Designing an Educational Experience for Smart City Traffic Rules
UX Design
Time frame: 8 weeks
Client: Major Manufacturer
Role: UX Designer
Skills: Field Research, Interview, Service Blueprint, UX Design, Prototyping
(Due to circumstances, only a summary is provided.)
Summary
For a major manufacturer’s smart city project, Our team designed an educational experience that helps residents understand and adapt to new traffic rules and technologies. The project focused on structuring the initial onboarding experience at the city’s gate facility, enabling residents to consciously learn and understand traffic safety rules.
Through weekly discussions with the client, We developed a service blueprint and proposed UX solutions that integrated both operational requirements and user needs.
I was responsible for the entire UX process, from research and journey mapping to defining app features, and prototyping. The proposed concepts and deliverables were later used by the client as foundational materials for internal planning and design discussions.
Objective: Design a user experience that helps users understand traffic rules and adopt safe behaviors
Duration: 2 months
Team: 5 members
Role: UX Designer
Responsibilities: Research, Reporting, UX design, App Features, Prototyping
Challenge
In this smart city project, the introduction of autonomous vehicles and new traffic regulations was expected to significantly change residents’ daily lives. To help residents understand these new rules and prevent accidents, an onboarding program was planned at the city’s entrance gate facility. This required designing both the operational workflow and the end-to-end user experience for residents.
Solution
We created a service blueprint centered on the onboarding experience at the gate facility to help residents understand the new traffic rules and build safety awareness. Within the facility, videos and digital signage were used to communicate the rules visually, allowing residents to repeatedly reinforce their understanding. We also proposed a traffic rules quiz app, enabling residents to naturally develop safety awareness over time. Rather than simply presenting information, the design focused on creating an experience that encouraged proactive behavioral change.
Process
01. Understanding the Project
Through research and stakeholder interviews, we developed an understanding of the characteristics of the smart city and the rules residents would be expected to follow. Based on these findings, we defined the project scope.
02. Defining Personas
We defined the primary persona as a parent and child.
- Children have a higher risk of traffic accidents, making it important for them to understand the traffic rules.
- Parents play an important role in guiding and supervising their children’s behavior.
03. Mapping the User Flow
We reviewed the resident experience in the gate facility and explored how residents could learn the traffic rules. We mapped the user flow to create a smooth and intuitive learning experience.
04. Field Research and Interviews
To explore how safety rules can be communicated effectively, we visited Haneda Airport, where diverse users gather and both safety and convenience are important. We also interviewed a former airline staff member to learn how airport rules are managed.
We focused on signage, audio announcements, and staff interactions to understand how users can naturally learn and follow safety rules.
Key Findings
We found that users tend to make decisions based on the situation rather than remembering rules. Even when they understand the rules beforehand, they may not recall them at the right moment.
This suggested that safety rules should be designed with the assumption that they will not always be read or remembered.
[ Facility and Staff ]
• Repeating information through multiple channels
• Designing user flows that naturally guide people to follow the rules
• Providing reminders based on the situation
• Flexible support from staff
• Designing spaces that help users move without confusion
[ User Behavior ]
• Active participation increases safety awareness
• Information that users are not interested in is often ignored
• People often look at others’ behavior to decide what to do
• Different cultural backgrounds lead to different perspectives
05. Creating the Service Blueprint
We created a service blueprint that considered both the resident experience and the operational process behind it. By clarifying how facility staff would support residents and provide the necessary information, we organized both the user experience and the operational flow.
06. Concept Development
We focused on ownership and explored an experience that encourages residents to actively follow the traffic rules rather than simply understand them.
The design shifted from simply communicating the rules to supporting residents in understanding and following them.
07. Experience Proposals
Rather than ending rule learning with a one-time explanation, we proposed experience ideas that support both understanding and continued awareness in daily life.
By connecting the learning experience with everyday touchpoints, we designed the experience to encourage users to move from understanding to action.
Rule Quiz App
We proposed a quiz-based learning experience that encourages active participation and helps users understand and remember the safety rules. The experience was designed to be easy for children to understand and to support learning together as a family.
Continuous Traffic Safety Education
We proposed app features such as notifications and a feature for reviewing the traffic rules. Regular reminders help residents stay aware of the traffic rules.
Digital Signage
We proposed placing digital signage and information boards at the gate facility and throughout the city to repeatedly remind residents of the traffic rules during their daily journeys.
08. Conclusion
By designing from the users’ perspective, we proposed an experience that encourages residents to take an active role in safety.
A key aspect of this project was the close collaboration with the client through weekly meetings. By aligning facility operations with the resident experience throughout the project, we aimed to balance operational feasibility with a good user experience.
Key Outcomes
• Conducted field research at an airport and created a research report.
• Created a service blueprint that integrated the user experience with operational processes.
• Designed an experience concept and proposals that encourage residents to actively follow the traffic rules.
• Proposed experience ideas and prototypes using multiple touchpoints, including a mobile app, notifications, and digital signage.
• The proposals were well received by the client and used as a foundation for internal planning and design discussions.
Reflection
Through this project, I realized again the importance of carefully designing experiences from the user’s perspective when introducing new rules and technologies.
I also learned that residents gain a deeper understanding when they actively participate in the experience, rather than simply receiving information. In addition, I recognized the importance of working closely with the operational team to turn ideas into practical and feasible operations.