Consumer app / iPhone / navigation

ConnectSmart Mobility_

An all-in-one travel app for Houston: traffic, navigation, transit and carpools, with rewards for greener trips.

My role: Product designer
Platform: iPhone, iOS 15.4 or later
Released: November 2020
Price: Free
Developer: Metropia, Inc.
Status: Live on the App Store

App Store screenshot captioned Get there faster and avoid traffic with customized travel suggestions: a map with a yellow card reading Heavy traffic to work, which suggests leaving 20 minutes early, with Exit and See Details buttons, above a Where to? search and five tabs. — A timing suggestion over the map: leave 20 minutes early to avoid heavy traffic.

App Store screenshot captioned Have every Houston transportation option at your fingertips: a trip from Texas Medical Center to Discovery Green with All, Transit, Driving and Walking filters, sorted by shortest time, listing each option with its duration, times and modes. — Every option for one trip, filtered by mode and sorted by time.

App Store screenshot captioned Add a rider(s) directly to your driving trip and earn rewards: turn-by-turn navigation toward Exit 53, Montrose Blvd, with an orange prompt that invites riders to scan a QR code to join. — In navigation, riders can join a driving trip by scanning a QR code.

Summary

One app for driving, carpooling and transit, with real-time updates, tools to optimize each journey, and rewards for picking green travel options.

The App Store listing calls ConnectSmart Mobility an all-in-one travel companion, designed to help people save time, save money and discover the best ways to get around. Its first screenshot introduces it as Houston’s only all-in-one traffic, navigation and personalized travel app.

It has been on the App Store since November 2020, is published by Metropia, Inc., and is available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese.

What it does

Drive smarter. Use a preferred navigation app, or the app’s own navigation with real-time traffic, road conditions, parking options and CarPlay support.
Transit made easy. Find the best routes, compare options and see accurate travel times. One trip can be filtered by all modes, transit, driving or walking.
Carpool. Connect with family, friends and coworkers to share trips and cut costs, form private carpool groups, or add a rider to a driving trip on the spot.
Rewards. Earn rewards for choosing transit, biking, walking and carpooling, and spin a wheel for bonus coins after a trip.
Peace of mind. Real-time alerts for road closures, accidents and flooding, school zone warnings, and optional roadside assistance in select cities.

Private carpool groups with people you know and trust.

App Store screenshot captioned Get no-cost emergency roadside assistance with a few quick taps: a Tow and Go Roadside Assistance dialog over navigation, describing a free tow to a nearby safe location and a flat tire change, with Cancel and Request Tow buttons. — No-cost roadside assistance, a few taps away in select cities.

App Store screenshot captioned Spin the Wheel to earn bonus Coins after your trips: a screen reading Nice, you’ve earned 0.10 Coins, above a wheel of coin amounts with a Spin button. — Coins after trips, and a wheel to spin for more.

The design

The app is built around the map. A Where to? search sits at its bottom edge, above five tabs: Home, Carpool, Wallet, Trip Log and More. A strong blue carries headers, search and primary buttons, and white cards hold the content.

Color is saved for moments that need attention: a yellow card interrupts the map with a timing suggestion, and an orange prompt points to the rider invite during navigation. Trip options read as a simple list, each with its duration, start and end times, and a row of mode icons.

The listing’s screenshots are marketing frames. Each pairs one plain-language caption with one screen, from avoiding traffic to spinning the rewards wheel.

Privacy and availability

Privacy label. Data that may be linked to the user: location and contact info. Data that may be collected but not linked: contact info, usage data and diagnostics.
Location. The app may use location even when it isn’t open, which the listing notes can decrease battery life.
Free. The app is free, rated 4+, works with Apple Wallet, and runs on iPhone and iPod touch with iOS 15.4 or later.

← all work live App Store ↗ next Daybowl →