A UX Case Study
How we helped commuters reduce their carbon footprint through sustainable transportation choices
Following the Design Thinking methodology to create a solution that truly serves our users and the environment
We started by understanding the transportation habits and environmental awareness of Indonesian commuters. Through surveys with 107 respondents and interviews with 5 participants, we discovered the real challenges people face when trying to make eco-friendly transportation choices.
38 Tahun, Pegawai Negeri Sipil
"I just want to get to the office on time without stress. I often feel guilty using private vehicles because of pollution, but public transport is often full and has unclear schedules. Gojek is expensive and sometimes tiring. I need a solution that is comfortable, environmentally friendly, reliable, and can also show how much emission I produce."
20 Tahun, Pemain E-Sport
"An emission tracking app is great for increasing awareness, especially if it shows the impact of emissions concretely. But in reality, most people still choose what's fast and efficient—unless they truly have the awareness or privilege to think about emissions."
78.5% of respondents use private vehicles as their primary mode of transportation
64.5% use private vehicles daily, while only 20.6% use them occasionally
Speed and time efficiency are the most important factors (68.2%) in transportation choice
63.6% don't understand the difference in carbon emissions between private and public transport
54.2% consider environmental impact when choosing transportation
Our research revealed that this isn't just about individual choices. The data shows a broader transportation challenge in Indonesia:
Use private vehicles as primary transport
(Survey, 2024)
Transportation contributes to national GHG emissions
(IESR, 2023)
Projected increase in transport activity by 2060
(IESR, 2023)
With our research insights, we mapped out the user journey and identified the core problems that needed solving. This helped us focus on what truly matters to our users and the environment.
Recognize transportation needs
Lack of reliable public transport information
Environmental reminder system
Choose transportation mode
Confusion and consideration, wanting to do right for environment
Transportation app with emission info per mode, route suggestions
Travel to destination
Tired but satisfied if successfully avoided private vehicles
Real-time emission info, incentives for eco-friendly users
Arrive at destination
Want efficiency, stay consistent, sometimes tempted to use private vehicles
Daily emission reports & recommendations for greenest return routes
Lack of public transport usage due to insufficient motivation and information
Not knowing personal carbon emissions and their impact on environment
Difficulty finding reliable public transport routes and schedules
Sustainable and Carbon-Conscious Transportation
Improve transportation behavior quality by helping users choose eco-friendly options correctly, safely, and without disruption
Provide ease in managing information, schedules, and transportation options automatically and integrated
Measure effectiveness through analysis of transportation choices and user carbon footprint reduction efficiency
With clear problems defined, we explored various solutions through competitor analysis, feature mapping, and creative ideation sessions to find the best approach for sustainable transportation.
We analyzed existing solutions to understand what works and identify opportunities for improvement in eco-friendly transportation.
| Features | 👑🌱EcoTrail | 🌍Klima | 🤝Commons | 🚌Moovit | 📊GreenPerk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Footprint Calculator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Daily Transportation Tracking | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Emission Offset | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Environmental Recommendations | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| User Progress Visualization | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Community/Collective Challenges | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Direct Public Transport Integration | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic GPS Tracking | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
EcoTrail is the only app with all features compared
Tracks daily carbon emissions based on transportation modes (car, motorcycle, bus, train, etc.). Users can manually select modes and distances or enable automatic tracking for real-time emission estimates.
Helps users understand their environmental impact and track improvement over time
Increases user engagement through personal environmental awareness
Calculates estimated reduced or compensated emissions. Shows the comparative positive impact of carbon emission reduction efforts and visualizes them attractively. Awards points for personal carbon emission reduction efforts, which can be used to claim rewards.
Provides motivation through visible impact and reward system
Creates user retention through gamification and reward mechanisms
Provides route recommendations based on available transport modes. When there are delays, alternative routes are provided with emission comparisons.
Helps users make informed decisions about eco-friendly transportation
Differentiates from competitors through intelligent routing
Users receive notifications when public transport like buses or trains are approaching, including information on schedule changes or delays.
Reduces waiting time and improves public transport experience
Increases app usage frequency through timely notifications
An interactive dashboard presenting user emission statistics on a daily and monthly basis.
Provides comprehensive view of environmental impact over time
Encourages long-term engagement through progress tracking
Every eco-friendly action by the user (taking the bus, walking, emission offset) will grow elements in their virtual garden. When multiple users use the same public transport, they can visit each other's gardens.
Creates positive community experience and gamification
Builds community engagement and social features
Gamification feature where users can join teams (co-workers, family, local community) and participate in challenges like 'Bike to Work Week' or 'No-Car Weekend'.
Encourages group participation and friendly competition
Increases user acquisition through social features
Provides rewards in the form of public transport vouchers or food vouchers.
Provides tangible incentives for eco-friendly behavior
Creates monetization opportunities through partnerships
These questions guided our ideation process and helped us think creatively about sustainable transportation solutions.
How might we make carbon emission information and its impact more digestible and engaging for users?
How might we increase motivation and provide rewards to users to use eco-friendly transportation more often?
How might we provide alternative eco-friendly transportation recommendations with schedules, routes, and availability that match user needs?
How might we design an enjoyable experience in using public transportation, not just reducing private vehicle use?
With our research insights and feature planning complete, we designed a prototype that follows proven UX principles and addresses our users' core needs for sustainable transportation.
Experience the complete user journey through our interactive prototype
View PrototypeWe designed comprehensive user flows to ensure smooth interactions across all key features.
Users can monitor their daily carbon emissions and see the positive impact of their eco-friendly choices
Plan trips in advance with emission comparisons and alternative route suggestions
Start a new trip, choose transportation mode, and track the journey to completion
Connect with others, join teams, and participate in environmental challenges for rewards
Grow virtual garden through eco-friendly actions and redeem rewards with earned points
Explore community features and see other users' virtual gardens for inspiration
Three key features that address our users' main pain points for sustainable transportation
Real-time carbon emission tracking with visual impact analysis and progress monitoring
Gamified experience where eco-friendly actions grow elements in your virtual garden
Join teams, participate in challenges, and compete on leaderboards for environmental impact
We tested our solution with real users through usability testing, measuring effectiveness and gathering feedback to validate our design decisions.
SUS results show that the app is usable and user-friendly
Overall success rate shows good usability across all scenarios
Users found the carbon tracking feature very helpful and informative
Virtual garden feature was engaging and motivating
Transportation recommendations were accurate and useful
Community features encouraged continued usage
EcoTrail successfully addresses user needs for eco-friendly transportation while providing engaging features that motivate sustainable behavior change.
SUS Score
Good
Success Rate
Excellent
Survey Respondents
Comprehensive
EcoTrail achieved a good SUS score of 79.375 and 85% success rate, demonstrating that the app is user-friendly and effectively addresses sustainable transportation needs.