Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Integrating Shared Mobility as an uniform experience into the NS App
The Dutch Railways (NS) has broadened its offerings to include shared mobility services such as Check Scooters, Greenwheels cars, and TIER e-bikes within its app, alongside its primary focus on train travel.
This enhancement aims to provide a seamless, door-to-door travel experience by integrating various mobility options, reducing the need for multiple apps.
Our project focused on creating a user-centric, high-fidelity interface within a scalable design system, ensuring a consistent experience across all services. This expansion not only enriches the NS app’s functionality but also aligns with NS’s mission to facilitate effortless travel for its users.
A scalable, white-label approach
Adopting a scalable, white-label approach was key in ensuring that the design system could accommodate a diverse range of mobility services—e-scooters, e-bikes, regular bikes, and cars—while maintaining a unique and cohesive user experience across the NS app.
This approach allowed for the creation of flexible and modular components that can be easily adapted to different mobility providers’ branding and functional requirements. By focusing on universal design components and patterns, I helped NS to design an interface that is intuitive and consistent, yet customizable, enabling each service to offer a distinct experience that aligns with their brand identity, NS’s identity and users’ expectations.
Jasper advanced our goal to become the top Mobility-as-a-Service provider in The Netherlands.
Liza Hidding
Product Owner @ NS
Discovery & Strategy
To create a seamless user journey, we developed a core booking flow with subtle customizations for each mobility service. Whether booking a car, e-bike, or scooter, users encounter a similar experience, streamlining the process while accommodating unique provider features.
This strategy ensures that users enjoy a consistent experience across different services while still benefiting from provider-specific options, such as vehicle information, pricing, and booking requirements. Our design adapts smoothly to meet NS’s need for flexibility, allowing rapid integration of new providers and services as the NS mobility offering expands.
Validation & Key Insights
To confirm our designs met user expectations, we conducted usability testing with nine users, exploring both car and scooter experiences. The user group included both frequent and occasional shared mobility users.
Key insights included:
- Smooth Booking Flow: Users interacted intuitively with primary buttons and navigation, completing tasks with minimal friction. However, some needed more detailed vehicle operation information.
- Tailored Information Needs: Novices appreciated step-by-step guidance, such as how to access and return vehicles, while experienced users favored a streamlined process without redundant instructions.
- Iterative Improvements: Testing revealed areas for enhancement:
- Vehicle Return Instructions: Adding pre-trip reminders on return policies helped users avoid confusion during drop-off.
- Adaptive Flow Options: Providing options to skip or expand steps helped both advanced and novice users navigate efficiently, offering an experience suited to each user type.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Client
2023
Year
Liza Hidding
Product Owner
Jasper Koenen
UX Designer
Outcomes & Future Scalability
The validated system provides NS with a robust framework for shared mobility services. User feedback confirmed the intuitive booking flow, and refinements highlighted the value of iterative, user-centered design.
This scalable concept forms the foundation for NS’s Mobility-as-a-Service, extending easily to new services while maintaining a cohesive experience. This flexibility enables NS to expand its mobility portfolio, enhancing accessibility and driving the app’s growth.