Elissandra Chin

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)

 

A Post-pandemic UX Transformation for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)

Open Case Study (PDF)
A Senior UX Case Study · Physical + Digital

Jamaica Station:
JFK Gateway

Designing overhead wayfinding tools for New York’s busiest transit hub.

Elissandra (Ellie) ChinSenior UX Designer

NY Metropolitan Transit Authority · with STV Incorporated

2021 · Digital signage, in-station

Two map sketches of New York City showing routes from JFK Airport through Jamaica Station to Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal
Project at a glance

Helping JFK travelers find their way
through New York’s busiest transit hub.

A short case study on cutting through signage chaos to give every rider, local or first-time, a clear path forward.

My role

Senior UX Designer

Owned research synthesis, journey mapping, wireframes, in-person interviews and final signage design.

Partner

STV Incorporated

Transportation consultancy running field research and station-layout overhaul.

Timeline

~4 months, 2021

Research synthesis → Walkthrough / Interviews → Concepts → Validation → Production-ready.

Canvas

Overhead digital screens

Mounted displays at three decision points inside Jamaica Station.

The opportunity

Streamlining transit chaos into a gateway experience

Jamaica Station

200K+

daily riders through the station

Transfers from JFK via the AirTrain collide with LIRR commuters and subway riders.

The brief

Overhaul the rider experience inside Jamaica Station.

MTA partnered with STV Incorporated to redesign the physical layout and add digital screens at the moments where riders had to decide where to go next.

My job: turn that research into signage that answered the rider’s real question at the moment they were asking it.

Field research

Three zones, three different kinds of stress.

I walked through the station observing where riders paused, doubled back, or looked for help. I also interviewed station employees to understand the friction points they saw daily. From there, I mapped the route into three zones, each with its own pattern of stress.

Zone 01

Entry

AirTrain platform + station entrance. Riders step in tired, loaded with luggage, unsure which direction to walk.

Stress level
Low
Zone 02

Ticket Zone & Mezzanine

LIRR vs. Subway? MetroCard vs. OMNY? Language, fare, and platform choices all stack on top of each other here.

Stress level
High
Zone 03

LIRR / Subway Entry

The commitment point. Riders need to confirm they picked the right option, before the turnstile, not after.

Stress level
Medium
Field research · Station walkthrough

Jamaica station walkthrough

Photo collage from inside Jamaica Station: taped-off screen locations, LIRR ticket machines, existing overhead displays, the mezzanine entrance, and AirTrain platform signage
Journey map

Arriving from JFK, step by step.

I synthesized the STV research into a single journey. Tracking what riders did, what they needed to know, and how they felt at each waypoint.

Step 01

JFK Airport

Arrives at JFK

Needs: which train? Which exit?

Neutral
Step 02

AirTrain → Jamaica

Transfers in

Needs: when do I get off? Where then?

Anxious
Step 03

Ticket & Mezzanine

Picks fare + platform

Needs: LIRR vs. Subway? Time? Cost?

Overloaded
Step 04

LIRR / Subway Entry

Boards the train

Needs: confirm this is the right track.

Relieved
Emotional arc

Stress spikes at the ticket zone, the moment with the most choices and the least context.

Journey map

Arriving from JFK, step by step.

Using the station’s floor plans, I mapped where each screen would live relative to the rider’s path through the space.

Journey overview page 1: section view from the AirTrain ticketing fare zone to the LIRR mezzanine entrance, with planned screen locations
Journey overview page 2: section view of the LIRR mezzanine, stair and escalator entrances, and the subway mezzanine, with planned screen locations
Journey map

Full journey map: actions, emotions, opportunities.

Persona: Gabriela, 28, solo traveler from Bogota. English is her second language, trying to save money. Stress peaks at the ticket zone.

Full journey map with rows for actions, emotions and opportunities across four stages, plus eight alternative scenarios at the station
The insight

Information belongs where the decision actually happens.

Anchor each screen to the physical space it belongs to. Answer the questions that riders are asking in the moment and in their language.

Concept exploration · Destinations + wayfinding

POI screen: real-time routes, in seven languages.

Live departures + pricing for LIRR and Subway, side by side. QR codes in different languages let riders pull full directions onto their phone.

Insight: a language barrier is a wayfinding problem. Solving it on screen reduces reliance on station staff.

Concept screen: Welcome to Jamaica Station, popular destinations with LIRR and subway departures, times and fares, and QR codes for directions in seven languages
Final signage

Ways to Get to Manhattan.

Two panels, one NYC-outline map, one decision and live disruption alerts when the normal path breaks.

Map sketches I designed: Traditional and Vignelli inspired

Traditional geographic map sketch of New York City with routes from Jamaica Station
Vignelli-inspired geometric map sketch of New York City with routes from Jamaica Station
Final screen: map from Jamaica Station to Penn Station, a subway service disruption alert, and options for Subway, LIRR and OMNY
Final signage

Popular Destinations.

An at-a-glance directory of the top destinations riders ask most about: Penn Station, World Trade Center, Times Square, and Port Authority.

Each row shows the Rail Road option and the Subway option side-by-side, so riders can compare time and price without flipping between screens.

Why it works
  • Three columns mirror how riders actually ask the question.
  • Empty space shows where an option doesn’t exist, no guessing.
  • Scannable typography built for overhead-screen reading distances.
Final screen: Popular Destinations directory comparing Long Island Rail Road and Subway departure times, durations and fares for ten destinations
Final signage

Current Travel Times.

The simplest answer to one of the most common questions: how fast can I get to Manhattan, and what does it cost?

Location where the signage would be displayed.

Photo of the ticket machine bank at Jamaica Station with the screen location outlined in blue tape
Final screen: Travel Times and Ticketing, LIRR is faster to Manhattan with a $4.50 City Ticket, Subway is cheaper at $2.75 plus a $1 new card fee
Reflection

Designing for a station taught me.

What I’d measure

  • Decrease in rider-initiated staff assistance for wayfinding
  • Time from AirTrain exit to platform boarding
  • Increase in public transit adoption over taxi or ride share from JFK

What I learned

  • Designing for users at peak stress sharpened my empathy more than any screen-based project.
  • Context and placement matter as much as content. Right information, wrong place, still a failure.

Elissandra (Ellie) ChinSenior UX Designer

The insight

Transit is where cities make their first impression and great cities deserve great wayfinding.

Thank you!