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Multi-sided shuttle bus eco-system

Designing a Multi-App Ecosystem for Riders, Drivers, and Admins

I partnered with a private shuttle operator to design a multi-app ecosystem (rider apps, driver app, admin dashboard) in just one month. Through strategy workshops, a UX audit, and co-design/co-build with engineering, I brought clarity and execution discipline to deliver the product on time and create a scalable foundation for drivers, riders, and admins.

ROLE

Lead designer & facilitator

Brought clarity and execution discipline to a previously stalled project. Responsibilities included strategy workshops, planning, UX audit, design iteration, and close collaboration with engineering.

CLIENT

Private shuttle operator

TIMELINE

1 month

DELIVERABLE

1 web dashboard, 2 mobile apps (iOS & Android), 1 iPad app

👾 The Problem

Team

The project had stalled for six months. Stakeholders and engineering couldn’t align on scope or execution.

Product

The private shuttle system had no tracking or structure. Drivers estimated manually, riders had no visibility, and admins had no records.

✅ The Solution

  • Team: I brought structure and execution discipline through strategy workshops, planning, and a co-design/co-build workflow. This alignment turned a stalled concept into a working product in under a month.

  • Product: I introduced clarity through information flow mapping, a UX audit, redesign recommendations, and iterative design work with engineering. This replaced manual guesswork with a framework for real-time visibility.

🚀 The Impact

Team Impact

  • > 6 mo → < 1 mo
    Project delivered on time after stalled progress

Product Impact (to be measured)

  • # of sign-ups

  • # of ride activity

  • # of ride completions

🔍 The Process

I started by clarifying the system through information flow mapping and a UX audit, which uncovered gaps and opportunities. From there, I drove progress through redesign recommendations and a co-design/co-build workflow with engineering, using rapid iteration and tight feedback loops to move from concept to working product in under a month.

🧩 Turning Complex Data Into Clarity

The Challenge

The private shuttle system had no formal structure. Drivers estimated arrival times, riders waited without visibility, and admins had no real-time records. Each group needed different information — ride status, stop progress, or request logs — but there was no shared system to connect them.

The Process

I mapped the information flow between Drivers, Riders, and Admins to show what data needed to move, and when. This made the complexity visible. For the first time, the roles and information needs of all three players were clear and connected.

Why

The information flow became the blueprint for structure and clarity.

  • Drivers no longer relied on guesswork.

  • Riders gained visibility and confidence.

  • Admins had consistent oversight.

What had been a scattered, manual process turned into a cohesive system of information, laying the foundation for a scalable private shuttle platform.

🧩 Iterating Fast Through Co-Design/Co-Build

The Challenge

With only one month to deliver multiple products, the traditional handoff workflow — “design first, then development” — wasn’t feasible. Each round of waiting for finalized designs or builds created stop-and-go delays that risked missing the deadline.

At the same time, the private shuttle system lacked structure: drivers estimated times manually, riders had no visibility, and admins had no real-time records. Each group relied on different information, but there was no shared system to connect them.

The Process

To meet the compressed timeline and bring clarity to a fragmented system, I shifted into a co-design/co-build workflow with engineering.

  • Co-design sessions: Sketched, wireframed, and built in real time, side by side.

  • Tight feedback loops: Tested and validated changes immediately, refining without long cycles.

  • Parallel iteration: Ran design and development simultaneously, maintaining momentum.

This approach allowed us to explore visualization concepts quickly, validate with stakeholders, and converge on designs that made complex shuttle data easier to understand.

Here's an example of from one of our co-design/dev sessions:

Why

By iterating rapidly, we transformed a manual, fragmented process into a cohesive, visual system:

  • Drivers could indicate rides and stops without guesswork.

  • Riders gained visibility into status and ETAs.

  • Admins could monitor rides and requests in real time.

The outcome was a multi-app ecosystem delivered on time, with structured flows and visibility for all players.

For example, admins track large amounts of shuttle data. Without visualization, the information was overwhelming. The final dashboard presented it in a way that was easy to absorb at a glance, surfacing the most important details clearly.

🧩 From Stalled to Shipped in One Month

The Challenge

The client and engineer had been working on this project for six months but weren’t moving into execution. Without clear alignment or a roadmap, the risk was high: deadlines could slip, scope could creep, and ultimately the project might never ship.

The Process

I introduced project management practices that brought structure to the sprint:

  • Conducted a strategy workshop to align priorities and reset the team.

  • Built a Gantt chart to map tasks, deadlines, and dependencies.

  • Facilitated 2–3 check-ins per week to track progress, unblock issues, and gather feedback.

  • Took on multiple roles — facilitator, project manager, and designer — to keep momentum going.

The Solution

By combining structured planning with a tight feedback loop, we created accountability and momentum. Everyone understood what needed to be done, when reviews would happen, and how decisions would be made. The project shifted from open-ended discussions to coordinated, forward progress.

Why It Mattered

This structure turned a stalled initiative into a coordinated push that shipped on time. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the deadline, the team felt aligned and confident. Beyond delivering three apps and a dashboard in one month, the client gained a repeatable framework for running future projects under pressure.

🏁 Result

  • Delivered on time in 1 month after the project had been stalled for over six.

  • Built a multi-app system (rider apps, driver app, admin dashboard) that replaced manual coordination with structured flows and real-time visibility.

  • Established a scalable foundation for measuring adoption, engagement, and operational efficiency.

🚀 The Impact

Team Impact

  • Shifted a stalled concept into a working product.

  • Delivered on time despite compressed timelines.

  • Improved cross-team alignment through co-design/co-build workflow.

  • Product Impact (currently being measured)
    To evaluate adoption and effectiveness, I’m tracking three core metrics:

    1. Sign-ups: Rider adoption and onboarding into the system.

    2. Activity: Frequency of ride requests and usage of the apps.

    3. Ride completions: End-to-end successful trips, reflecting both rider engagement and driver efficiency.

💬 Key Takeaways

1

Alignment is everything

A single strategy workshop upfront brought the client and engineer onto the same page. It clarified what we were building, what we weren’t, and who owned each task. This avoided scope creep and gave the team shared confidence to move forward.

2

Structure accelerates delivery

Tools like a Gantt chart and 2–3 check-ins per week may seem simple, but they created accountability and momentum. With a one-month deadline, this structure eliminated uncertainty and allowed us to hit milestones consistently.

3

Co-design drives faster progress

Instead of waiting on finalized files, we jumped on calls and co-designed directly with engineering. By making design tweaks and building in real time, we cut iteration cycles from days to hours, validated ideas faster, and reduced rework — a scrappy but effective approach that made on-time delivery possible.

4

Small tweaks make a big difference

Even though there hadn’t been a designer on the project before, lightweight UX adjustments—like improved visual hierarchy, clearer labeling, and role-specific dashboards—significantly improved usability. These details ensured each user group (students, drivers, admins) could complete their tasks with less friction.