Be RATP - Mobile UI/UX
Reimagining Paris' transit experience by blending real-time community updates with official transport information.
Project Overview
Be RATP is a speculative mobile application created during my exchange semester at Strate School of Design. The project challenged our team to merge two existing applications into a new digital product while preserving the essence of both brands.
We combined the official Paris transport app, Bonjour RATP, with the authentic, real-time sharing experience of BeReal. The result is a community-driven platform where commuters can share live updates, report disruptions, and discover positive moments happening across the Paris metro network.
Bridging Official Information with Human Experience
While transport applications provide official service updates, they rarely capture what commuters actually experience in the moment. Delays, crowded stations, buskers or unexpected events often spread through word of mouth long before they appear in official announcements.
Be RATP bridges this gap by combining verified transport information with authentic, user-generated content, creating a more transparent and connected commuting experience.
Designing for Community
Rather than treating commuters as passive passengers, Be RATP encourages them to become contributors. Users can instantly capture and share experiences, helping others make informed decisions while creating a stronger sense of community throughout the transport network.
This transforms everyday journeys into a collaborative experience where real people become a valuable source of real-time information.
Iterating Through User Feedback
Usability testing played a major role in shaping the final product. Participants found the original colour system unintuitive, requested clearer visual guidance, and highlighted the need for a dedicated reporting feature.
Based on this feedback, we refined the visual language, redesigned the interaction flow, and introduced a separate reporting system for suspicious or dangerous incidents, making the application both clearer and more practical.
Balancing Social and Functional Design
One of the biggest design challenges was balancing the playful identity of BeReal with the reliability expected from a transport application. The interface adopts a warm and approachable visual style while maintaining the clarity and structure needed for everyday commuting.
The result is a product that feels both engaging and dependable, encouraging participation without compromising usability.
Reflection
This project taught me that successful product design is not about combining features but it's about combining user behaviours. Rather than simply merging two applications, we explored how authenticity and official transport information could complement one another to solve a real commuter problem.
Looking Forward
Be RATP demonstrates how community participation can enrich everyday public transport. By empowering commuters to share real-time experiences alongside official information, the concept transforms commuting from a purely functional journey into a more informed, connected, and human experience.
