DesignExa
IRCTC Rail Connect Redesign & Booking Experience
Cognitive Audit
Booking Latency & Friction
Design System
WCAG AAA Accessible Tokens
Checkout Flow
3-Stage Passenger Workflow
Competition Review
Design Challenge Finalist
Overview
DesignExa was developed as a competition-finalist project for the DesignExa Design Challenge. The project redesigned the user experience and interface architecture of the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile application, focusing on WCAG high-contrast compliance, rapid train availability discovery, and a streamlined multi-passenger booking workflow.
The Problem
Legacy rail booking apps suffer from cluttered layouts, confusing quota selection hierarchies, unpredictable booking timeouts, and low contrast that hinders visually impaired users.
The Solution
Architected a modern design system with a clean visual hierarchy, predictable step-by-step seat allocation flows, and high-contrast typography, reducing cognitive load during high-pressure tatkal booking sessions.
Technology
Design & UX
- Figma
- Design Systems
- Prototyping
- Information Architecture
Accessibility & Standards
- WCAG AAA
- Design Tokens
- Typography Scaling
Cognitive Audit
Booking Latency & Friction
Design System
WCAG AAA Accessible Tokens
Checkout Flow
3-Stage Passenger Workflow
Competition Review
Design Challenge Finalist
Key Capabilities
Streamlined Booking Flow
Re-engineered the checkout flow from 7 disjointed steps down to 3 intuitive, cohesive stages.
High-Contrast Accessibility
Designed full WCAG AAA compliant color contrasts and readable typography scales for diverse user demographics.
Rapid Availability Matrix
Unified train schedules, quota categories, and live confirmation probabilities into a single scannable card layout.
Obstacles Faced
- Preserving complex booking constraints (such as berths, senior citizen quotas, and dynamic pricing) without cluttering mobile screen real estate.
- Conducting usability testing across diverse age demographics to identify the primary friction points in seat selection.
Key Takeaways
- Information architecture is paramount in high-stress transactional workflows.
- Accessibility-first design benefits every user, not just those with visual impairments.
Future Improvements
- Interactive code implementation with React Native and Tailwind.
- Offline station navigation and live train running status tracker.