Time is Money: Rethinking the TAP Card Management Process for LA Metro
Role
UX Design Intern @ Cubic
Timeline
Jun-Sept 2025 3 months
Team
1 PM 1 Designer (me!) 1 Engineer
Skills
User Research User Empathy Rapid Prototyping Design Engineering User Testing
TL;DR
I delivered specs & prototypes that emphasized the TAP Traveler App's vertical integration.
As a UX Design Intern for Cubic Transportation Systems this summer, I formed and pitched a design and usability update for the TAP LA Traveler App. While the system now supports mobile wallets and soon open credit card payments—potentially making the app redundant—I took it upon myself to focus on what makes it indispensable. Drawing on real user reviews, I identified card management as the key solution space: adding, monitoring, and personalizing each card. These are features where the app excels, offering capabilities not possible with alternatives like Apple Wallet.
A card adding process that communicates clearly and methodically.
A purchasing system that balances speed and ergonomics.
A more action-oriented, orderly card screen.
Simple but effective customization options.
Highlights
Turned 750+ user reviews into actionable insights using Cursor and Notion.
AI tools let me access an amount of user-generated feedback and analysis that I simply would not have been able to have accomplished otherwise. Notion enabled theme identification and filtering, replacing inefficient spreadsheet workflows.
Defined 7 key usability themes, then narrowed scope with my team.
Collaborated with PM and engineering teams to align on the direction for desigh solutions. We decided to focus on Card Management, where I selected and reframed 3 top usability pain points.
Used Figma and AI prototyping to deliver and justify design solutions
By creating functional high-fidelity screens and prototypes with Figma Design and AI tools, I showcased my solutions in a presentation-ready specification. I even conducted user testing on my own to showcase the impact of my designs.
Understanding the Scope
"Why does the app even exist?" I thought when I first started, echoed by 2/5 star reviews.
I Scraped 750+ comments and reviews with help from Cursor, and became a bit of a Notion convert.
Diving into Reddit threads and app store reviews, I leaned on AI tools to speed up analysis. However, AI had real limitations, and agentic tools were limited in accessibility. After searching for a solution to my Excel woes, I turned to a tool I wasn't always a fan of—Notion. Searchable tags, flexible board views, and nested insights helped me surface usability themes, user contexts, and requests, as well as filtering out noise.
Seven usability themes got scoped down to one, to the surprise of even me. I then realized three pain points in that category.
With things organized, I formed seven usability themes, with the presumed goal of narrowing them to three under my manager's guidance. But upon presenting them to her and an engineer, she ended up telling me to focus on ONE, and come up with three pain points stemming from it.
Card Management Usability Pain Points
Users make errors adding and managing cards
"I added money to the app first without realizing you need an actual PHYSICAL card to transfer to…"
Unclear communication about card status and details
"…I was just a bit surprised because there wasn't really any info on where I was on the fare cap."
Difficulty finding and adjusting stored value or tickets.
"Why is it so hard to find the stored value of my card!!!!"
Just doing card management took me aback. However, as I developed those new 3 pain points I came to understand that the "themes" I had formed were arbitrary, and the insights were transferrable. Focusing on card management was for scope—I needed to design within a specific flow of the app.
Scope isn't just "what problems can we solve?" it's also "where can we solve them?"
Clarifying the Direction
I conceptualized how Card Management issues actually happen, strengthened my instincts, and explored potential solutions.
Design thinking methods didn't just check boxes, they actually improved my understanding.
I made three personas representing my data, and crafted user scenarios that I mapped ideas, questions and considerations on. As I iterated, I found myself questioning my previous insights and pain points, which scared me. But in reality, my mental models were just evolving—go figure!
In forming my solution space, I made more effort-impact matrices than I'd like to admit.
With a mountain of ideas, I used impact-effort matrices and color-coded frameworks to prioritize. I then constructed How Might We questions and regrouped ideas to better align with actual user needs. The result: a focused set of flows to address with specific design ideas.
Solution Space
Intuitive Navigation
By making key card management options require less steps, we can reduce the difficulty in discovering and locating features and details about their metro cards.
Awareness
By providing more distinct visuals and personalization tools, we can increase awareness and confidence about metro card characteristics.
Communication
By communicating more clearly and gracefully whilst setting up and managing cards, we can prevent users from getting slowed down and stuck.
Iteration and Refinement
Whether in testing or AI-assisted prototypes, I let my imagination take charge, whilst staying aligned.
In user testing, Fare Capping confused people. So I iterated and tested over and over.
I prototyped and tested key flows with users, uncovering confusion around "fare capping." Iterative copy and layout tweaks helped, but simplifying complex concepts like this remained a challenge.
User Testing Insights
Test 1: Way off the mark
"Quote here"
Test 3: A bit better
"Quote here"
Test 6: Now we're talking
"Quote here"
Alongside major changes, I advocated for small, cohesive tweaks across the app.
Working with an outdated, inconsistent app was tough. I focused on making my designs fit the current style and suggested small changes to modernize the experience beyond just usability fixes.
Balancing Ambitious AI Prototyping Workflows and Client Deliverables.
I loved using Figma Make to prototype and share ideas, but soon realized our tech stack wasn't prepared this new approach. I gave a presentation on Figma Make to my co-workers, and used it tastefully to elevate my designs, but made sure my designs stayed practical and grounded.
Reflection
The metro card app was useful—I needed to lean into its unique value-add.
Over the course of this internship, what I really was able to do was answer the question I had from the beginning - "why does this app exist?". I helped make the case for why the app matters, and how it can serve riders better.
Scoping and reframing are ongoing tasks, not one-time checkpoints.
It's natural for priorities and mental models to evolve as research progresses. Regular check-ins and willingness to pivot are essential.
AI tools can clean up messes, but also create them. Use wisely!
Not all pain points are solvable from the UI alone, but clear communication and advocacy for usability can still drive meaningful improvements.
Selected work
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