New Site and App to be released.

[bobtehpanda]

58 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I honestly don't see what's wrong with the old site and I don't find it cluttered either. Everything that I need is either there or a few clicks away.  It's much more tedious to find anything out about buses or subways.  The only thing that they didn't bury were the MNRR schedules.

The old website is a bit cluttered, it's just that they slapped all the information they could fit onto the front pages. So a lot of stuff is on the front page by virtue of being cluttered.

If you wanted to do a little digging to find the reports they publish or the publications for SAS and things like that, then it's actually easier to use Google to search the website from outside.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 minute ago, bobtehpanda said:

The old website is a bit cluttered, it's just that they slapped all the information they could fit onto the front pages. So a lot of stuff is on the front page by virtue of being cluttered.

If you wanted to do a little digging to find the reports they publish or the publications for SAS and things like that, then it's actually easier to use Google to search the website from outside.

That I agree with.

[RailRunRob]

1 hour ago, Lance said:

I imagine it's nowhere near as high as those looking for the main sections (TripPlanner, schedules, real-time arrivals, etc.), but it's good optics to promote what they're trying to accomplish. At least let users know the MTA is working towards improving things and their progress on that front. Bob is right on the money in the post above in that it gives the impression that nothing is being done.

I get what your saying the MTA definitely should do a better a job at  communicating there roadmap.  I guess that’s one of the reasons why they have the ability for viewers still to view their old site.I do however understand the need to go backwards to move forward sometimes. I went through this  exact  process when I was finishing my tenure at Apple I was a QA engineer during the process of Apple moving from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut X.  When you’re building a new infrastructure sometimes you have to go backward to move forward.  They removed quite a few features but over the course of time added them back in more efficient ways.  When the change was happening we got everything just shy of death threats lol.  As they start adding back functions people got over it. You can kinda trace the roots of the old site going all the way back  to the early 2000s hierarchal wise and what 2011 design wise.  Sometimes you have to start from scratch and add things back were needed. Great exercise to shake off dead weight and unnecessary bloat. One thing designers know is that people hate change anything new and unfamiliar goes through this phase. But I think all the things that were describing can be added in very easily and modularly down the line.  They’re probably going to have the new and old sites parallel each other for a bit.  I think it’ll work out okay.

[bobtehpanda]

5 hours ago, RailRunRob said:

I get what your saying the MTA definitely should do a better a job at  communicating there roadmap.  I guess that’s one of the reasons why they have the ability for viewers still to view their old site.I do however understand the need to go backwards to move forward sometimes. I went through this  exact  process when I was finishing my tenure at Apple I was a QA engineer during the process of Apple moving from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut X.  When you’re building a new infrastructure sometimes you have to go backward to move forward.  They removed quite a few features but over the course of time added them back in more efficient ways.  When the change was happening we got everything just shy of death threats lol.  As they start adding back functions people got over it. You can kinda trace the roots of the old site going all the way back  to the early 2000s hierarchal wise and what 2011 design wise.  Sometimes you have to start from scratch and add things back were needed. Great exercise to shake off dead weight and unnecessary bloat. One thing designers know is that people hate change anything new and unfamiliar goes through this phase. But I think all the things that were describing can be added in very easily and modularly down the line.  They’re probably going to have the new and old sites parallel each other for a bit.  I think it’ll work out okay.

You can abandon some functions in a beta, but you shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. If most site content isn't easily reachable from the homepage, that's a major issue.

[Deucey]

I think they should pay @Lance and use his service change maps on the front page.

[ABOGbrooklyn]

13 hours ago, RailRunRob said:

I get what your saying the MTA definitely should do a better a job at  communicating there roadmap.  I guess that’s one of the reasons why they have the ability for viewers still to view their old site.I do however understand the need to go backwards to move forward sometimes. I went through this  exact  process when I was finishing my tenure at Apple I was a QA engineer during the process of Apple moving from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut X.  When you’re building a new infrastructure sometimes you have to go backward to move forward.  They removed quite a few features but over the course of time added them back in more efficient ways.  When the change was happening we got everything just shy of death threats lol.  As they start adding back functions people got over it. You can kinda trace the roots of the old site going all the way back  to the early 2000s hierarchal wise and what 2011 design wise.  Sometimes you have to start from scratch and add things back were needed. Great exercise to shake off dead weight and unnecessary bloat. One thing designers know is that people hate change anything new and unfamiliar goes through this phase. But I think all the things that were describing can be added in very easily and modularly down the line.  They’re probably going to have the new and old sites parallel each other for a bit.  I think it’ll work out okay.

With your expertise in website design, your resume being a New Yorker and your love for trains. You should email the MTA and design their website. All seriousness.

[RailRunRob]

11 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

You can abandon some functions in a beta, but you shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. If most site content isn't easily reachable from the homepage, that's a major issue.

But again I think it could be reachable overtime.  I mean you have to design mobile 1st nowaday's. You have to rethink screen real estate and how you use it. Back In early 2000's this wasn't even a thought for design. So how do design something that can adapt from a 4 inch phone to a 27 inch desktop and all stops in between? The native app may take some of that burden off but the web still needs to be adaptive with mobile 1st. The design is modular you can add new sections fairly easy. (My idea below)  Keep the option for both sites for a bit and add new sections as you go. The old site is way to cluttered it feels like a bulletin board with everything just slapped up there. It's going to take time to organize and rethink how to lay these types of information in this new mobile/adaptive world. We of all people have to live in the future. I'm sure they'll get it.. Now when we get to UX in AR/VR let's talk lol! This is a layup.

 

[RailRunRob]

4 hours ago, ABOGbrooklyn said:

With your expertise in website design, your resume being a New Yorker and your love for trains. You should email the MTA and design their website. All seriousness.

I pitched the MTA a few years back on a train mesh network/platform using beacons. Needless to say they gave us the runaround didn't understand the tech and turned around a year later and inked a deal with Intersection (Ex Apple guy/gals) that produced the Kiosks and later the countdown clocks all using you know what BLE, Mesh networks. Someone had the better connect and possible kickback. Connections and Capitalism The double-C's of success!! 😩 Maybe there's a new crew with Byford?  (Part of our presentation below. circa late 2013)

 

[RailRunRob]

7 hours ago, Deucey said:

I think they should pay @Lance and use his service change maps on the front page.

Indeed I enjoyed your post on the Christie Street connection. Great job!! @Lance

[ABOGbrooklyn]

1 hour ago, RailRunRob said:

I pitched the MTA a few years back on a train mesh network/platform using beacons. Needless to say they gave us the runaround didn't understand the tech and turned around a year later and inked a deal with Intersection (Ex Apple guy/gals) that produced the Kiosks and later the countdown clocks all using you know what BLE, Mesh networks. Someone had the better connect and possible kickback. Connections and Capitalism The double-C's of success!! 😩 Maybe there's a new crew with Byford?  (Part of our presentation below. circa late 2013)

 

You should try again. Would love to see the MTA move forward with someone who actually has a passion for what they're doing.

[bobtehpanda]

10 hours ago, ABOGbrooklyn said:

With your expertise in website design, your resume being a New Yorker and your love for trains. You should email the MTA and design their website. All seriousness.

The moral of the story is that the MTA gets what its willing to pay for, which extends to pretty much everything about government. Anyone with the ability could easily make 2x or 3x the salary out of government and deal with less office politics and BS.