Technology Meets the Rural Mobility as a Service (RMaaS) User: A Co-Design Approach

The user experience is a critical part of any product development process and one which has often been overlooked in the field of Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Based upon the principles of Design Thinking and Co-Design, the research presented is grounded upon a hybrid workshop in Scotland in 2022. This workshop involved six MaaS-related technology solutions currently operating in urban, rural, and/or regional settings. Solutions were demonstrated to, then tested and evaluated by a mix of potential users, including local businesses, transport/service providers, young and elderly people. In addition, novel exercises and tools developed for the hybrid workshop, featuring a range of activities for participants (‘A Day in the Life’, story cubes and persona development) and a two-step evaluation framework for MaaS technology solutions (‘Designing Transport for All’). The workshop development, results, and outputs address four larger research objectives: (1) identifying potential MaaS use cases across a variety of user groups within society, including residents and visitors; (2) establishing user requirements for Rural MaaS (RMaaS); (3) determining practical barriers and opportunities for RMaaS; and (4) evaluating existing MaaS technology solutions and software, particularly in the context of transport poverty and lacking transport infrastructure. Key outputs include co-created personas, the stakeholder map, the RMaaS Customer Journey Map (illustrating touch- and pain points), the RMaaS User Mode Priority Hierarchy (demonstrating the misalignment between existing and desired mode offerings), the Impact and Value Frameworks, and the tools and templates developed for the workshop, available to researchers and practitioners.