UX/UI case study
Commuto
The one-way ticket to self-improvement.
A bite-sized learning app that turns the daily commute into small missions for growth.
01Overview
The daily commute
- 10,000 hours≈ 1.7 whole years
That is how long the average person spends commuting in a lifetime, enough to master a field by the 10,000-hour rule.
Zoning out
“I often zone out during commuting, and do nothing else to pass time.”
Undergraduate, 23 · commuting diaryNothing new
“My daily commute has not quite become a routine, but there’s nothing new.”
Office worker, 59 · commuting diaryStressed
“Going to work is often stressful, and there’s no fun to it.”
Office intern, 23 · commuting diary
Commuters spend years of their lives in transit, tired and stressed.
None of their learning apps were built for a crowded train or a moving bus.
How might wetransform the commute experience to be more enjoyable?
02Research
Why the ride feels wasted
How commuters spend the ride
Almost two-thirds watch videos or listen to music. Each square is one percent of the 400 commuters we surveyed.
- 32%Watch videos
- 32%Listen to music
- 14%Relax
- 12%Read books or webcomics
- 9%Watch the news
Interest in self-development
85% wish they could spend more of the ride learning something.
What they want to learn
- Languages35%
- Personal finance24%
- Current events19%
- Healthcare11%
- Work skills11%
Commuting stress
Commuters feel drained by the ride and feel their time is wasted. We looked to published research on burnout for what helps.
“How does commuting stress affect you?”
- Lethargy, a sense of helplessness44.9%
- Wasting personal time44.5%
- Decrease in concentration25.1%
- Physical symptoms16.7%
- Family trouble11.1%
How can we prevent burnout?
“Long commuting durations can lead to burnout [and] depression. However, this can be alleviated from the perspective of self-efficacy.”
“If you listen to something you enjoy, such as music, audio lectures, or audiobooks, that time can feel somewhat useful and give you a sense of accomplishment.”
Seongjoon Jo, Professor of Psychiatry
Seongjoon Jo, Professor of PsychiatryCompetitive landscape
15 learning apps, mapped by focus and format.
Fint
Speak
Duolingo
Trevari
Blinkist
Millie
Class101
Deloitte Insights
Challengers
Ssum
Headspace
Roubit
To-do Mate
Blind
LinkedInNo app is catered to the commuting experience
Voices from commuters
Why they don’t learn on the way, and what they’d like instead.
- 01“I don’t know where to start in the self-development journey, there are so many things to look at.”
- 02“I can’t be too focused on the learning content, because I often miss the bus stops.”
- 03“I don’t want to put too much energy in, because it will later affect my work.”
- 04“I get too dizzy looking at the phone screen while on a bus, so I just choose to sleep.”
- 05“I often zone out during commuting, although I do want to spend time learning.”
- “I feel refreshed every time I do something productive during commuting.”Postgraduate, 27 · commuting diary
03Define
User persona
We designed for people in their early 20s who want to grow in their spare time, when most of that time is spent commuting.
“I only have these commuting hours to do something for myself, but I’m not sure where to begin.”
Goals
- Make the most of her commute
- Grow personally
- Keep it convenient
Motivations
- Getting ready for her career
- Wants to put her commuting hours to use
Pain points
- Her commute is most of her personal time
- She keeps missing her stop on the way to class
- Work stress is hard to manage
Information architecture
(mission list, selected missions)
04Solution
Commuto
A bite-sized learning app made for the ride. It plans missions around your route and tells you when your stop is coming.
Features
One feature for each friction
- 01 · Where to start
Personalized curation
New picks every day, tailored to how you want to grow. Each one is summarized and shows how long it takes, so you can choose something that fits the ride.
- 02 · Missed stops
Journey tracking and alerts
Your ride appears as a spaceship traveling between planets. GPS estimates the time to your next transfer or stop, and a short pop-up tells you when to get ready to get off.
- 03 · Low energy
Bite-sized missions
Short missions keep the effort low. Each one earns stars to decorate your own planet, with bonuses for daily streaks.
- 04 · Screen dizziness
Content in every format
Articles, podcasts and audiobooks, so there’s always a way to learn, even with your eyes closed on a bumpy bus.
- 05 · Zoning out
Friends and progress
See friends’ planets and progress, leave cheers and comments, and track your week on My Page.
Prototype
Try the ride
Tap through a morning commute from Gangdong to Sinchon, on screens from our final wireframes.
Screens are in Korean, as designed.
05Reflection
Where the ride took us
My role
- User research and testing
- Wireframes and UI design
- Prototyping
- Branding: character and color design
Team members
- Jiyeong Yun
- Dayeon Jun
- Donghyun Kang
- Dobin Pyun
- Heewon Yang
- Chaehyun Son
