SBB.ch: new design and improved user experience.

Aims.

With the redesign, SBB.ch is...

• ...simpler, more appealing and offers more functions.

• ...developed consistently from the perspective of customers.

• ...continually improved as we are consistently running tests and learning from problems.

• ...more personal because all the important information is accessible more quickly.

• ...based on a database concept and the functionalities are consistently measured.

Your feedback matters.

With the beta version, our passengers were able to try out the new features and give us feedback directly. And they made good use of it – perhaps you did too. For example, this feedback confirmed that the function to print or enter a desired timetable connection into a calendar was actively used and will therefore be retained in the new version.

The new features briefly explained.

In addition to the new design, there are some features that will improve your user experience.

New timetable.

You can select the stops you last searched for. The results are also loaded dynamically as soon as you have entered a starting point and destination. This means that you get your timetable results even faster.

Share connections and make multiple requests at the same time.

You can now share individual connections by copying a link (URL). You can also open several timetable queries at the same time, in as many tabs as you like.

Entire route on a single map.

When you look at a connection in detail, the individual route sections or footpaths for changing trains are marked on the map at first glance. This will help you to be even better prepared for your journeys.

Improved search function.

The search logic and the results page have been optimised. Thanks to filters, a clear structure and the new autocorrect function, you can now find content on SBB.ch even faster.

Quick access to top offers.

You are now just one click away from popular offers such as GA Travelcards, Half Fare Travelcards etc.

Map view with bookable mobility solutions.

The map view shows bicycle parking spaces, car-sharing cars and on-demand services, which you can also book from here. And this goes for both your starting point and your destination.

What happens next?

We call the new SBB homepage an MVP, a minimum viable product, i.e. a basic version. This means we are laying the foundation for an agile, iteratively evolving SBB.ch site, which will be revised step by step. So you can look forward to more exciting innovations in the future.

Background information on the new design.

In April 2017, a major relaunch of SBB.ch gave the website the design that you know today. Based on the experience and developments of the last six years, we have decided to bring the front-end technology up to date again and build it up more broadly. At the same time, we are using this change in technology to improve the user experience and refresh the designs.

Behind the scenes, legacy systems are being replaced and up-to-date technologies are being deployed (a more modern architecture based on web components and micro front-ends). These provide greater flexibility for new functionalities and for software developers. This will make the development process even faster and more efficient.

User, UX, data.

Using various data analyses and, above all, user research, user testing, general customer feedback, and input from the field of UX, we have created a new design over the past years and months. It should offer you a great deal of added value – the new homepage will be simpler and more personalised.

Furthermore, the redesign of SBB.ch will also be based on that of the SBB Mobile app and the new ticket machines.

Alpha, beta, MVP release.

• Beta is an early, not yet fully developed version of a website. This means that, although the page is already functional and usable, it is not yet the final version. 
• Going live in beta allowed us to test the most important features on the real-life environment before the final roll-out (the release), thereby gathering as much feedback as possible.
• With the relaunch of the MVP, we are laying the foundation for the continuous development of the website.

Scope of the MVP.

The current version of the homepage includes:

1. the new homepage, including the header and footer.
2. the timetable.
3. the new search function, including the search results page.

As soon as you enter the purchase process via the timetable, or click on a link on the homepage or the search results page, you will still be taken back to the current (results) pages. 

In future, personalised content and new functions will also be present on the homepage. In addition, further steps in the development of the website will follow over the course of the year.