Summary of interviews and direct observations

We conducted interviews during the ferry trip from Slussen to Djugarden in order to get data to improve travelling experience of ferry trip. These data will help us understand the need of possible customers in the design project.

We conduct interviews as participant observers and we use audio recording as our means of data recording. Since we did not do interviews on the same day, many conditions vary, such as weather, number of people on board, day of the week. Furthermore, we use interviews as technique for data gathering, so the data we obtained falls into the “qualitative data” category.

We have interviewed six families travelling with their kids, plus the captain.

Out of the six families we interviewed, only one of them are international tourists, the others are all local to Stockholm or at least local to Sweden. Most of them travelled with an SL card, either monthly or daily, and had their tickets dealt with before reaching the ferry platform. The main reason for almost all families chose the ferry trip is because their children enjoy the view, Another one is that taking ferry is faster than the other transports.

Most families we had interviewed suggested that a toilet on the ferry would be convenient, since unlike adults, a ten-minute trip is terribly long for children with call of nature.

However, when we interviewed the captain, we were informed that this debate had been for years, and the cost-benefit analysis suggested that it is not worthwhile to add a toilet to a ferry with such short trip.

Before the interview, we had been concerned that a belt to fasten strollers might be needed. However, during our interview, only one family agreed that it would be necessary. We used to have that idea because we can usually see one in the waterway transportation.

We can see from one interview that, some people said the destination is a little bit confused because there may be multiple destination for a ferry. They mentioned that they should be aware of the broadcasting all the time. And if it is on weekends, the ferry will be really crowded and noisy. Thus it may be hard for them to catch the broadcasting. Definitely, this phenomenon is more severe for the tourists since the broadcasting is just in Swedish.

Most local families did not exactly plan their travel -- they just get aboard to Djugarden to see what’s there to offer today. This way, it would be helpful if there are posters of current activities in Djugarden, rather than information on the SL ferry route.

Several families got to Slussen by public transportation and likely went home the same way. it would be more convenient if there is a LED screen updating timetables of commuter tubes/buses/trams etc.

There were one family demanding somewhere that sells food and water on the ferry. Maybe vending machines selling sodas, snacks or even souvenirs can be added.

Requirements after 1st Iteration
schedules of ferry and commuting vehicles
activities in Djugarden
vending machines
better ways to enjoy the view
interaction between passengers

Contextual Interview by Hui Pang

Interviewees: a couple travelling with a toddler and the wife’s sister

Time: Wednesday afternoon

Weather: occasional shower in the morning but mostly sunning in the afternoon

Location: on the dock, on the way to Djugarden.

Q: Do you live in Stockholm or some other places?

A: I live in Stockholm.

Q: What is your occupation?

A: I am a homemaker. 

Q: How old is your children? 

A: My daughter is one year old. 

Q: What sort of SL card do you possess?

A: I travel on a monthly card. 

Q: How did you plan your travel?

A: I just come by and wait.?

Q: How did you get to Slussen?

A: By our own car. 

Q: What is your destination in Djugarden? 

A: Skansen. 

Q: How often do you travel this way? 

A: Once a month. 

Q: Do you share your photos on the ferry on social network? 

A: Yes, since the WiFi is good here!

Q: Why do you prefer to travel the route by ferry, instead of by bus, tram etc?

A: We used to travel by car, and now we want to try something new. 

Q: What do you enjoy about the ferry trip?

A: It offers nice view of typical Swedish harbours. 

Q: Anything you hope to see improvement about the ferry trip? Like a belt to fasten strollers?

A: No, everything is fine. 

Q: Do you talk to strangers on the trip?

A: No.

Q: Does the reconstruction of Slussen makes the new port hard to find?

A: Slussen is always under construction, so no problem!

Q: Would you recommend this trip to people you know?

A: Yes! To anyone who has not tried this trip!

Observational Studies: 

About the family: The family came from Iraq.They sat at the bench and stayed there all ride along. Husband took selfies of family. 

About the passengers: 

As time went by, there were more passengers. Most were middle-aged couples, or young adults with their friends. The atmosphere was cheerful. 


Reflection:

When conducting the contextual interviews, we have interviewed families with children from both Stockholm and somewhere an hour’s drive away for the purpose of triangulation. We interviewers also pose as participant observers and use audio recording as our means of data recording. 

From our direct observation, there are special benches for children inside cabin, with their shorter seat frame so that children can sit more comfortably. We observe a recurring pattern that most parents with small children chose to sit on these benches when they are inside the cabin. However, there is no such special benches on the dock, and most children need to hold onto their parents when enjoying the view. Maybe there can be some facilities for children on the dock in the future. 

We have also asked several families with toddlers whether a belt for strollers is needed. We are astonished to learn that many families consider it unnecessary. Maybe it is due to the fact that ferries do not abrupt turns or stops.  

We also learn that according to the cost-benefit analysis conducted by the SL company, it is not economic to keep toilets on ferries, since it is a rather short trip. However, there can be more toilets near both sides of the platform. Also some parents suggested putting a vending machine selling sodas or snacks. 

Another part can be improved is the windows. Many children kneel on their benches to get a better view, but were blocked by the wooden pane. We suggest those can be replaced with acrylics, like the ones on a sightseeing boat. 

We can see there are several posters on the ferry trip, but none on the activities on Djugarden. SL can collaborate with travelling agency and keep tourists more updated here.   

Contextual Interviews ---Jinchen Liu

Interviews

May I have the audio recording?
Yeah, sure!
What's your name?
Sobers
What's your occupation?
I am a journalist.
Where do you live?
I live in Stockholm.
Where are you going to visit ?
The museum in the Djurgården.
Whats the name of the museum you are going to visit?
Tekniska museet
How are your kids?
They are eleven and eight.
Is it you first time to visit it?
Yeah!
How did you plan to your trip since this your first time?Like how did you get information for this museum?
We know this place and we are not living so far away, so today I just take my kids to go there, actually without think about the plan.
Why do you choose ferry to travel?
Otherwise, we will take the bus and it will take the double time. The ferry trip is much faster.
Do you like the ferry trip?
Yes!
Is it child friendly?
Yes it is. It has a place to let children stand on to look the sea sight. So it is really good! This is perfect for us!
How do you think the improvement for this ferry?
Umm....Good question! I am not sure and I haven't thought before...Maybe it should have a place to sell coffee or drinks, and since we take our kids and the it takes 10 minutes for travelling, maybe a toilet or baby care room is more convenient!
Do you like to share the experience on the Facebook or some other social networking services?
Well... I have a twitter account but I am not the guy who publish all the time...So maybe not.
I only comment for once a month.
Do you talk to other passager during the trip, like stranger conversation?
No, I am typical Swedish.  We don't start a conversation. If you are not here, I will interact with my kids.
Do you think it should be wifi on board?
Yeah, sure. It should be good, but not necessary.
Well, thats all! Thanks a lot for the interview! 
No problem!

Interview of ferry riding experience 24/09/16

I did this interview on September 24th with Agneev and Suping. It was a sunny Saturday moring. When we got there, many people were waiting for the next ferry. The ferry was from Slussen to Allmänna gränd, where Gröna Lund and Skansen are located. We took the ferry back and forth for sevral times. This interview is done on the way back to Slussen, stopping at Skeppsholmen half way.

Interview group

M: How often do you take this ferry?

V: Just now, the first time.

M: Do you live in Stockholm?

V: No, I am a tourist.

M: How did you come to this island? Also by ferry?

V: I came here by metro.

M: This time why do you choose ferry?

V: To see the water, and because of the weather, it is a nice weather.

M: Do you have SL card?

V: Yes.

M: For three days or ...

V: Just for today, one day.

M: Do you just stay here for one day?

V: Yes.

M: Are you going to Slussen now?

V: No Skeppsholmen.

M: What part of this Ferry do you enjoy most?

V: It's the scene outdoor, and I enjoy the weather.

M: Did you spend long time waiting this ferry? 

V: No, 10 minutes.

M: Do you have any other experience on ferries in other places?

V: Yes.

M: Can you tell me more about that?

V: Paris for example by boat. Sightseeing in Budapest in Hungry I was there one week ago. It a good way to experience the scenery.

M: Which is the most impressive experience?

V: Stockholm is the best.

M: Oh, really? Can you tell me the reason?

V: Because it's clean and organized.

M: Since I saw you are travelling with children, is there any problem travelling on ferry?

V: No, not at all.

State-of-the-Art Analysis

During the field study we found that one recurring pattern is that not all passengers can be informed the right route of the journey, whether the ferry will head directly towards Allmänna gränd or it will stop at Skeppsholmen.  Comparing to Google Map, SL's official app, regarding to context of use, seems focus more on selling one-time tickets than searching for a route. Passengers who buy one time ticket are often tourists, but SL's target group seems to be local travellers, not only Swedish but English version.

Here is a graphical user interface of choosing which type of ticket to buy. It shows A, B, C, L zones just by text form, assuming users know where these area exactly are, which actually confuse the users.

Another problem is that it's hard to find the information and condition of buying reduced price ticket. As there the button to show the condition of using reduced price ticket is in the upper right corner, and "reduced fare" button is shown after clicking "full fare", which makes it harder to buy a reduced fare ticket. Personas, such as family with children, probably will find it hard to buy tickets for their children.

There is one way to find the correct zone of travelling, that is to use "search journey" function. There is a button "Buy ticket" at the bottom, but you have to find this secret key by yourself, because there is no tip anywhere else.

Although this is an English version app, Swedish still exists in the app, which decreases the usability.

To sum up, the requirements are far from satisfied, it does not estmatited user characteristics, such as users' language, and knowledge of how zones are partitioned. Information presentation is not scientifically designed for user to gather information efficiently. Establishing requirements is an iterative process. To solve the problems, developers can use data mining methods to find target groups, and make the information properly mentioned and highlighted.

Trip to Slussen ferry terminal and Interview 28/09/16

Hui, Jing Chen and I visited the ferry terminal at slussen at about 3.20pm on 28/09 Wednesday afternoon to conduct our interview. I was quite excited as this was the first time I was going to ride on the ferry. As usual, I started taking pictures of the station and the surroundings. The video of the ride can be found here: Video of ferry ride

Selfie

 Special seats with handlebar for children to hold on to

View of ferry terminal

As it was a weekday afternoon, it was quite easy to find our target group of interviewees. So here are the transcription of the conversation with them:

Transcription of interviews

Interviewee 1

What is your name?

Catherina

What is your Occupation?

Working

How frequently do you travel on the ferry?

Once a year

Where do you live?

About 1 hour from Stockholm

Why did you choose the ferry?

The kids wanted to take the ferry. They like the water and the ride

Where did you visit in the island and where are you going to?

Skansen, going to Slussen taking the train

What do you feel about the ferry ride experience for the kids?

The kids enjoy looking outside the ferry during the ride

What is your age?

39 and the kids are 5 yo and 6 yo for the 2 others

Difficult to manage kids on ferry?

No

What can be improved in this ferry?

I don’t know. No comments

What kind of travel pass did you get?

Used SL app to buy a single trip ticket

What is unsafe about the ferry?

Maybe going outside the covered area.

Do you talk to others on the ferry and what do you talk about?

Yes, I talk about the boat trip.

Interviewee 2

What is your Occupation

Housewife and I come from Iraq

What’s the age of your baby?

1 year old

What type of card do you use?

Monthly SL card

How did you travel here?

My sister and husband came to Slussen and parked the car

Where did you visit in the island?

Djugarden

How frequently do you travel on this ferry?

Once a month

Your husband was taking photos just now, do you share those photos on social network?

Yes, twitter and Instagram

Why did you take the ferry instead of other modes of transportation?

We always take the car to t-centralen or metro so we wanted to try the ferry.

What do you enjoy about the ferry?

Everyone in Sweden should travel in this ferry to enjoy the view.

Is there anything you don’t like about the ferry?

No, nothing.

Anything can be improved in this trip?

Short trip so it doesn’t matter much

Is it child friendly?

Yes.

Do you think there should be a belt for the pram?

No.

Do you talk with strangers in the ferry?

No.

Do you think this ferry ride is a fun experience and would you recommend it to others?

Yes, to those who haven’t tried it, it’s a must try.

Seems like people are quite happy with the ferry ride and since its less than 10 minutes, there isn't much of issue about issues like food, Wi-Fi and toilet on-board. Moreover the kids seem to enjoy looking out of the ferry into the waters.