III. Anticipated User Groups
The Commuter
Thomas Abington is a partner at a mid-sized law firm in Center City who focuses on corporate law. He lives in Lower Merion, a suburb outside of the city with his wife Sheryl. The couple has one daughter who currently attends Swarthmore College. Each morning, Thomas drives to the Merion regional rail train station and commutes to his office. The drive to the train station is about 8 minutes and his train ride is around 35 minutes each way. He appreciates his commute into the city; it gives him time to read the newspaper and catch up on e-mail. Occasionally, he is caught off guard by train delays. Thomas believes there is no way to identify a train delay without being at the station. In these moments, Thomas get very frustrated because his time is valuable and he feels that time spent at the station is time that could be used working. Thomas would appreciate any service upgrades that could tell him if his train is running on time without needing to go to the train station.
The Commuter's Goals:
Thomas Abington is a partner at a mid-sized law firm in Center City who focuses on corporate law. He lives in Lower Merion, a suburb outside of the city with his wife Sheryl. The couple has one daughter who currently attends Swarthmore College. Each morning, Thomas drives to the Merion regional rail train station and commutes to his office. The drive to the train station is about 8 minutes and his train ride is around 35 minutes each way. He appreciates his commute into the city; it gives him time to read the newspaper and catch up on e-mail. Occasionally, he is caught off guard by train delays. Thomas believes there is no way to identify a train delay without being at the station. In these moments, Thomas get very frustrated because his time is valuable and he feels that time spent at the station is time that could be used working. Thomas would appreciate any service upgrades that could tell him if his train is running on time without needing to go to the train station.
The Commuter's Goals:
- The commuter values time and wants access to real time schedule information such as applicable delays for his train line
- The commuter wants to be able to quickly identify schedule changes so he/she can communicate to family members about early or late arrivals
- The commuter wants access to information from his or her own device. He/She does not want to visit a station or be relegated to a home computer for this kind of information access.
Task Analysis - The Commuter
The Urban Dweller
Stacey Wells is an accountant at a large banking firm in Center City. Originally from Maryland, she moved to Philadelphia after graduating from Georgetown five years ago. She shares a home with three friends in the Pennsport section of South Philadelphia, about 20 blocks from her office. Stacey likes to catch the 17 bus which has a stop approximately two blocks from her house. Stacy checks the bus schedule on her phone to know when to head to the bus stop. Stacy also follows SEPTA on social media and checks every morning for any announced delays or other problems. Stacy gets upset if the bus does not arrive on time, because she plans her morning workout around the bus schedule.
The Urban Dweller's Goals:
- The Urban Dweller may want to know at a moment's notice whether taking the bus would be quicker than walking
- The Urban Dweller may quickly want to find out when the next bus is coming
- The Urban Dweller may want to pre-plan longer trips around the city or out to the suburbs
Task Analysis - The Urban Dweller
The Visitor
Daniel Schwartzman is a school teacher from Fayetteville, North Carolina. He teaches high school math. He is married to Annie Schwartzman, a kindergarten teacher. The couple has two boys together, Danny Jr., who is twelve, and Robert, who is nine. Danny Jr. is a huge history buff, with a special interest in Revolutionary America. Because of this, Daniel and Annie have decided to take their annual summer vacation in Philadelphia this year. The boys are very excited to see the Liberty Bell and to go to the National Constitution Center. Daniel and Annie want to visit other parts of the city as well. They plan to drive to Philadelphia, however, the family wants to make sure they experience all the city has to offer so they would like to use SEPTA when they are planning to visit an area where parking is particularly difficult. Daniel is in charge of transportation and is trying to learn as much as possible about SEPTA before the trip. He notices the SEPTA site looks different when he visits on his laptop versus his phone and he's not sure whether he has made an error or perhaps there are two different forms of public transportation in Philadelphia.
The Visitor's Goals:
- The visitor wants to make extensive plans regarding multi-leg journeys around the city
- The visitor wants to understand how much travel will cost while visiting Philadelphia and would love to purchase tickets prior to visiting the city
- The visitor wants to easily find a new route if the family happens to get lost while sightseeing
Task Analysis - The Visitor
The Student
Paul Bravo is an undergraduate student at Drexel University where he studies computer science. He is originally from Albany, New York. In his free time he likes to play guitar and plays intramural soccer. He spends most of his time within University City, but he does like to adventure to bars and attractions, such as museums and concerts which require him to travel to other neighborhoods. He has also started interviewing for a co-op. He has already had interviews at companies in Center City, as well as in King of Prussia and Conshohocken. He still has a number of interviews on the horizon. Paul doesn't have a car and he would like to know the best route to get to his interviews. He isn't very comfortable taking public transportation but he is a tech junkie and his phone is his greatest resource. He wishes for an app that provides detailed information about SEPTA that he could easily access when he has a few minutes between classes.
The Student's Goals:
Paul Bravo is an undergraduate student at Drexel University where he studies computer science. He is originally from Albany, New York. In his free time he likes to play guitar and plays intramural soccer. He spends most of his time within University City, but he does like to adventure to bars and attractions, such as museums and concerts which require him to travel to other neighborhoods. He has also started interviewing for a co-op. He has already had interviews at companies in Center City, as well as in King of Prussia and Conshohocken. He still has a number of interviews on the horizon. Paul doesn't have a car and he would like to know the best route to get to his interviews. He isn't very comfortable taking public transportation but he is a tech junkie and his phone is his greatest resource. He wishes for an app that provides detailed information about SEPTA that he could easily access when he has a few minutes between classes.
The Student's Goals:
- The student needs to plan his/her route for getting from campus to co-op interviews
- The student has time to explore hidden Philadelphia gems and wants to use public transportation to explore the city
- The student doesn't have a lot of spare time so wants to be able to access information quickly using a smartphone or tablet
Task Analysis - The Student