Have you ever missed your train because you didn't know which platform it is on or which ticket to buy? We've all been there.

Even with the best public transport system in the world, travelling can sometimes be a hassle... but that's over for now. Together with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), we have crafted their new mobile app: A travel guide who takes care of everything you need. A truly simple solution for you, 8.5 million other riders, and all beloved tourists. So that no one ever has to miss a train again.

Only the best for 8.5 million riders

The SBB stands for excellent service and the best rail network in the world. Do they rest on their success? Not at all. The SBB strives to constantly improve and make the travel experience more enjoyable for 8.5 million locals and even more tourists who visit Switzerland every year.

To meet these high expectations, we were asked to design the new version of the SBB app. From now on, everyone should be able to plan their trips easily and quickly and find everything they look for in their own pockets.

A smart travel guide for everyone

The new SBB Mobile app completely reimagined the user’s experience: The app remembers behavior, guides effortlessly through invisible navigation, and offers a sophisticated visual language.

Invisible navigation

Whether you would like to purchase a ticket or need information about a route, the starting point is the same. From the homepage, you can begin a search or jump directly to the desired content using a shortcut. The transition from the search to the overview of possible connections is seamless and leads to detailed information and ticketing options. The interface contains no menu, off-canvas navigation or button bar. It helps you find what you need when you need it, without even knowing.

Anticipate and persist

Based on your behavior, location, and purchase history, the application displays content that most likely meets your needs. It learns and anticipates accordingly. Some details the app simply cannot guess such as personal parameters. For example, the user is prompted to enter their travel card status (if applicable) and home or work address. The information you enter and options you select are remembered by the app for all subsequent purchases. That’s where the concept of persistence comes into play.

A clear journey

We focused on a simple visual language that any user can learn intuitively. Its purpose is to communicate, to tell a story. Through visual hierarchy and data visualization, the application delivers complex information in digestible tidbits. As a user, imagine your own journey, with a starting point, destination, and possible new routes in between.

World class in pocket size

The new SBB mobile app is more than just a digital timetable: It is a personal guide that makes traveling by public transport incomparably convenient. Finding a connection and buying a ticket takes now just two taps and 15 seconds. To put it into perspective, that's 30 seconds faster than with the previous app and if everyone in Switzerland were to use it just once we would save 297,500,000 seconds or 9 years of our time. Even off the tracks, the SBB is keeping its promise to provide an outstanding public transport experience.

Facts & figures

Project team