Turning Transit Time Into Social Connection
Designing Contextual Prompts that Spark Interaction between Strangers on Public Transport
The Opportunity
Public transportation, especially metro systems, typically enforces an atmosphere of silence and isolation. Commuters travel side by side yet remain disconnected, following unspoken social rules of detachment.
Could design shift this norm…
By creating subtle Interactions that Respect Privacy yet Foster Connection?
The Insight
Field studies and commuter interviews revealed an underlying openness to interaction, coupled with uncertainty about how to initiate it.
Metro passengers often default to headphones and avoid eye contact, adhering to social scripts that discourage engagement.
Yet, beneath this silence, we found curiosity and willingness for low-pressure, spontaneous social interaction, given the right triggers.
The Approach
Our multidisciplinary team used iterative prototyping informed by deep user insights to tackle our central UX challenge
“How might we spark natural interactions among commuters open to engagement, without being intrusive?”
Key Design Features
Ambient Triggers
Optional Engagement
Boundary Respecting
Social Engagement
We developed "Guess the Country," a contextual interaction game subtly integrated into the interior of the metro.
It encourages passengers to engage with subtle environmental cues that can spark curiosity and natural, low-pressure interactions with fellow commuters.
User testing
The final prototype was tested and refined through user testing, successfully provided non-intrusive prompts that passengers could engage with casually or simply enjoy passively.
Feedback indicated a positive shift in commuter atmosphere, reducing social tension and creating small yet meaningful connections.
The Outcome
Guess the Country highlighted the potential of design to gently reshape transit experiences, reinforcing a shared sense of community without compromising individual comfort or privacy.