Delate: Turning Train Delays into Rewards

A Mobile Application Revolutionizing Commuter Experience

Delate is a unique mobile application designed by Roberto M. Paura and Sofie Di Bartolomeo. It offers a system that allows commuters to collect the lost time caused by train delays. Through the app, users can keep track of their journey and earn points in case of delays. These points can then be spent on deals available in the marketplace within the app. Delate is the ultimate tool to refund users with discounted products and services offered by third-party brands, effectively turning an inconvenience into an advantage.

The UX and UI for Delate were meticulously designed using Adobe Illustrator and organized on Axure before being handed off to the development team. The app, available on both iOS and Android, was built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Notable libraries such as Polymer, Vue.js, and Redux were utilized in the development process. Additionally, Delate leverages the open-source database of Viaggiatreno to track the real-time movements of trains.

Delate's navigation structure was developed through extensive testing and prototyping. The designers iterated on multiple variations of the UI and gathered valuable insights from user interactions. The app's energy consumption was carefully monitored, ensuring a minimal drain on the phone's battery. The redemption process for deals on the marketplace was also refined to be as intuitive as possible.

Delate was launched in November 2019 after thorough research and collaboration between the UX, graphic design, development, and accessibility teams. The designers calculated that Italian railway commuters lose an average of 3500 minutes per year due to train delays. With this in mind, Delate was designed to reward commuters for each minute of delay, giving value to their lost time. User research and prototype testing were conducted to ensure the accuracy of the design, content hierarchy, and interaction, resulting in an easy and complete user experience.

One of the main challenges faced by the designers was creating an app that could be adapted to different countries with train delay issues. To address this, the user interface and UX were kept minimal and intuitive. The marketplace within the app was also carefully structured to offer a wide variety of physical and digital companies, catering to different audience preferences and ensuring constant updates and appeal for users.

Delate is the first app of its kind, providing a platform where every minute of delay is turned into a point that can be accumulated and used to access deals on various products and services. With its intuitive and clear design, Delate offers rewards without requiring any active action from the user, encouraging daily use and transforming discomfort into an advantage.

Delate was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications, and Software Design category in 2020. This prestigious accolade is bestowed upon outstanding designs that demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness, and contribute to quality of life improvements. Delate's incorporation of best practices in art, science, design, and technology showcases its strong technical and creative skills, making it a valuable addition to the world.