UX Case Study
Busbee – B2B2C | Mobile App + Web App
A Tour Experience App and Dashboard for Tourists, Drivers, and Tour Operators in Ireland to Prevent Missed Buses, Reduce Delays, Boost Customer Satisfaction, and Help Tour Companies Grow and Retain Users
Busbee is an app designed to solve the everyday problems faced by tourists missing buses and struggling with timing during their tours. It also helps tour companies improve coordination, reduce delays, and keep their customers happy.
Shubham Mestry
(UX Designer)
shubhammestry582@gmail.com
/shubhammestry
About Project
Context:
I worked as a UX intern at Uplifters Digital Studio, an agency based in Ireland. One day, the founder shared their own experience with problems in the local tour industry. They saw real issues that needed fixing. That was how our project, Busbee, started. I was fortunate to be part of the team and worked on designing the passenger and driver apps to help solve these problems.
My Role:
In this project, my responsibility was to understand the entire user journey - from passengers to drivers to tour companies - and identify their pain points and needs. Based on that, I designed a user-centric application to improve the overall experience for passengers, drivers, and the business.
Our Design Team:
Sayali [Founder & Sr. Designer]
Sameer [Sr. Developer]
Jatin [Designer]
Shubham [Designer]
Skills Developed:
UX Strategy
Information Architecture
Wireframing
UI Design
Design Systems
Remote Collaboration
Project Background & Problem Statement
Tour passengers in Ireland often get left behind during sightseeing stops.
This caused: Negative reviews for tour operators
Stress and frustration for drivers
Anxiety and bad experiences for passengers
Uplifters’ founders personally faced this issue and validated it by:
Speaking to tourists and tour companies
Reading reviews from lost customers
Understanding the brand and revenue impact for tour operators
Business Insight:
Improving communication and timing can increase passenger satisfaction and improve business outcomes for tour operators.
The Current Tour Journey & Its Pain Points
Let's walk through what a typical tourist experiences today, and how it impacts each person involved:
Tourist books a bus tour
They start the journey
During breaks, passengers get off to explore
Passengers lose track of time
Once the time’s up, the bus leaves
Consequences are serious
This leads to
either online or via agents, often excited to explore Ireland’s scenic beauty.
could be a one-day or multi-day tour. Along the way, buses stop for sightseeing breaks.
but Ireland’s natural beauty and newness often distract them.
no alert system, no visual reminder. Just a verbal warning from the driver before leaving.
drivers follow strict schedules. If someone is late, they’re left behind.
Passengers get stranded far from cities
Many locations have no transport or nearby hotels
Some wait hours or overnight for the next bus
Negative reviews from passengers
Drivers getting blamed despite following rules
Tour companies losing brand trust and future bookings
Check the Tour companies flooded with negative reviews
88%
Users never return
Bad experiences lead to long-term brand loss. 88% of users are less likely to return after just one bad interaction.
5x–25x
Costlier to Acquire New Customers
Acquiring a new customer can cost five to 25 times more than retaining an existing one, highlighting the value of customer loyalty.
54%
Share Bad Experiences Widely
Over half of consumers will tell at least five people about a negative experience, amplifying the impact through word-of-mouth.
This has a serious impact on everyone Declining tour companies revenue
Now we know the problem is worth to solve both for users experince and for business impact
Our Aim
Our aim was to design a smart, friendly solution that solves this real problem for everyone involved.
Objectives
Help passengers feel safe, informed, and relaxed during the trip
Support drivers in managing time and communication smoothly
Help tour companies build trust, avoid delays, and protect their reputation
Lets understand our users now!
“A good design always starts with the keeping the core user in mind” so lets understand them 1st
Who are our users?
Bus Passengers
because they are the ones paying for the service and traveling.
Bus Drivers
because they face the blame for leaving passengers behind.
Bus Tour Companies
because they are losing customers, which impacts their business.
Passenger Persona – Emil, 29
What they say:
"I just want to enjoy the view and not constantly check my watch."
Goals:
Enjoy the tour without worrying about timing
Explore freely without missing the bus
Pain Points:
Easily loses track of time during sightseeing
Nervous about being left behind in unfamiliar places
Driver Persona – Jones, 44
What they say:
"I don’t want to leave anyone behind, but I also can’t hold up the entire group."
Goals:
Stay on schedule and maintain professionalism
Make sure no passenger gets left behind
Pain Points:
Feels pressure when people are late
Gets frustrated trying to track everyone manually
Tour Company Persona – Michael, 50
What they say:
"One missed passenger today can cost us ten customers tomorrow."
Goals:
Ensure tours run smoothly
Maintain brand reputation and reviews
Encourage return bookings
Pain Points:
Bad reviews from stranded passengers hurt bookings
Tour delays affect the entire schedule and cost business
No centralized way to handle tour communication and feedback
Ideation
Passenger Experience
There should be an alert system to notify passengers before the bus leaves
Passengers should see a live countdown during breaks
A “Where’s my bus?” tracker should show live location
Reminders must nudge passengers 5–10 mins before re-boarding time
Driver Experience
Driver should be able to set halt time and location
Driver can send 1-tap alerts to all passengers
Driver should see who is on/off the bus in real-time
Operator Dashboard
Admin should be able to assign drivers to tours
Dashboard must show live tour status and delays
Operator should get incident logs and feedback reports
Buses and routes should be managed from one place
Passenger App
Key UI Features & Benefits
Live Trip Overview
What it shows:
Real-time route, next stop, break timer, and total tour duration.
Why it’s useful:
Gives passengers a clear view of where they are, where they’re going, and how much time they have — reducing anxiety and improving trust in the tour system.
Break Timer with Reminders
What it shows:
A countdown timer during stopovers + push/vibration alerts 5 min before return.
Why it’s useful:
Prevents missed buses by keeping tourists informed without needing to constantly check their watches or ask others.
Real-time Notifications
What it shows:
Gentle updates like “Bus leaving in 10 mins” or “New stop added.”
Why it’s useful:
Clear communication without stress. Keeps everyone on the same page without needing to ask the guide or driver.
Driver App
Key UI Features & Benefits
Schedule & Halt Setup
What it shows:
A clear schedule view showing all upcoming halts, their locations, and expected arrival times. Drivers can review the plan and set timers for each halt as needed.
Why it’s useful:
Gives drivers clarity on the full tour plan, helping them stay prepared, manage halts better, and keep the tour running on time.
Timer Control with Auto Notification System
What it shows:
A live countdown for the current halt, with options to add time. Drivers can notify passengers manually or let the system send auto alerts through the app.
Why it’s useful:
Helps drivers manage breaks smoothly, reduce delays, and keep passengers informed without the need for manual follow-ups.
Tour Overview & Info
What it shows:
A summary of the driver’s upcoming tours, with details like tour name, start time, number of passengers, and assigned route.
Why it’s useful:
Gives drivers full context and helps them prepare in advance, improving professionalism and reducing confusion on tour day.
Tour Operator Dashboard
Key UI Features & Benefits
Company Dashboard Overview
What it shows:
An overview of total vehicles, app users, and drivers. It displays which buses are currently on the road, their destinations, upcoming tours, and completed tours, all in real-time.
Why it’s useful:
Allows the company to monitor all active operations at a glance, track progress, and quickly identify any issues to ensure smooth tour management.
Tour Assignment Tool
What it shows:
A scheduling tool to assign tours by date, select the specific tour, and allocate drivers and vehicles accordingly.
Why it’s useful:
Simplifies tour planning and driver assignments, preventing conflicts and ensuring that every tour is properly staffed and scheduled.
Branding
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Typography
Branding Font
Bai Jamjuree
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Product Font
Inter
Thin
Regular
Extra Light
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Extra Bold
Bold
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Primary Color
They are only used to provide consistency, accessibility, and a powerful simplicity throughout all brand communications.
Secondary Color
They are only used to provide consistency, accessibility, and a powerful simplicity throughout all brand communications.
Green
G50
#5a4bff
G100
#5a4bff
G200
#5a4bff
G300
#5a4bff
G400
#5a4bff
G500
#5a4bff
G600
#5a4bff
G700
#5a4bff
G800
#5a4bff
G900
#5a4bff
Mint Green
M50
#5a4bff
M100
#5a4bff
M200
#5a4bff
M300
#5a4bff
M400
#5a4bff
M500
#5a4bff
M600
#5a4bff
M700
#5a4bff
M800
#5a4bff
Purple
P50
#5a4bff
P100
#5a4bff
P200
#5a4bff
P300
#5a4bff
P400
#5a4bff
P500
#5a4bff
P600
#5a4bff
P700
#5a4bff
P800
#5a4bff
Marketing Website
Final Thoughts & Reflections
Conclusion
Designing Busbee gave me the opportunity to solve a real-world problem with direct impact on both user experience and business operations. From understanding tourist pain points to crafting seamless coordination between passengers, drivers, and tour operators — this project pushed me to think holistically.
Key Learnings
Real problems need real empathy, The project was rooted in true traveler frustrations, which helped ground our decisions in reality.
Designing for 3 user roles, Balancing needs of passengers, drivers, and companies taught me to design clear, focused flows.
Importance of communication, I saw how just one missed alert can break an entire experience and business trust.
Working collaboratively, Designing alongside experienced mentors showed me how to blend structure with creativity.
Confidentiality Note
Some visuals, flows, and business logic have been kept private to respect client confidentiality. This case study only includes what’s appropriate and non-sensitive.