UMD DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION
WEBSITE REDESIGN
Redesigning the complex charter request flow to support clarity, speed, and user independence
ROLE
UX Design & Research
Team of 4
TIMELINE
24 hour make-a-thon
CLIENT
University of Maryland,
Dept of Transportation
OUTCOME
First place winner
CONTEXT
UMD’s charter service allows faculty, staff, and coaches to request transportation for classes, events, and athletic travel. The existing experience relied on a dense web form and scattered information, creating confusion, errors, and frequent dependency on staff support. This redesign focused on improving clarity, streamlining the request process, and enabling users to complete submissions independently.
CHALLENGE
How might we redesign the UMD Charter Service request experience to improve clarity, streamline the process, and promote user independence while submitting a request?
The solution needed to work within:
UMD’s existing design system
Institutional and legal constraints
Limited access to real users
A 24 hour design timeline
MY CONTRIBUTION
While this was a collaborative team effort. my primary contributions included:
Leading research synthesis and problem framing
Developing the sequence model to understand the end to end booking journey
Conducting competitor analysis to identify usable patterns
Designing the vehicle selection model and scannable vehicle cards
The design and logic of “Best Fit” recommendation feature
UNDERSTANDING USERS
We grounded decisions in insights from a faculty member who had previously used the service, feedback from UMD transportation staff based on recurring complaints and heuristic evaluation of the existing site and form
1. The Request process lacked structure
Users had no sense of progression or completion, leading to mistakes and abandoned submissions.
2. Dense, unstructured in puts overwhelmed users
Large blocks of fields without hierarchy caused hesitation and missed requirements.
3. Text heavy layouts and inconsistent patterns reduced confidence
Users struggled to scan information and felt uncertain about their choices
THE REDESIGN .
LONG SINGLE FORM → GUIDED REQUEST FLOW
The original one page form was restructured into a sectioned, step by step experience with clear progress indicators and a defined path to completion.
This reduced cognitive load and helped users understand where they were and what remained.
|
The PDF version prior to redesign
THE REDESIGN
1
A visual guide on the charter request process at the top of the page
1
2
The pdf converted into a web form with logical steps and form validation
3
The progress indicators to guide users while filling out the form
2
3
VEHICLE SELECTION DESIGNED FOR SPEED
OVER EXPLORATION
Design Tension
Early concepts explored an interactive, exploratory vehicle gallery. Persona refinement revealed that users prioritized speed and certainty over browsing, leading to a simpler, decision focused layout.
Vehicle information previously presented as bullet points was redesigned into scannable cards that surface key specifications first, with expandable details for deeper inspection.
A “Best Fit” recommendation is calculated using passenger count, airport travel, and ADA needs.
1
Vehicle rates, availability and
info spread across multiple
access points
THE REDESIGN
1
All relevant info gathered in one card
2
Collapsible rates to save space and provide relevant info when needed
3
Responsive design as a focus: Mobile view of the vehicle info
4
“Best Fit” and “Not a Fit” generated based on users passenger and trip requirements
PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE, ADDED CONTEXT, AND
SMART DEFAULTS
Inputs were reorganized to reveal information only when relevant, with clearer distinctions between required and optional fields.
Autofill and sensible defaults reduced effort and hesitation.
1
Unclear and large amount of information in the middle of the form
THE REDESIGN
1
Additional context for all the fields with next steps laid out
2
Concise view of vehicle info within form to facilitate decision making
1
2
3
Context based adaptive input fields to lower cognitive load
4
Sensible defaults and clear distinction between mandatory
and optional fields
3
4
PREVENTING ERRORS THROUGH VALIDATION
Pickup and drop off fields were redesigned with interactive location selection and format validation, reducing ambiguity and follow up clarification.
1
Input validation with Google API connectivity for locations
1
RESULT
In 24 hours, we delivered a fully clickable, responsive hi-fi prototype that:
Clarified complex character terminology
Streamlined the request process end to end
Reduced reliance on staff support
Worked entirely within UMD’s design system
The design and logic of “Best Fit” recommendation feature
The project was awarded first place and presented to the UMD Department of Transportation as a feasible redesign.
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the value of restraint under pressure. Rather than adding features, we focused on structure, hierarchy, and decision clarity. Working within real institutional constraints sharpened our ability to design solutions that were both user centered and implementable.
UMD DEPT OF TRANSPOR-TATION
WEBSITE REDESIGN
Redesigning the complex charter request flow to support clarity, speed, and user independence
ROLE
UX Design & Research, Team of 4
TIMELINE
24 hour make-a-thon
CLIENT
University of Maryland, Dept of Transportation
OUTCOME
First place winner
CONTEXT
UMD’s charter service allows faculty, staff, and coaches to request transportation for classes, events, and athletic travel. The existing experience relied on a dense web form and scattered information, creating confusion, errors, and frequent dependency on staff support. This redesign focused on improving clarity, streamlining the request process, and enabling users to complete submissions independently.
CHALLENGE
How might we redesign the UMD Charter Service request experience to improve clarity, streamline the process, and promote user independence while submitting a request?
The solution needed to work within:
UMD’s existing design system
Institutional and legal constraints
Limited access to real users
A 24 hour design timeline
MY CONTRIBUTION
While this was a collaborative team effort. my primary contributions included:
Leading research synthesis and problem framing
Developing the sequence model to understand the end to end booking journey
Conducting competitor analysis to identify usable patterns
Designing the vehicle selection model and scannable vehicle cards
The design and logic of “Best Fit” recommendation feature
UNDERSTANDING USERS
We grounded decisions in insights from a faculty member who had previously used the service, feedback from UMD transportation staff based on recurring complaints and heuristic evaluation of the existing site and form
1. The Request process lacked structure
Users had no sense of progression or completion, leading to mistakes and abandoned submissions.
2. Dense, unstructured in puts overwhelmed users
Large blocks of fields without hierarchy caused hesitation and missed requirements.
3. Text heavy layouts and inconsistent patterns reduced confidence
Users struggled to scan information and felt uncertain about their choices
THE REDESIGN.
LONG SINGLE FORM → GUIDED REQUEST FLOW
The original one page form was restructured into a sectioned, step by step experience with clear progress indicators and a defined path to completion.
This reduced cognitive load and helped users understand where they were and what remained.
|
The PDF version prior to redesign
|
A visual guide on the charter request process at the top of the page
|
The pdf converted into a web form with logical steps and form validation
|
The progress indicators to guide users while filling out the form
VEHICLE SELECTION DESIGNED FOR SPEED
OVER EXPLORATION
Design Tension
Early concepts explored an interactive, exploratory vehicle gallery. Persona refinement revealed that users prioritized speed and certainty over browsing, leading to a simpler, decision focused layout.
Vehicle information previously presented as bullet points was redesigned into scannable cards that surface key specifications first, with expandable details for deeper inspection.
A “Best Fit” recommendation is calculated using passenger count, airport travel, and ADA needs.
|
Vehicle rates, availability and
info spread across multiple
access points
|
All relevant info gathered in one card
|
Collapsible rates to save space and provide relevant info when needed
|
Responsive design as a focus: Mobile view of the vehicle info
|
“Best Fit” and “Not a Fit” generated based on users passenger and trip requirements
PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE, ADDED CONTEXT, AND
SMART DEFAULTS
Inputs were reorganized to reveal information only when relevant, with clearer distinctions between required and optional fields.
Autofill and sensible defaults reduced effort and hesitation.
|
Unclear and large amount of information in the middle of the form
|
Additional context for all the fields with next steps laid out
|
Concise view of vehicle info within form to facilitate decision making
|
Context based adaptive input fields to lower cognitive load
|
Context based adaptive input fields to lower cognitive load
PREVENTING ERRORS THROUGH VALIDATION
Pickup and drop off fields were redesigned with interactive location selection and format validation, reducing ambiguity and follow up clarification.
|
Input validation with Google API connectivity for locations
RESULT
In 24 hours, we delivered a fully clickable, responsive hi-fi prototype that:
Clarified complex character terminology
Streamlined the request process end to end
Reduced reliance on staff support
Worked entirely within UMD’s design system
The design and logic of “Best Fit” recommendation feature
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the value of restraint under pressure. Rather than adding features, we focused on structure, hierarchy, and decision clarity. Working within real institutional constraints sharpened our ability to design solutions that were both user centered and implementable.