Reinventing messaging to build real community connections
A human-centered reimagining of how millions navigate one of India’s busiest transit systems
How this project began
This project didn’t start as a grand redesign. It started as an interview assignment.
I spent days observing riders, mapping friction points, and studying how people actually navigate Delhi Metro stations. When the interview ended, something stayed with me. The problems I had uncovered were real, and the solutions I had crafted felt too meaningful to be left on a shelf.
Delhi Metro moves millions every day. A small improvement in clarity or guidance could ripple across the entire city. That realization turned a simple assignment into a deeper, personal project. This case study is the story of that evolution.
Trigger moment
The idea took shape during a ride through Hauz Khas.
A first-time rider stood frozen at the platform split. Yellow Line on the left. Magenta Line on the right. Four signs above his head. None of them offering instant clarity.
He looked around, asked two people, and still boarded the wrong platform.
This wasn’t an isolated moment.
Every interchange revealed the same pattern. Riders weren’t slow. They were unsure.
That moment shaped my north star:
Give every rider immediate clarity the moment they need it, without making them stop or think.
Problem spectrum
Instead of treating this as a UI update, I examined it as an awareness timing problem. There is a short window where a driver should detect an emergency vehicle but currently does not. Three consistent failures appeared across interviews and field observations.
Recognition failure
Drivers do not hear sirens early enough, especially inside quiet cabins.
Spatial blindness
Even when they do hear something faint, they cannot tell
• where it is coming from
• which lane it is in
• whether it is approaching, crossing, or passing
Action ambiguity
Even with awareness, many are unsure what to do.
Slow down, move right, move left, or stop completely.
Current map or vehicle systems behave like basic notifications. Drivers do not need notifications. They need situational intelligence.
Research journey
I approached the problem like a behavioral and systems design study, not a UI exercise.
Rider interviews
I spoke with students, office commuters from my circle who use delhi and kochi metros on call.
Common themes appeared across all groups:
• “I get confused at platform splits.”
• “Signs don’t help inside large interchanges.”
• “I usually follow the crowd, even if I’m unsure.”
• “Google Maps helps outside the station, not inside.”
Riders weren’t frustrated.
They were uncertain.
Station shadowing
I observed passengers at Chandni Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Sikandarpur, and Hauz Khas. I focused on decision points.
Two patterns kept repeating:
• People slowed down only when confused
• Most wrong turns happened in the first fifteen seconds
Every metro journey has two layers of difficulty:
Physical navigation
Walking, climbing stairs, boarding, interchanging.Mental navigation
Predicting direction, interpreting signs, validating decisions.
The second layer is where friction spikes.
Global systems analysis
To benchmark clarity, I studied patterns from systems like Singapore MRT, Hong Kong MTR, Seoul Metro, and Tokyo Metro.
The best metros don’t force riders to interpret.
They remove the need to interpret.
This became a foundational insight for the design.
Problem definition
After synthesizing everything, the core issue became clear.
Riders need a context-aware guidance layer that reduces decision-making at every moment of uncertainty.
The goal wasn’t to add features.
The goal was to reduce effort.
1. Orientation confusion
People don’t instantly know where they are inside the station or which direction leads where.
2. Platform decision pressure
Left or right. Up or down. Which side is the train coming from. Riders often guess.
3. Interchange anxiety
Long tunnels and multi-level transfers create uncertainty. Riders move slowly to “double-check.”
A successful solution needed to remove hesitation before it appeared.
Design principles
To guide the project, I created three principles:
Reduce decision load early
The first ten seconds determine whether a rider feels confident or overwhelmed.
Guide without forcing
Good guidance should feel like reassurance, not instructions.
Show motion instead of words
Humans understand direction and flow more intuitively than text.
System design
I designed the onboarding system as a layered experience:
1. Context layer
Understands the rider’s station, location, and upcoming decision points.
2. Intelligence layer
Predicts what the rider will need next. Examples include:
• which platform is correct
• walking time to interchanges
• expected congestion
• which exit aligns with their destination
3. Experience layer
Delivers guidance at the exact moment it matters.
The system behaves less like a map and more like a silent companion that anticipates your next step.
Journey moments
Every Delhi Metro journey can be broken into four key moments where doubts spike:
1. Entering the station
“Where do I go from here?”
2. Reaching the platform area
“Which side is the right direction?”
3. Navigating interchanges
“How far is the transfer? Which corridor is correct?”
4. Exiting the station
“Which exit gets me closest to my destination?”
Each moment becomes an opportunity to reduce confusion.
Final design
Solution 01
1. Smart platform guidance
The app highlights the correct platform the moment a rider approaches the split. No scanning. No guesswork. Just clear direction.
2. Predictive interchange navigation
Before entering a long corridor, the system shows:
• the correct path
• walking time
• whether it’s crowded
• the correct escalator or staircase
This reduces the hesitation that usually causes slowdowns.
3. Exit intelligence
One of the strongest upgrades.
The system minimizes long walks outside the station by recommending the exit closest to the rider’s final destination.
A small feature. A huge impact.
4. Reassurance on the way
As riders move, the system offers subtle confirmations.
“You’re on the right path to Platform 2.”
“This is the correct interchange for the Pink Line.”
“This exit aligns best with Connaught Place Gate 7.”
Confidence increases speed.
Speed increases flow.
Flow reduces congestion.
Final experience
The redesigned experience feels:
• calmer
• faster
• lighter on the mind
• more predictable
• deeply intuitive
The interface uses:
• minimal text
• motion-based cues
• simple color signals
• clean depth layers
• gentle pacing
Riders should feel like the metro is helping them move instead of making them decode it.
Impact
While this is a conceptual redesign, the outcomes are clear.
• Faster wayfinding, especially for first-time riders
• Fewer wrong-platform mistakes
• Less crowd congestion at decision points
• Easier interchange navigation
• Lower stress for tourists and new residents
• More predictable station flow during peak hours
Small clarity. Big ripple effects.
Reflection
Designing for public transit is humbling.
People don’t need fancy features. They need fewer decisions.
Three insights stood out:
• Reducing cognitive load is more powerful than making UIs look better
• Anticipatory guidance transforms confidence
• Riders move faster when they feel certain, not when they move quickly
This project strengthened my understanding of spatial cognition, behavioral design, and the psychology of movement in complex systems.
Most importantly, it reminded me that thoughtful design doesn’t always need to be loud. Sometimes the quietest experiences create the biggest difference.