still useful for some users, but they function more as a backup than a daily planning tool.
A public-facing locator may not solve the problem
Interviews suggested that asking riders to use a digital tool to find paper schedules adds an extra step.
Key Insight
The strongest opportunity was not helping riders find pamphlets, but helping staff manage where pamphlets go.
These findings shifted our focus toward a staff-centered system for tracking, restocking, and improving the distribution of printed transit materials.
User Personas
From our interviews, we defined two primary user groups, Kitsap Transit staff and Kitsap County residents, to represent both operational workflows and rider needs.
Concept Validation
Based on our user research, there were three concepts that needed validation before implementation.
Visualization of Outlet Data
Makes brochure distribution coverage immediately visible.
Restructured Data Storage
Makes brochure distribution coverage immediately visible.
Maintainability
Makes brochure distribution coverage immediately visible.
Here are the results:
Validated
Paper brochures are still in use.
A small portion of Kitsap county is confirmed to still rely on physical schedules
Mixed Signals
Public facing dashboard utility is unclear
Some users said it would be useful others saw no point. A public facing dashboard may support community support offices to point paper brochure users to the correct location
More info coming soon!
Further details will be released at the end of May, so tune in to see our final solution and the steps we took to get there!
Made by Jenny Zhang