Analysis of an Interactive App

   The MTA Subway Time app for iPhone is an Internet application that provides real time and schedule time for subway in New York City.  This app tracks all subways, when they will arrive so the waiting time can be avoid. 

Main screen contains the name of the app, logo and instruction on how to get started. It has lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the S 42^nd street shuttle. Figure 1.

Next, we pick a subway line on the main screen, train 4, for example. We’ll be redirected to a second screen that contains all the subway station of the subway 4. Name of every single station and if they count with handicap access.

On top of the screen the option of the other lines will be shown in case we decide to change subways and below there is “back bottom” if we want to go to the main screen. Figure 2.

Next step, let’s say we are close or in Bowling Green station, so we pick that station and this step take us to another screen. Bowling Green station is on the top of the screen because there is where we are. It shows both direction, uptown and downtown. And it shows up to the next four-subway time. Since the subway 4 is an express line, it shows the time of the train 5 also, since both usually stop at the same subway stations during their route. On the top, we have the other subway lines as in screen 2. There is the same “back bottom” that it takes you to screen 2 and then to the main screen.  On the right, we have a “refresh bottom” so we can refresh and get the new wait time. Also, if there is any “planned work” or “service change” that be shown right above the name’s station on the last screen. Figure 3.

This app is just those three screens, you can get lost or anything likes that. It is easy to use.

The name of the app “Subway Time” and the little logo of the front of a train and the three curves on top of it simulate the Wi-Fi connection you need to connect to it or the Internet connection if you don’t need/want Wi-Fi.

The colors of the subway lines and numbers are just the same so if we see them in an app, we automatically know that it refers to the subways in the city. And doing the connection with the title of the app we know it is to know how long we need to wait for the next train.

Constraints for this app, sometimes the times are not corrected, they are supposed to be synchronized with the ones in the subway station. A minute can be too much time if you are in a hurry that day.

As we know, our smart-phones are computers, so apps are like tools that make it work better and help us to do everything faster for work or entertainment. The elements of this app are not that many. Icons for the subway lines, titles, and instructions are the elements that make everything easy and not confusing at all.  In the first screen those elements look a little too much, making the screen full of information, but at same time it is easy to read. In the second screen, subways lines are on the top, back bottom and then all the subway station of certain line, line 4, in this case. You need to scroll down or up to find the subway station you want. If you are not from the city or if you don’t know the name of them, you might need a subway map app, also, in addition to this want.  In the third screen, after we selected our station, we have 4 different destinations which are uptown or downtown. Here it is a little confused again, because it doesn’t say which one are going uptown or downtown. And there is a little too much information. And if you don’t know the destination, well, you might take the wrong direction.

But if you have been living in the city for a while you have an idea of which direction you should take.

Icons, information, titles work as a whole to bring an easy way to be on time to catch the subway. It is like a scheme, you go from one main screen with different options to a second screen with so many more option (subway station) and then you go to a third screen which is the end of it. After that you can’t go forward, you need to go back or pick another line from the top, which brings you back to the second screen with so many option (subway stations) but it is a different line now.

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