Sound Transit Ticket Vending Machine

Facilitating a fast and easy ticket purchase process for transit riders

The Problem

Transit riders have many options when it comes to figuring out how they’ll get around Puget Sound. Sometimes these mode, ticket and time options can be overwhelming. As one of many cross-channel customer experience improvement projects, Anthro-Tech teamed up with Sound Transit to streamline the ticket purchase process at ticket vending machines.

The Solution

The new purchase process at ticket vending machines provides a customized experience, lets riders select their destinations from a map—like the maps they view in stations—and adopts the language of the rider, rather than the jargon of transit.

Customization

Machines no longer sell products that aren’t available based on the time of day or station location.

Maps

Riders use maps in stations to understand where they are, and where they need to go. To create a seamless experience, when purchasing their tickets, they now select their destination on a map.

Plain Talk

Riders use maps in stations to understand where they are, and where they need to go. To create a seamless experience, when purchasing their tickets, they now select their destination on a map.

Ticket Vending Machine Interface

Facts & Figures

96 Total Ticket Vending Machines
3,142,614 Total 2012 Transactions
$24,451,810 Total 2012 Revenue
153 Number of Riders Who Tested the User Interface

Sound Transit Riders are Talking

Rider feedback from our visual design usability study

“I like it better than the old one.”

“It does what it is supposed to.”

“I like the maps.”

“I like it, it’s quick.”

“Super easy. Even my parents could do it.”

“Straightforward.”

“Better than Germany.”

The Toolkit

Together with our partners at Sound Transit, Anthro-Tech worked through the user-centered design process and provided a variety of services to meet the final goal.