Modeling bus travel experience to guide the design of digital services for the bus context

To make public transportation more attractive, it is important to design for pleasurable travel experience. Intra-city bus transportation has broad potential for utilisation of novel digital services beyond travel information. To enhance the travel experience of buses, services should be developed focusing on positive user experience. The aim of this study was to investigate the elements of bus travel experience and associated passenger needs. This paper presents the findings of a three-week qualitative field study with ten regular bus passengers. Derived from the findings, we present Bus Travel Experience Model and related passenger experiences and needs, with an emphasis on digital services. The model is based on the central user experience elements: the passenger – user, the bus – context, and the system, including both the public transportation system and the system of mobile services. The model can provide guidance for design and evaluation of future digital bus traveling services.