Public Bicycle
Service Redesign
Enhancing Seoul’s Public Bicycle System for Office Workers in Yeouido
This project aimed to revitalize Seoul’s public bicycle service by applying service-design methodology—integrating ethnographic research, stakeholder mapping, and user-journey analysis. The goal was to create a more accessible, efficient, and user-centered public mobility experience for Yeouido’s large community of office workers.
Timeline : April 2014 - September 2014
Type : Public Service · Mobile · IoT Integration
Team: 4 members (Collaborative project)
Role: UX / Service Designer
Context & Research Insights
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Current Status: Seoul’s public bicycles were mainly concentrated in Yeouido and Sangam, but usage was uneven—dense around banks and office buildings, sparse near housing and parks.
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Pain Points:
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Complicated kiosk process (multi-step authentication and payment)
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Poor station placement and unclear mapping
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Maintenance inefficiency and outdated hardware
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Low membership conversion due to rigid pricing (₩1,000 per hour)
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Benchmark:
A comparative study with New York’s Citi Bike highlighted Seoul’s limitations—limited scale (284 bikes vs 6,000 in NYC), no sponsorship model, no dedicated app, and less flexible payment and membership systems.
User Personas
Kim Tae-geun (29) – Financial Salesman
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Uses subway but walks 15 min from Yeouido Station to office
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Seeks quicker, low-cost commuting between meetings
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Frustrated by complicated kiosk steps and station inaccessibility
Jang Geurae (32) – Designer
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Uses public transport daily but struggles with irregular schedules and narrow streets
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Needs short-distance mobility between partner offices
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Wishes for a more flexible and affordable alternative to taxis
Key Findings
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Low Accessibility: Users found kiosks confusing and time-consuming.
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Maintenance Burden: Admins spent excessive time checking and repairing aging bikes.
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Pricing Friction: The fixed ₩1,000 / 1 hr system discouraged casual, short-term users.
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Information Gap: Real-time station/bike data was not visible through any mobile interface.
Design Goals
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Simplify rental and verification procedures.
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Improve station accessibility and real-time visibility.
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Reduce administrative costs via digital integration.
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Encourage short-term and repeat use through flexible pricing.
Ideation & Design Brief
Design Opportunity
Complex verification
Rigid pricing
Overreliance on kiosks
High maintenance cost
Lack of motivation
Limited engagement
Proposed Solution
Replace ID-number input with simple resident-ID or phone NFC scan
Introduce 30-minute billing and post-payment for overtime
Shift core functions (rental, payment, map, support) to mobile app
costConvert old bikes into long-term rentals / sell second-hand
Introduce calorie-to-points reward and user ranking features
Offer in-app ads + partnership content for added revenue
Service Blueprint
Frontstage (User-Facing):
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ID or phone tap for verification
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View nearest station via mobile app
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Choose payment (NFC / card / phone bill)
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Ride & return → auto payment for extra time
Backstage (System-Facing):
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Central control center monitors all stations
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Fault reports synced via app
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Maintenance crew receives real-time alerts
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Data analytics improve bike distribution efficiency
Key Scenarios
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Quick Verification: Tap ID or phone for instant access
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App Navigation: Find nearest available bike with live map
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Smart Payment: Use credit, phone, or NFC; charged per 30 mins
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In-App Help: Report issues directly to control center
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Personal Data View: Check distance, calories, and ranking
Outcome & Impact
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Simplified rental flow — reduced onboarding time by 70%
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Reduced maintenance costs via second-hand cycle reuse
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Increased accessibility through app-based UX
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Improved satisfaction with flexible pricing & transparency
Reflection
This redesign turned a bureaucratic, hardware-heavy public service into a user-centered digital ecosystem.
By integrating UX thinking with service design, we demonstrated how small interface changes can create large-scale behavioral and environmental impact.