Deutsche Bahn’s Streckenagent app focuses on regular commuters and everyday mobility across Germany. Distinct features such as subscriptions to selected routes for real-time updates, or the integration of sharing providers to offer multimodal travel options, make it the perfect mobility companion.
A New Home
As Deutsche Bahn’s second largest app by user reach, Streckenagent (literally meaning “line agent”) originally focused on regular commuters using Deutsche Bahn services across Germany. In 2021, it was decided to create the next generation of the app, and in the process to migrate it to the existing Mobimeo MaaS platform. The main reason for this move was the strategic decision to enrich the app with a variety of new features that would turn it into an everyday mobility companion for both public transportation and sharing options.
As lead designer at Mobimeo, my task was to plan and execute the integration process from a front-end and UX perspective. One of the main challenges was the fact that at the time of the takeover, Streckenagent already had a solid user base of over a hundred thousand monthly active users (MAUs). Due to the nature of the app, many of these users were regular users who we knew would respond potentially sensitive to any changes to the product. This is why user testing played a crucial role during the design process of Streckenagent 2.0.
Streckenagent's new app UI was based on a custom variation of Mobimeo's white-label design system and component library.
Ideate, Prototype, Validate. Repeat.
The creation of Streckenagent 2.0 meant various sub projects happening all at once: Migrating an existing product onto a new platform without breaking or dismissing any features, integrating the product into an existing infrastructure of components and guidelines, as well as creating a wide range of new features. As a design lead for this product, as well as its sister app Mobility Stuttgart, I was responsible for a wide range of tasks:
- Directing a team of designers working on various feature clusters, such as search and routing, sharing mobility, ticketing, user management and payments processing.
- Managing a focus group of long-term Streckenagent users who were regularly interviewed, and who we tested new features as early-stage prototypes with.
- Creating design guidelines to adopt Streckenagent to the Mobimeo platform, both visually and functionally.
- Acting as a design representative between various project stakeholders at Deutsche Bahn entities and Mobimeo.
More MAUs, and Happier Ones
Streckenagent’s relaunch initially received mixed feedback, and especially long-term users were –somewhat expectedly– not entirely happy with the move. Since we were in exchange with a group of users we could interview and run user tests with, our team was able to respond to this feedback quickly, and gradually improve on those features that people addressed the most. Over time, Streckenagent increased its monthly active users by more than 50 percent and improved its AppStore and PlayStore ratings significantly. In our ongoing CSAT surveys, clarity and ease of use were regularly pointed out as positive aspects of the app.
As of May 2nd, 2024, Streckenagent app has been discontinued based on a strategic decision by Deutsche Bahn: In the future, dedicated everyday mobility features developed and provided by Mobimeo, will be integrated into DB’s flagship product, DB Navigator. Streckenagent’s sister app, Mobility Stuttgart will continue to run on the Mobimeo platform along with the apps of other partners in the future.
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© 2024 Christian Behrens