Helsinki Bus · Katarina Blind

Problem

Non-native speakers miss buses because of language confusion.

Signage switches between two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. About 20% of Helsinki's population doesn't understand either.

Physical bus front display showing route 506 Brunakärr

Current app route display highlighting bus 506 in the mobile interface

Key Insight

But the issue isn't translation. It's timing.

Using field ethnography, I mapped the end-to-end service journey to find out exactly where confusion happened and how the existing system communicates.

Detailed section of the Helsinki Transit service map focusing on waiting for and changing buses

Full Helsinki Transit service map overview showing the breadth of mapped customer journey, channels, stakeholders, satisfaction, and pain points

Opportunity

So information should adapt to where people are in their journey.

What if, instead of showing more information, only the right information is shown exactly when it's needed?

Current

New

Approach

Shifting from static to real-time navigation.

I designed a new navigation flow that activates after people plan and select their route. It follows the stages and key decision moments of the bus journey.

Waiting

Riding

Stop

Destination

Challenge

But real-time navigation also means real-life chaos.

Designing for stress cases and human factors, not just ideal happy paths.

Low battery

Lite version via notifications

Route changes

Missed buses and new plans

Motion sickness

Eyes-free updates

Product Thinking

And real-life implementation needs bite-sizing.

I broke down the product into meaningful, testable phases. Each phase delivering standalone value while building toward the full real-time navigation vision.

Bus usage onboarding

Travel notifications

V3.0

New home screen

V3.1

Journey flow

V3.2

Tracking + voiceover

Maps integration

Handoff

I pitched this unsolicited to Helsinki Transit.

"We haven't considered language barriers before. This is instrumental in supporting in-transit experiences."
— Helsinki Transit Designers

Research report handoff asset showing methods and participant criteria

Design file handoff asset showing navigation flow and screens

I reviewed the project directly with the Helsinki Transit team. The phased product breakdown was used right away as a planning tool to start testing V1.

Impact

The onboarding in V1 has been implemented. Government changes halted implementation but the framework stuck.

Now, transit designers consider those who don't speak Finnish, reshaping design for 200k+ daily riders around inclusivity.

What I learned:
You don't have to wait for permission to make change happen.

It changed how they approach design for non-native speakers.

Good luck learning Finnish
as a foreign language.

Non-native speakers miss buses because of language confusion.

But the issue isn't translation. It's timing.

So information should adapt to where people are in their journey.

Shifting from static to real-time navigation.

But real-time navigation also means real-life chaos.

And real-life implementation needs bite-sizing.

I pitched this unsolicited to Helsinki Transit.

Now, transit designers consider those who don't speak Finnish, reshaping design for 200k+ daily riders around inclusivity.

It changed how they approach design for non-native speakers.

Good luck learning Finnishas a foreign language.

Non-native speakers miss buses because of language confusion.

But the issue isn't translation. It's timing.

So information should adapt to where people are in their journey.

Shifting from static to real-time navigation.

But real-time navigation also means real-life chaos.

And real-life implementation needs bite-sizing.

I pitched this unsolicited to Helsinki Transit.

Now, transit designers consider those who don't speak Finnish, reshaping design for 200k+ daily riders around inclusivity.

Good luck learning Finnish
as a foreign language.