1. Problem Framing & Business Case

• Defined the problem statement: lack of clear shuttle stop markers caused confusion, delays, and accessibility barriers for commuters.

• Documented business need & value: improved commuter satisfaction, cost savings through optimized routes, and enhanced accessibility for visually impaired users.

• Facilitated project planning and coordination by supporting data collection, analysis, and stakeholder communication across all phases.

2. Requirements Gathering

• Conducted interviews with UMBC Transit leadership, analyzed performance reports, and distributed student surveys with 80% response rate.

• Identified functional requirements (real-time schedules, stop search, feedback storage) and non-functional requirements (99% uptime, ADA compliance, multilingual support).

• Built use cases for shuttle schedules, stop identification, real-time updates, and commuter feedback.

3. System Modeling

• Designed Context & Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to illustrate commuter interactions, real-time shuttle tracking, and admin oversight.

• Developed Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) defining core entities (Commuter, Route, Schedule, Stop, Feedback, Notifications) with clear relationships.

• Enhanced clarity in requirements and reduced ambiguity in shuttle route communication.

4. Systems Proposal

• Completed feasibility analyses (economic, technical, organizational) with a cost model.

• Proposed alternative solutions (QR code navigation vs. voice-guided app) and evaluated with an alternative matrix (cost efficiency, accessibility, scalability, compliance).

• Justified integrated system design as most feasible for UMBC’s long-term needs.

5. Final Design & Prototypes

• Built process models and data tables (Route data, commuter info, feedback).

• Designed a user interface prototype:

  • Check Schedule: tabular transit schedules with real-time updates.

  • Find a Stop: GPS + map view with nearest stop and ETA.

  • Ride: live trip tracker showing current and next stops.

  • Feedback: 5-star rating + comments, integrated with admin reports.

• Applied WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards, ensuring high contrast, screen reader compatibility, and responsive layouts across devices.