Starline: A New Way to Travel
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TLDR: 1 min case study
What did we do?
We researched the current state of transportation within the US, identifying pain points and areas of friction to improve. We designed, branded, and proposed a new high-speed rail system aimed at sparking a cultural shift in the US towards more sustainable, accessible, and reliable travel.
What impact did it have?
Implementing this system would reduce carbon emissions, save people time, create jobs, increase travel accessibility and safety, and lead to a more connected America.
Why was it done?
The US is a large, separated country with limited and unreliable travel options. We aimed to provide a fast transit solution to connect major US cities efficiently, reducing the need for unsustainable air and private vehicle travel.
What did I learn?
I learned how to communicate and collaborate within a team environment, using our strengths while maintaining shared ownership of the product.
Starline App Walkthrough (60-second loop)
Starline Physical Media
Research
Defining Problems (60-second loop)
Research Key Takeaways
User Journey
Proposal
Project Overview & Goals
Starline is a high-speed maglev rail system across the United States of America. Starline connects multiple transit options to make any destination accessible, and aims to make public transportation in the United States easier and more convenient than less sustainable options such as planes and personal cars.
Starline Touch Points
Starline is a cultural shift towards sustainable public transportation in America, and I found that no one answer can achieve this goal.
Throughout each touch point, I strove to ensure that Starline’s values of speed, accessibility, sustainability, and reliability remained at the forefront.
Challenges
Process
Process Overview
Our process involved making informed decisions based on research, keeping Starline’s values at the forefront through every touchpoint, and constantly communicating and collaborating as a team.
The Starline Identity
Retrofuturist Influence
Starline marks a new age of technology, transportation, and exploration, and aims to mirror the celebration and excitement around these topics that is present in retrofuturist compositions.
Communicating Values
The touchpoints of Starline’s brand were designed to highlight the values of speed, accessibility, sustainability, and reliability. The name and logo are meant to reflect these.
The Starline App
Putting Function First
A lot of time was spent in early stages mapping out the task flow and use cases for the Starline app. By getting the function and heavy thinking laid out first, it was easy to catch problems early on and reroute before designing the interface.
Market Research
We looked to other transit apps to better understand what functions and features were in place. In identifying established patterns and pain points, we aimed to limit friction for our users.
Collaboration & Iteration
By utilizing Figma, we were able to have a streamlined collaboration process of constant feedback and iteration. A majority of our communication was through comments in Figma, allowing for direct feedback to specific questions and open sharing of ideas and opinions.
Mid Fidelity Screens
These screens were used to help visualize the placement of elements in combination with function.
High Fidelity Screens
These screens were designed with function in mind while applying brand colors in an accessible way.
Impact
How I grew as a team member…
I learned how to communicate and critique effectively within a collaborative team environment, ensuring that each member’s strengths were utilized while maintaining shared ownership of the product.
How I grew as a designer…
I developed a deeper understanding of how to keep core design principles and user needs at the forefront throughout the process and grew confident in my ability to contribute meaningfully to a fast-paced, iterative design cycle.
Want to see more? view the proposal booklet here