IRCTC Redesign | UI & UX case study

Published in

Bootcamp

5 min readApr 9, 2023

This project aims to address the major problems that users face while using the IRCTC app by developing user-centered solutions that improve the overall user experience. Our goal is to identify the key pain points of the app’s users and create solutions that address these challenges, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the app’s usability, functionality, and accessibility for potential users.

Problem Statement

IRCTC app has been experiencing performance issues, leading to slow response times, frequent crashes, and other usability problems. This has resulted in a poor user experience for customers who rely on the app to book train tickets, check train schedules, and access other railway-related information. As a result, the app is failing to meet customer expectations, and This has led to customer dissatisfaction and reduced bookings, as customers are forced to turn to alternative modes of transport or booking platforms

Solution

The goal is to construct a more effective and user-friendly booking system, as well as enhancing the general user experience to make it simpler. The project would concentrate on refining the current booking process, making it more instinctive and easier to use.

Audience Demographics

The largest age group of visitors are 25–34 year olds

Traffic and engagement Analysis

Makemytrip and IRCTC app total visits comparison

The visits to the IRCTC have reduced while MakeMyTrip had more total visits, it may indicate that users are finding the MakeMyTrip platform more attractive and convenient for their travel needs.

User Research

Quantitative Research

I did an online survey using Google Form to observe any pattern and similarity in what the potential users may want. A total of 12 people responded to the survey which assisted us in frame the problem correctly

User reviews

Pain Points

Users are overwhelmed by the complex payment method because of the sheer number of choices available.
Users are automatically logged out when they switch to another application.
The app requires the user to log in every time they open a session.
The user needs to refresh the ticket each time to view available options, and once the ticket is refreshed, the other train options disappear.
The interface of this app isn’t user-friendly at all.

User Persona

Design Solutions

Once I identified the main issues and challenges faced by the users, I developed possible solutions to mitigate their problems and overcome the obstacles they encountered.

Keep me signed in

Users are frequently experiencing issues when trying to book tickets through online payment due to the app’s session management system. When users switch to another app during the payment process, they may find that their session has expired, causing their payment to be processed, but their ticket not to be booked.

To address the issues “Keep me signed in” feature was implemented. The app could provide users with an option to stay logged in even when they switch to another application. This feature could be enabled by default.

Refresh Ticket

The app’s ticket availability display system requires users to repeatedly refresh the page to see updated ticket availability, causing a poor user experience. Additionally, refreshing the page often causes previously viewed train ticket options to disappear, resulting in a loss of time and effort for users.

The design solution involves refreshing the entire page rather than reloading individual train tickets, allowing users to update the page without losing any previously viewed options.

Simplified payment options

The app’s payment system is overwhelming for users due to the large number of payment options available. Users may find it difficult to navigate through the various options and choose the one that best suits their needs.

So the solution is to simplify the payment process by offering only the most popular and commonly used payment options. This would help reduce the number of choices available, making it easier for users to choose the option that best suits their needs.

Clean User Interface

The IRCTC app’s user interface is outdated and cluttered, which can make it challenging for users to find the information or functionality they need. The app’s poor UI design may also result in slow loading times, errors, or unexpected behaviors, leading to a suboptimal user experience and lower user satisfaction.

So the solution for enhancing navigation involves simplifying the user interface by reducing the number of options and grouping related features together. This will be achieved by implementing clear and descriptive labels, utilizing visual hierarchy to prioritize the most important functions, and avoiding any clutter or unnecessary redundancy.