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User Experience & Design Research
Connected Places Catapult image

Connected Places Catapult

Research to enhance passenger interchange at Bristol Temple Meads

We sometimes just focus on the station-to-station travel aspect of user journeys. These insights will all help us to deliver that overall user experience from first to last mile, with BTM being at the centre.

Station stakeholder

Services: Accessibility & Inclusive Design, Behavioural Design, User Experience & Design Research

Connected Places Catapult commissioned Mima to perform a multi-faceted research project, studying the passenger interchange experience at Bristol Temple Meads train station. 

The project explored passenger journeys when connecting with the Bristol Ferry, the Airport Flyer bus, and via train to areas in the North of Bristol. The purpose of the research was to understand pain points during the act of interchanging, and opportunities to improve and enhance the experience. The intent of the research output was to inspire, inform and provide user centred insights for future innovators to develop, and subsequently test their design interventions at the CPC Bristol Station Innovation Zone. 

Our Task

Mima developed a research plan to engage with passengers and develop a deep understanding of the three interchange routes. A stakeholder steering group was established with representatives from the Station, the Transport providers, CPC and Bristol Temple Quarter. During initial engagement sessions we held collaborative workshops to help set a baseline understanding, focus the research questions and plan project logistics.

Our research examined travel purposes, behaviours and the high and low points of interchanging. We pulled the lens wider, identifying passenger challenges such as; accessibility gaps, navigation and orientation issues and the experience and emotional response of interchange anxiety. 

The research adopted a multi-faceted approach. We utilised an online survey to reach a wider group of passengers, this was supplemented with in-situ ethnographic methods including; journey shadowing performed with end to end observations of recruited participants travelling the routes, and intercept interviews where we spoke to people during their journeys, including some non-users to gather alternative view points. In total, we engaged with over 155 people.

Two women talking on a ferry boat in Bristol. One, a Mima team member holds a clipboard and wears a yellow lanyard, interviewing the other who wears a pink and grey jacket. In the background, buildings, trees, and boats are visible across a river under a cloudy sky.
Journey shadowing and intercept interviews were conducted during passenger journeys, including on the Bristol ferry
Map of Bristol city centre showing journeys of passengers moving between Bristol Temple Meads Station and interchanging with other modes of transport including walking and the Bristol ferry.
A passenger journey map detailing the routes taken in and around Bristol Temple Meads Station
Slide from the Bristol Temple Meads Interchange report with a title 'What are the shared opportunities across the three routes', with blue, green and yellow boxes to indicate findings from the station, the ferry and the airport flyer
A slide from the report detailing the shared opportunities across the three routes - Bristol North, Bristol ferry and Airport flyer
A yellow slide from the Bristol Temple Meads Interchange report with a quote about the Bristol ferry route by a survey respondent and a white box with a note to innovators to consider who the pain points impact and how the journey goal could be made easier.
A slide from the report showing survey respondent feedback and how pain points should be considered to make journey goals easier.

Our Solution

Mima's research uncovered major friction points in the interchange experience. Five key opportunity themes emerged from our research: reducing stress during interchange, simplifying transport information, improving accessibility, clarifying the act of interchange, and enhancing operational integration.

From this we created both a summary report and an in-depth research report. The final deliverables included detailed journey maps, passenger case studies, and a summary of insights and opportunities that have the potential to scale beyond Bristol Temple Meads Station. SMEs/Future Innovators can utilise the content to help build a deeper understanding of the passenger journey and the challenges that are faced when interchanging, but also to find opportunities that can be addressed through the application of their innovation.

A persona tool was also created to help SMEs review their design decisions and check they are considering the needs of the wide range of people that use public transport.


Our Impact

Our report, although designed and intended to drive innovation through the Station Innovation Zone, has acted as a catalyst for stakeholders across the three routes to meet and discuss interchange.

Feedback in the final workshop shows how this research is helping to shift perspectives on the station experience. “We sometimes just focus on the station-to-station travel aspect of user journeys. These insights will all help us to deliver that overall user experience from first to last mile, with BTM being at the centre” - Station stakeholder.

This project serves as a model for how deep user research can inspire meaningful improvements across transport systems. We hope to see this research drive further collaboration between stakeholders and SMEs for innovation that can scale across our transport networks in the UK.

Interested in applying insights like these? Get in touch to discuss how we can help you design better passenger experiences.

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